Lincoln Neighborhood Revitalization Project open house Aug. 20

The City of Tacoma will host an open house this month to discuss the Lincoln Neighborhood Revitalization Project.

Last year, Tacoma City Council set a strategic objective to focus on development of the Lincoln International Business District, and approved funding for the project in the 2015-2016 biennial budget. Key features of the $4.25 million project include neighborhood entryway, roadway, sidewalk, and pedestrian infrastructure improvements along the stretch of South 38th Street from Tacoma Avenue South to South Thompson Street, which serves as the primary corridor of the Lincoln International Business District.

Preliminary plans for the project include features that will enhance pedestrian access, traffic calming measures, and landscaping elements. There will be a public art component to the project that will provide distinctive gateway attractions on both sides of the improved streetscape. Moreover, the project aims to promote an economically thriving business district that provides access and support to businesses with sufficient and clearly defined parking and pedestrian amenities; provide an inviting and accessible destination area for eating, shopping, and gathering; and create a sense of place by celebrating the cultural diversity that is unique to the Lincoln International Business District.

The Lincoln Neighborhood Revitalization Project is being paid for using $500,000 from Tacoma’s General Fund, $750,000 from Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) revenue, and $3 million in bond funding. The streetscape design is tentatively scheduled to be completed in December, a construction contract is tentatively scheduled to be awarded in March, and construction is tentatively scheduled to occur between May and September.

The City held an open house in June (see “Open house offers early peek at Lincoln Neighborhood Revitalization Project,” Tacoma Daily Index, June 26, 2015; and “Lincoln District Streetscape Project open house June 25,” Tacoma Daily Index, June 19, 2015), and recently issued a call for artists interested in creating public artworks that will act as gateways to the Lincoln International Business District (“Tacoma seeks artists for Lincoln Neighborhood Revitalization Project,” Tacoma Daily Index, Aug. 3, 2015).

This month’s open house will be held on Thurs., Aug. 20, between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., at the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Auditorium, located at 3629 S. D St., in Tacoma.

More information is available online at cityoftacoma.org/LincolnProject.

To read the Tacoma Daily Index‘s complete and comprehensive coverage of Tacoma’s Lincoln International Business District, click on the following links: