With a two-seat biplane parked just feet away, the Pierce County Council Sept. 30 unanimously agreed to buy the Tacoma Narrows Airport near Gig Harbor from the city of Tacoma. As part of a $5 million joint purchase agreement with the Peninsula Metropolitan Park District (PenMet Parks), the county will pay $3 million for the airport and the park district will get nearby Madrona Links Golf Course for $2 million. Councilmembers took the final vote in Hangar 1108 of the airport.

Of the county’s $3 million purchase price, $2 million will come from the sale of the Elk Plain Road Shop property in Graham and the remaining $1 million is real-estate excise tax revenue councilmembers reserved in this year’s budget.

For more information about the airport purchase, the ordinance and supporting documents are available online here, and information on the airport is available online here.