120 units planned in Tacoma apartment project

Construction could begin this fall on a 120-unit apartment complex in Tacoma’s West End.

The complex — just north of the Orchard Street on-ramp to Highway 16 — could start accepting rental applications next spring, said project developer Mark Carpenter, with project completion by the end of next summer.

Carpenter is tied to another complex, Port Landing in Fife, which boasts stainless steel appliances, 9-foot ceilings and granite countertops.

Carpenter said residents at the West End complex will have direct access to the 5-mile-long Scott Pierson Trail system, plus a well-stocked, two-story recreation building with a swimming pool and hot tub. City records show he’s planning 230 parking stalls.

“It’s close to Fircrest, it’s close to University Place,” Carpenter said. “We’ve put enough amenities in them that we will attract millenials,” but the units also would appeal to students and singles.

This project includes six apartment buildings. Apartments will range from 550-square foot studios to 1,100 square foot units with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Rents could range from $800 to $1,200 per month, he said.

Several other multifamily developments are planned in Tacoma, including two that feature tiny “micro unit” apartments, a six-story development in the Proctor District, a 108-apartment project on Sixth Avenue and a 12-unit building overlooking the Tacoma Dome on McKinley Hill.

Within the next few months to more than a year, these developments will create more than 450 units in the Tacoma market, where rents are rising faster than in Seattle. Rents here are still lower by hundreds of dollars.

May’s median rent in Tacoma in multifamily developments was $1,097 — 9.75 percent higher than the same time last year. Seattle’s rent for the same month was $1,895, 8.29 percent higher than last year, according to estimates from real estate data firm Zillow.

This story was originally published June 30, 2016 at 12:04 PM with the headline "120 units planned in Tacoma apartment project."