The City of Tacoma is poised to sell a piece of property in the Dome District that was home to the old Durobilt Furniture and Upholstery store for nearly 60 years.

According to the resolution, the property, located at 323 Puyallup Ave., was purchased by the City in 2005 as part of the $22.5 million D Street Overpass project. That project separated motor vehicle traffic from rail traffic and eliminated congestion in the area by raising the roadway near East D Street and East Dock Street.

“Because the project primarily eliminated vehicular access to the business, the City was required to acquire the property and pay for business relocation expenses utilizing federal project funds,” wrote city staff in documents supporting the resolution. Durobilt Furniture and Upholstery relocated to 2507 Tacoma Ave. South, leaving behind a two-story, 3,760-square-foot building constructed in 1937 and today sits vacant. “The property has been administratively determined to be surplus to the needs of the City of Tacoma. The adjacent property owner has offered to acquire the property for $100,000. This offer is within the range of fair market value as determined by an appraisal and updated appraisal procured in December of 2010 and June of 2011. By selling the property to the adjacent property owner, the property will be commercially viable because access will be restored to the property.”

The adjacent property owner is listed in the resolution as “SOTTOBOSCO, LLC.”

Tacoma City Council is tentatively scheduled to vote on the resolution (No. 13045) during its meeting on Tues., Oct. 4. at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, on the first floor of the Tacoma Municipal Building, 747 Market St. To read the pending agenda and materials for that meeting, visit http://cms.cityoftacoma.org/cityclerk/Files/CityCouncil/Pendings/2011/Pd20111004.pdf .

To view historic photographs of the building at 323 Puyallup Avenue, click on the following links:

http://search.tacomapubliclibrary.org/images/dt6n.asp?un=1&pg=1&krequest=durobilt&stemming=On&phonic=&fuzzy=&maxfiles=5000

http://search.tacomapubliclibrary.org/images/dt6n.asp?un=2&pg=1&krequest=durobilt&stemming=On&phonic=&fuzzy=&maxfiles=5000

UPDATE: Tacoma City Council’s economic development committee is scheduled to discuss the item during its meeting on Tues., Sept. 27 at 3 p.m. in the Tacoma Municipal Building, 747 Market Street, Conference Room 248. For a copy of the agenda, click here.