The City of Tacoma issued a Request for Interest (RFI) Tuesday for the adaptive reuse of Old City Hall in downtown Tacoma. Developers are invited to express their interest in purchasing, leasing/purchasing, or master leasing the building located at 625 S. Commerce St. for the purpose of converting it into a high quality development that contributes to the vitality of the Old City Hall Historic District. Old City Hall was built in 1892, and the Old City Hall Historic District served as Tacoma’s early governmental, commercial, and entertainment center from 1886 through the 1920s. The City of Tacoma purchased the building for approximately $4 million earlier this summer.
“Old City Hall is an architectural icon,” said Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland. “We look forward to working with a developer who will restore its original grandeur, put it to its highest and best use, and respect our community’s vision.”
“It is the City’s preference to attract uses for Old City Hall that mesh well with surrounding development, maximize tax revenues, recoup its investment, result in new jobs and draw pedestrian traffic to the area,” added Tacoma Community and Economic Development Director Ricardo Noguera. “Hotels or offices that support companies and organizations with financial strength and growth potential are strongly preferred. Street-level, pedestrian-friendly uses, such as restaurants and retail venues, are highly desirable. Market rate residential development will also be considered.”
More information is available online here.
“There has been substantial reinvestment in this area, including a $15 million renovation of the former Winthrop Hotel that is well underway and plans for a $22 million restoration of the Elks Temple into a new McMenamins entertainment venue,” said City Manager T.C. Broadnax.
To read the Tacoma Daily Index‘s complete and comprehensive coverage of Old City Hall, click on the following links:
- Tacoma could spend $4M to purchase historic Old City Hall (Tacoma Daily Index, May 29, 2015)
- Cause No. 10-2-06120-2 SHERIFF’S PUBLIC NOTICE OF SALE OF REAL (Tacoma Daily Index, April 15, 2015)
- Washington Trust seeks nominees for 2015 Most Endangered Historic Properties List (Tacoma Daily Index, Nov. 21, 2014)
- Tacoma Public Library offers Old City Hall Historic District walking tour (Tacoma Daily Index, June 12, 2014)
- Walk Tacoma series continues May 7 with historic architecture tour (Tacoma Daily Index, April 29, 2014)
- Tacoma honored for historic preservation legislation (Tacoma Daily Index, April 9, 2014)
- Year In Review: Historic Preservation Legislation (Tacoma Daily Index, Dec. 26, 2013)
- Building inspector’s report shows more work needed at ‘derelict’ Old City Hall (Tacoma Daily Index, January 19, 2012)
- Transient linked to Old City Hall fire (Tacoma Daily Index, January 6, 2012)
- Hope for Old City Hall? Historic Tacoma tours iconic, derelict building (Tacoma Daily Index, June 7, 2011)
- Inside Old City Hall (Tacoma Daily Index, May 26, 2011)
- Historic preservation group calls Tacoma’s Old City Hall ‘endangered’ (Tacoma Daily Index, May 24, 2011)
- More trouble for Old City Hall? (Tacoma Daily Index, March 28, 2011)
- Inspector’s report offers grim glimpse inside ‘derelict’ Old City Hall (Tacoma Daily Index, Jan. 4, 2011)
- Historic Buildings, Historic Recession: Questions for Old City Hall owner George Webb (Tacoma Daily Index, Dec. 17, 2010)
- Hope for Old City Hall? Building clean-up, foreclosure prevention efforts under way, says owner (Tacoma Daily Index, Dec. 14, 2010)
- Tacoma City Council to receive Old City Hall update Dec. 14 (Tacoma Daily Index, Dec. 10, 2010)
- Bank publishes notice to foreclose on Old City Hall; City to study public development authority for historic buildings (Tacoma Daily Index, December 9, 2010)
- Old City Hall for sale (Tacoma Daily Index, January 7, 2008)
- History Makers (Tacoma Daily Index, Nov. 21, 2006)
- City briefed on proposed changes to historic preservation ordinance (Tacoma Daily Index, Sept. 28, 2005)
- Wolfe Joins Tacoma Photo Studio (Tacoma Daily Index, Oct. 6, 1999)
