TACOMA, Wash. — Sound Transit has approved plans to build a new Tacoma Dome station for its Link light rail system, a plan which would require the demolition of the Freighhouse Square market dating to 1909.
The choice was part of the Sound Transit board’s selection of a final route for its Tacoma Dome Link Extension light rail project, made at a meeting last week.
The station site was chosen because of its proximity to the Tacoma stations for Amtrak and Sound Transit’s Sounder commuter trains. It was a unanimous choice of the Sound Transit board and had also been recommended by Tacoma’s city council.
The project will displace 43 businesses; the Tacoma News Tribune reports those businesses will be eligible for up to $200,000 in reestablishment costs, plus moving expenses. The exact amount for each business “will vary based on type of business and its requirements,” Sound Transit spokesman David Jackson said in an email to the newspaper.
Sound Transit board member and Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello told the newspaper that the transit agency is considering ways to support businesses by possibly including a food hall in the new station, and will work with the city and its Landmarks Preservation Commission to preserve elements of Freighthouse Square in the station design. A design won’t be ready for final approval until 2027; construction won’t be completed until 2035.
Light rail extension
The Tacoma Dome Link Extension is a $4.7 billion, 10-mile, four-station route that will build an elevated line connecting to Sound Transit’s light rail 1 line at Federal Way, Wash. Tacoma currently has a separate light rail route, the T Line, that terminates at Freighthouse Square.
The selection of a preferred route came last week, and sets in motion the Environmental Impact Statement process, expected to be completed in 2027.
“This vote marks a major milestone toward establishing light rail service to all three counties in the Sound Transit district,” Sound Transit Board Chair Dave Somers said in a press release. “It’s also another step forward in building the regional light rail spine that voters approved.”
Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine said the vote “brings us one step closer to delivering our shared vision of a world-class, three-county light rail system. The Tacoma Dome extension will seamlessly connect Pierce County to SeaTac, Seattle, the Eastside, Lynnwood and, ultimately, Everett. It will transform regional travel so fundamentally that we’ll wonder how we ever did without it.”
The motion approved by the board includes detailed information on the route. More on the project is available here.
This area was run down when I worked for the Milwaukee Road in the early 70s.
I don’t have any skin in this one, but the owner of the Freighthouse has been voicing complaints to *everyone* about how all the constant and surrounding construction has impacted his tenants. He has also complained about Sounder riders cutting through and using the facilities and not frequenting the shops. Some of the damage and messes they leave behind have cost him money.
As he called it in 2016, “the arrogance of immunity” where all of these elected and transportation people claim “…no responsibility”.
Maybe this way, they will simply buy him out and stop his complaints.
As for history, not sure if you noticed, but the steel plate bridges next to the “House” all have MILW logos on them with a script that says “Pacific Coast Extension 1906-1986”. So the locals *are* aware of the history.
When they rebuilt the ex MILW line for sound transit the new bridge over East G street and East 26 street where they separate has a big Milwaukee Logo on it that always catches my eye. The area around Puyallup Avenue is a mess now between the dilapidated buildings, the homeless, and associated thrash that goes along with this. When the Milwaukee was active on this line in the 1970’s, it was a single track line, I would railfan the line then stop at one of the places on Puyallup Avenue for a bite to eat. I would not stop at any place on that street now except inside Freight House square, which is really nice, if I had to starve.
I totally agree with all the comments above. Freight House Square is an old Milwaukee Road facility. Puyallup Avenue on the west side of Freight House Square has many dilapidated structures that could and should be demolished including the old Amtrak Station, which is all graffitied and boarded up. It is insane to demolish a historic building which is very alive and vibrant with businesses there. I enjoyed walking through that historic building. I am hoping there will be a ground swell to reverse this decision. I like Robert tend to be anti Nimby. Destroying a 106 year old piece of history when there are other alternatives that need to be demolished on this street is just plain not right.
Normally I am anti-NIMBY but, in this case, I am hoping that they are meeting as we speak (post) and can figure out a way to save this historic building. Demolishing our history is what our parent’s generation did with the interstate highways and “urban ruin-all”. I thought we were past that these days. However, we are dealing with government here and that is never a good thing.
This is remarkably sad. Freighthouse Square is a landmark piece of PNW history still very much in use. Not only does it preserve the Milwaukee Road story in Tacoma, but as the article correctly notes it also hosts 43 businesses, including sanely priced, charming non-chain cafes that offer wonderful food ranging from Mexican to northwest seafood.
The relocated Amtrak station for Tacoma already required the removal of part of the south end of the complex–but now it hosts both Amtrak regional and long-haul services and frequent (on weekdays at least) Sounder commuter trains.
I have so many wonderful memories of lunches there with my friends Jim Hamre, Denny Thompson and Jim Fredrickson–all gone on now–alas. Great old buildings like Freighthouse Square inspire memories and traditions, Seattle blocked the destruction of the Pike Place Market. If Jim Fredrickson was still with us he would lead another “Save the Station” effort here, as he did when Tacoma Union Station was abandoned by Amtrak in the 1980s and set to be destroyed. The magnificent restoration there is the ultimate evidence of what can be done. Surely there is a way to blend the light rail stop with this equally remarkable icon of the northwest!
I strongly support bringing light rail to Tacoma, but this is the wrong way to do it.
I have only driven through Tacoma, not actually been there. So I appreciate Carl’s comments. Even not knowing the city as Carl does, I smelled a rat when I read the article. What kind of light rail system justifies relocating 43 businesses for one station stop? I should think that relocating ten businesses for an entire light rail line would raise a rebellion in the environmentally correct Pacific Northwest. Or for that matter, anywhere else in America.
Light rail is supposed to enhance a city, not demolish it.
All very good points raised by Mr. Fowler and Mr. Landey above here.
As a resident of the Puget Sound region (and a growing skeptic of Sound Transit), I am appalled to hear that Sound Transit is going to demolish the Freighthouse Square for a “Light-Rail Station”. Clearly, they (The ST. Board, Dow Constantine and the local elected officials) DO NOT understand the history of Freighthouse Square and its importance to Tacoma (and the region), nor do they seem to care.
Really awful………
Somewhere, somehow, I cannot help but think that these Sound Transit “Officials ” believe they are creating a “new future” for Tacoma (and by erasing its past?) along the lines of Marxism (?).
Yes, the rest of Puyallup Avenue corridor is pretty shabby and run-down and surely Sound Transit could have identified another LINK-LRT alignment (and station site) to avoid demolishing Freighthouse Square …(?)
Shame on “Mao” Constantine and the whole rotten ST Board for this terrible decision !!!