Demolition for the first phase of the HOPE VI revitalization project at Salishan began this morning.
The project is a $200 million redevelopment plan for Salishan, the citys largest public housing community and one of the poorest neighborhoods in Tacoma.
Plans for the project as a whole call for tearing down the 855 units of the building first constructed as cheap temporary housing for World War II defense workers and replacing them with 1,200 new ones.
The rebuilt community will include a mixture of new homes and apartments, as well as amenities like parks, retail space, a health clinic and an education and technology center.
Walsh Construction Company, the construction manager for the project, will oversee Able RTW and ATR Construction, which will perform the demolition work.
The demolition work follows abatement activities that began May 31, with the demolition process to be completed July 15. Infrastructure work is scheduled to begin the next day.
This demolition work marks the beginning of the physical redevelopment of the Salishan community.
Tacoma Housing Authority is redeveloping Salishan using federal funds from the HOPE VI program awarded in 2000, along with other federal, state, local and private funds. Startup money for the $200 million project comes from a $35 million grant from the federal Housing and Urban Development awarded in 2000. In April 2001, the grant was executed.
Vertical construction of new units is scheduled to begin in November 2004.
Visit www.salishan.net for more information.
