Apartments serving homeless veterans proposed for East Side Tacoma transit center

A Pierce Transit transportation hub located on Tacoma’s East Side could soon include a major housing development for local veterans.

The non-profit Multi-Service Center has submitted a proposal to Pierce Transit that calls for the development of a four-story, 55,725-square-foot building (pictured below) that would offer 52 one-, two-, and three-bedroom units of affordable rental housing to homeless veterans and their families at the 72nd Street Transit Center and Park-and-Ride, located at 1319 E. 72nd St., in Tacoma. Thirty-nine units would be set aside for Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Section 8 Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rental assistance program participants, with rents ranging from $265 per month for a one-bedroom unit to $370 per month for a three-bedroom unit. The remaining units (all one-bedroom) would be available for $460 to $786 per month.

The building, which would consist of two wings, is designed to be connected by a pedestrian skybridge. The proposal also calls for computer centers and support service program areas for residents, as well as a kiosk with coffee and light food fare to be operated by Multi-Service Center’s Tacoma Veteran Program participants during peak transit times. Design plans also show a separate, two-story building with parking for 22 vehicles.

If the proposal is accepted by Pierce Transit, construction could begin in mid-October of 2016, and be completed one year later, according to the proposal. Full occupancy could be expected by December of 2017. Pierce Transit and Multi-Service Center have not disclosed the total cost of the project or sources of funding.

“[Pierce Transit] is excited and looking forward to reviewing the unsolicited proposal, which is in a very preliminary stage at this time,” said Pierce Transit spokesperson Justin Leighton. “The proposal is a unique opportunity to include our transit services with affordable housing options to the community, which is a true Transit Oriented Development project.”

Pierce Transit published a legal notice in the Tacoma Daily Index in August announcing it had received the unsolicited proposal for land development (see “Pierce Transit Public Notice of Receipt of an Unsolicited Proposal,” Tacoma Daily Index, Aug. 25, 2015; and here). The Tacoma Daily Index followed up with Pierce Transit officials for a copy of the proposal and more information.

The Multi-Service Center is a non-profit organization with locations in Federal Way, Kent, and Burien.