Port of Tacoma purchases WTC Tacoma Building

The Port of Tacoma has completed a $6.8 million purchase of the World Trade Center Tacoma Building.

Located at 3600 Port of Tacoma Road, the 70,000-square foot building had been owned by a local, private partnership. The land was – and will continue to be – owned by the Port of Tacoma.

Bob Emerson, the port’s director of real estate, notes the modern, five-story office building is wired with fiber optic connectivity and a desirable location – adjacent to Interstate 5 at the entrance to the Port area with easy freeway access and ample parking.

According to Port of Tacoma Commission President Dick Marzano, the acquisition is consistent with the port’s expansion and diversification objectives.

“This is a dynamic addition to the port’s real estate portfolio,” he said.
Presently, the World Trade Center Tacoma Building has more than 20 tenants, including the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

“We have no current plans to change the use of the building,” Emerson said. “The port will continue to offer the building for lease to a wide variety of businesses.”

Emerson added that the site has potential for further development in the future.

“We will be exploring several alternatives for ultimate long-term development,” he said.

As a major North American gateway to Asia and Alaska, the Port of Tacoma’s stated mission is to create sound regional economic growth through maritime commerce and related development.

Established in 1918, the port today ranks among the largest containerized cargo handlers in the nation, moving more than 1.47 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2002.