Open house Feb. 17 to discuss Thea Foss Waterway park proposals

Metro Parks Tacoma and the Foss Waterway Development Authority will host a public open house this month to discuss the future of two new park spaces—Waterway Park & Rowing Center and Central Park—located along the downtown Tacoma waterfront.

One proposal for Waterway Park & Rowing Center, located at 2130 E. ‘D’ St., involves converting the existing Berg Scaffolding Building—or constructing a new facility—to serve as a public boathouse that would support human-powered watercraft, as well as building restrooms and picnic facilities, and creating parking upgrades, according to Metro Parks Tacoma staff. A proposal for Central Park, located at 1147 Dock St., could include the extension of the esplanade, picnic areas, and other improvements.

Public meetings to discuss the two park projects were held in December (see “Public meeting Dec. 15 to discuss Thea Foss Waterway park proposals,” Tacoma Daily Index, Dec. 2, 2015) and January (see “Public meeting Jan. 14 to discuss Thea Foss Waterway park proposals,” Tacoma Daily Index, Jan. 5, 2016). An open house will be held on Weds., Feb. 17, at 6 p.m. at Metro Parks Tacoma Headquarters, located at 4702 S. 19th St., in Tacoma to present final designs and get additional comment.

In July, Metro Parks Tacoma published a Request For Qualifications (RFQ) in the Tacoma Daily Index inviting landscapers, architects, and engineers to interested in providing initial design services for the two park spaces (see “Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma Request for,” Tacoma Daily Index, July 17, 2015; and “Metro Parks Tacoma seeks contractors for 2 Foss Waterway park improvement projects,” Tacoma Daily Index, July 21, 2015). Seven contractors responded to the RFQ.

“We have just completed our interview process for [architectural and engineering] services and have selected Site Workshop Landscape Architects to be the lead along with SHKS Architects,” Metro Parks Tacoma Project Manager Doug Fraser told the Tacoma Daily Index in September (see “Design phase to begin soon for 2 Foss Waterway park improvement projects,” Tacoma Daily Index, Sept. 17, 2015).

The work is being completed and paid for through a partnership between Metro Parks Tacoma and the Foss Waterway Development Authority.

The Waterway Park & Rowing Center site along Thea Foss Waterway in downtown Tacoma. (PHOTO BY TODD MATTHEWS)

The Central Park site along Thea Foss Waterway in downtown Tacoma. (PHOTO BY TODD MATTHEWS)

To read the Tacoma Daily Index‘s complete and comprehensive coverage of Central Park and Waterway Park & Rowing Center, click on the following links: