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Reclaiming and Redeveloping the Tacoma Waterfront the Thea Foss Waterway – a 1.5 Mile Inlet Off Commencement Bay – Runs Along the Downtown’S Shoreline

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Reclaiming and Redeveloping the Tacoma Waterfront the Thea Foss Waterway – a 1.5 Mile Inlet Off Commencement Bay – Runs Along the Downtown’S Shoreline Reclaiming and Redeveloping the Tacoma Waterfront The Thea Foss Waterway – a 1.5 mile inlet off Commencement Bay – runs along the downtown’s shoreline. More than 100 years ago, the waterway was developed as a bustling industrial area -- the site of numerous mills and marine activities and the terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad. After that first half century of commercial success, the western side of the waterway gradually began to lose its traditional tenants, leaving a legacy of vacant buildings and contaminated properties. In 1981, the federal Environmental Protection Agency named three polluted "hot spots" in the waterway as part of a Superfund site. A Time for Turnaround In the 1980s, local government leaders took another look at the Foss -- and this time they saw the greatest single opportunity to usher in Tacoma’s economic revival. In 1991, the City of Tacoma and the Metropolitan Park District purchased nearly 27 acres of property on the western side of the Thea Foss Waterway for $6.8 million. The City, in the unfamiliar role of property developer, hoped to eventually turn the barren land into a residential, commercial and recreational area linking downtown Tacoma and the Ruston Way shoreline to the north of downtown. "Create a Place for Yourself on the Foss" Developing the Thea Foss Waterway offered Tacoma a unique set of challenges and opportunities. Numerous federal, state and local agencies have a say in what happens in and around the waterway. In addition, the land itself carried the stigma of contamination and the threat of future liability for potential developers. Obviously, the old ways of planning and developing wouldn’t work on the Foss. When City leaders sat down to map their strategy for tackling the environmental and redevelopment issues, they vowed to take a different approach -- collaborative rather than confrontational. The approach paid off. With everyone at the negotiating table, including numerous federal, state and local regulatory agencies, the group agreed to a new strategy: allow the kind of development proposed for each site to determine the extent of environmental cleanup. For instance, a parking lot will not require the same level of cleanup as a park. And the Foss agreement set another new national trend – the Washington State Department of Ecology would allow upland cleanup to be delayed until development took place. Public input also played a significant role in formulating a plan for what the future Foss would look like. Public meeting notices drew in more than 900 citizens, urging them to "Create a Place for Yourself on the Foss." More than 40 community meetings tapped the public’s creative psyche. These public involvement efforts reached community and service organizations, environmental groups, developers, labor groups, business leaders, landowners, regulatory agencies and community members. Polishing a City Jewel The City's plans for this former industrial area have one overriding thing in mind - public access. Picture this: 1.5 miles of waterfront walkway, public event plazas, marinas, shops and cultural centers stretching along the Thea Foss Waterway's western shore. To accomplish this goal the following projects are currently under way or soon will be. The Museum of Glass International Center for Contemporary Art opened in July 2002. The $63 million project is a major U.S. contemporary arts venue with a sustained concentration of the medium of glass featuring a tilted, stainless steel inverted cone which houses the Hot Shop Amphitheater, where visitors can watch artists at work. The City-owned Chihuly Bridge of Glass is a 500 foot pedestrian bridge which links the Washington State History Museum, the Tacoma Art Museum, Union Station, the University of Washington and downtown with the Thea Foss Waterway and Museum of Glass, opened to foot traffic in July 2002. The bridge houses a Seaform Pavilion, Venetian Wall and Crystal towers, each containing unique glass art developed by Dale Chihuly, a Tacoma native. The first phase of the wide shoreline esplanade has been completed between 15th and 18th streets. It accommodates pedestrians, bicyclists, roller skaters and public events; artwork; play areas; public piers; landscaping; and bike racks; and potential moorage for sea-faring visitors. This area will include the civic plaza, a place for open-air concerts, art displays and other public gatherings overlooking the waterway. The Neighbors The Thea Foss Waterway is uniquely positioned to link together many much-cherished and yet-to-be-realized Tacoma sights. At one end of the Foss lies the narrow shoreline parks of Ruston Way, enjoyed year-round by droves of citizens who run, walk, rollerblade, eat and relax along Commencement Bay. Anchoring the other end are the redeveloped Union Station federal courthouse - once a 1911 railroad depot, the Washington State History Museum, The Tacoma Art Museum, the University of Washington Tacoma campus, an elegant four-lane cable-stay bridge, and a regional and local transit hub near the Tacoma Dome. On the Foss itself, Thea's Park already provides a welcoming gateway to what will one day become the longest waterfront walkway in the nation. The Thea Foss Maritime Center houses a maritime history museum and boat building shop. A People Place The City’s plans for this former industrial area have one overriding thing in mind – public access. Picture this: 1.5 miles of waterfront walkway, public event plazas, marinas, shops and cultural centers stretching along the Thea Foss Waterway’s western shore. Elements of the design include a wide shoreline promenade that will accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists, roller bladers and public events; artwork; play areas; public piers; landscaping; and bike racks; and potential moorage for sea-faring visitors. This area includes the civic plaza, a place for open-air concerts, art displays and other public gatherings overlooking the waterway. Private Development Private partners are critical to the success of the Foss redevelopment. In 1996 the City Council voted to create the seven-member Foss Waterway Public Development Authority, a group of development professionals who will market development sites for private redevelopment. The first of the private partners developed Thea's Landing, a mixed use development with 188 apartment units, 47 condominium units, 19,000 square feet of retail and approximately 400 underground parking stalls. The Albers Mill, south of the Glass Museum is a beautiful mixed use historic preservation, residential development. Foss Marine, North of the 11th street bridge will start a major mixed use redevelopment project which will include condominiums, upgraded marina, commercial/retail uses and underground parking. Other development sites will continue to be marketed until full development is reached. The partnership and investment by private partners are key to the success of the waterway. A Bright Future The transformation of the long-neglected Thea Foss Waterway has begun. It will be a city showpiece and magnet for redevelopment and economic revitalization. In the span of ten years, Tacoma has used the innovative approach of accepting responsibility for past pollution and navigated through the regulatory maze to gain citizen and government approval for its blueprint. All these achievements point to a bright future for the Thea Foss Waterway -- and Tacoma. For more information, go to Go to www.theafoss.com. .
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