Join your fellow residents, businesses, property owners and City of Tacoma leaders to discuss how to encourage development and economic revitalization in the Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) District. The City of Tacoma is beginning a planning and environmental review process in the MLK District called the MLK Subarea Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Over the next 12 to 18 months, this project will establish a vision for future public and private investments in the MLK District, and will integrate these investments with the needs of current residents, businesses and property owners.

On Thurs., Jan. 5, the City will hold a public meeting so you can hear about the overall plan for the project moving forward; learn about the upcoming EIS scoping period and how you can contribute; review existing plans and strategies that will serve as a foundation for this effort; and sign up to participate in future planning activities. The meeting will be held between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Evergreen State College (Tacoma Campus), Lyceum Room, 1210 6th Avenue. This is the first major opportunity to learn about and participate in the planning and environmental review process. Additional opportunities to participate in the plan development will be provided in the future. However, once the plan and environmental review process is completed, future appeals of proposed developments that are consistent with the plan will be limited.

The City of Tacoma is required to plan for 60,000 new jobs and 70,000 additional people in Tacoma by 2030, according to the Puget Sound Regional Council Vision 2040. If this growth occurs as projected, it could mean up to 10 million square feet of new floor space in the MLK District that will bring additional housing, employment opportunities, new infrastructure, open spaces, and transportation options. What might this look like? Here are four conceptual illustrations provided by the City of Tacoma (Note: The general illustrations are representative of the maximum building envelope that will be allowed under the proposed plan, and not any particular project or proposal):

MLK Business District Core Area — Conceptual illustration of the maximum build out allowed in the MLK Business District Core Area. Includes a mix of commercial and residential uses and urban density levels with maximum building heights up to 85 feet and minimal to no setbacks;

McCarver Neighborhood Area — Conceptual illustration of the maximum build out allowed in the McCarver Neighborhood Area. Includes primarily residential uses and some commercial space, particularly along MLK Way, with urban density levels. Maximum building heights of 60-65 feet and minimal to no setbacks;

St. Joseph Medical Center Area — Conceptual illustration of the maximum build out allowed in the St. Josephs Medical Center Area. Includes primarily medical uses and some residential and other commercial space. Urban density levels with maximum building heights of 150 feet and minimal to no setbacks;

Tacoma General/Mary Bridge Medical Center Area — Conceptual illustration of the maximum build out allowed in the Tacoma General/Mary Bridge Medical Center Area. Includes primarily medical uses and some residential and other commercial space. Urban density levels with maximum building heights of 150 feet and minimal to no setbacks.

For more information visit http://www.cityoftacoma.org/MLKPlan .

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Voices heard in support of Hilltop Tacoma name change (11/18/11) — http://tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=2071567&more=0

Hilltop Tacoma: A neighborhood gives a nod to its historic name (11/16/11) — http://www.tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=2070946&more=0

Upper Tacoma vs. Hilltop: City poised to change business district name (11/14/11) — http://tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=2068831&more=0

Upper Tacoma or Hilltop? Resolution could officially change Tacoma business district’s name (11/01/11) — http://www.tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=2061946&more=0

Tacoma Housing Authority awarded $1.9M HUD grant for Hilltop community center (09/16/11) — http://tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=2038359&more=0

Hilltop Regional Health Center ground-breaking ceremony Aug. 9 (07/18/11) — http://tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=2008320&more=0

City, Metro Parks envision revamped People’s Neighborhood Resource Center (06/02/10) — http://tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1781299&more=0

Fund-raising continues for Valhalla Hall renovation (03/11/10)– http://tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1731885&more=0