New reader board proposed for People's Community Center

Metro Parks Tacoma is accepting bids from contractors to install a new reader board at the People’s Community Center in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood, according to a legal noticed published this month in the Tacoma Daily Index.

Bid documents prepared by Metro Parks Tacoma staff show the project consists of replacing the existing and obsolete signage with a new, double-faced electronic reader board featuring up-to-date technology; removing and disposing of the old unit; electrical wiring revisions; structural mounting modifications for the new reader board; furnishing and installing a new computer having up-to-date display control software; provision of new wireless radio remote gear for linking with the new reader board electronic control units; commissioning services to make the display control system operational; and providing training for the reader board operators.

The project budget is estimated at $30,000 to $60,000. The bid deadline expires at 2 p.m. on Mon., April 18. More information is available online here.

The new reader board is just one part of a larger improvement project under way at the facility.

Metro Parks Tacoma is currently renovating the aquatics facility at the People’s Community Center. A new swimming pool is the centerpiece of the $7.6 million project, which will also include a three-lane lap pool, passive swim area and bench, indoor spray pad, current channel, vortex, and lily pad walk. In addition, visitors will also notice new restrooms and changing areas, two party rooms, and basketball hoops. The project is being paid for using approximately $5.34 million in City of Tacoma funds, approximately $1.74 million in Metro Parks Tacoma bonds, and a $485,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce.

The City of Tacoma and Metro Parks Tacoma hosted a groundbreaking ceremony in May 2015 to mark the beginning of the project. The facility is scheduled to open to the public this fall.

The People’s Community Center, which was built in 1978 and is located at 1602 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, is owned by the City of Tacoma and operated by Metro Parks Tacoma. The pool was closed in 2008 after an engineer’s report cited structural concerns. A stakeholders group that included Metro Parks Tacoma, City of Tacoma, and community representatives formed to advocate for re-opening the facility and secure funding for the project.

UPDATE | TUES., APRIL 19 @ 1:50 P.M. — Information posted on Metro Parks Tacoma’s Web site notes the bid deadline has been changed to 2 p.m. on Mon., May 9.