‘Simply unprecedented’: Former Alma arts center in Tacoma has new caretakers

The Puyallup Tribe is the new caretaker of the former Alma building — a 22,000-square-foot arts venue and educational center in downtown Tacoma equipped with a concert hall, multiple restaurant spaces, a recording studio, a rooftop and a courtyard.

The former owners, recognized as Alma, LLC, “gifted” the property to the Tribe “with no strings attached” in a deal finalized July 28, the Tribe announced in a news release Tuesday.

Its precise use has yet to be determined, but the Tribal Council will assign staff to “explore future uses,” according to the release, with the goal of “aligning it with the Tribe’s values and community priorities.”

“We’ll have our staff roll up their sleeves and go through that building from bottom to top and come up with a plan,” said Tribal Chairman Bill Sterud in an interview. “I’m just ecstatic that this has happened ... What an incredible gift. Nothing like this has ever happened before.”

Pierce County property records value 1322 Fawcett Ave. at $3.28 million. Tax documents filed July 28 confirm the gift.

“The Tribe has long endured people taking land from us and having to fight at every turn,” the Puyallup Tribal Council said Tuesday. “It is simply unprecedented for a gift of this size to be freely given to us. It is a blessing to the entire community that so many of us share the same values. We raise our hands to all the people who made this happen.”

The acquisition follows years of big moves restoring stewardship of Coast Salish land to The Puyallup Tribe. In 2021, the Tribe purchased the Ruston Way sites of The Ram Restaurant and Brewery and the former C.I. Shenanigan’s, leading to a partnership with celebrity chef Roy Yamaguchi at the year-old Woven Seafood and Chophouse. The Tribe also operates a seaplane terminal in collaboration with Kenmore Air and this spring announced an historic partnership with Northwest Seaport Alliance on a new pier at Port of Tacoma. Plans are underway to create a new entertainment district at the former Emerald Queen Casino on the north side of Interstate 5.

Details of the Alma donation, which the Tribe described as “an uncommon gesture that reflects the growing movement to restore land and resources to Indigenous stewardship,” were not disclosed outside of the involvement of Anpo, an Indigenous nonprofit formed this year, and its founder and CEO Jodi Archambault.

“The Puyallup people have always been stewards of the land, water, and salmon — not just for their own community, but for all who call this place home,” said Archambault in the media release. “This gift recognizes that deep responsibility and honors a truth that’s long been known here: When Indigenous leadership thrives, the whole region benefits. We are proud to stand alongside the Tribe as they continue to shape a more just and vibrant future for Tacoma.”

Alma abruptly closed in October 2023 after its primary benefactor — a “social impact fund” known as Wend Collective managed by James Walton, a relative of the Walmart family — pulled funding, according to local staff members. Wend manages an unknown number of organizations across the country, with several in Colorado, according to a 2022 Axios report. The nonprofit entity listed $21.4 million in annual revenue in its 2023 tax filings, with $33.2 million in expenses and $148 million net assets.

According to the Tribe’s news release, “the transition was facilitated by Anpo,” which aims to support land restoration, language preservation and indigenous cultures through policy and advocacy.

There appears to be at least one Anpo-Wend connection. Matt Scott is Anpo’s chief financial and operating officer, per the nonprofit’s website. He worked for almost a decade at the National Indian Child Welfare Association and, from early 2023 to December 2024, as an operations manager for an Indigenous-focused project at Wend based in Boise, Idaho, according to his LinkedIn page.

ALMA RETURNS UNDER TRIBAL OWNERSHIP

Alma opened in 2018 as Alma Mater after a top-to-bottom renovation of the former Carpenters Union Hall at 1322 Fawcett Ave. It was fashioned as a multipurpose community hub, hosting art shows in the halls, students in the studio and festivals in the courtyard. The cafe, originally Honey Kitchen, and cocktail bar, initially called Matriarch Lounge, both led by veteran chefs and bartenders, became draws unto themselves. Not immune to the travails of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization furloughed most of its staff in early 2020, retaining a small team to support a free meal program for homeless youth. Its leadership changed, and the direction shifted to focus more intently on Native art, food and education.

In 2021, the Puyallup Tribe’s language department assisted with a mural in the courtyard by Paige Pettibon, a local artist and co-creator of the Native Art Market. Chef Ramon Shiloh was slated to spearhead a Native foodways residency program at Alma, although that program never came to fruition for separate reasons.

When it closed almost two years ago, the organization employed around 50 local people, including sound technicians, event producers, artists and executive staff. Some of the more than 150 partner organizations that used the space lamented the loss of an affordable venue that provided opportunities to groups that might otherwise be shut out. Departing executive director Lisa Fruichantie said at the time that she was proud of the work they had done and hoped the structure could live on as a place for “youth, urban native and BIPOC communities” to work, and continue as an educational center and conduit for new business development.

The building was “always intended for the people of Tacoma,” representatives of Alma LLC said in the news release Tuesday. “We could think of no better recipient than the Puyallup people, who have cared for this land since time immemorial. Their leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment to cultural values and to the local community deeply inspire us.”

“I raise my hands to these people for thinking of us,” Chairman Sterud added in a phone call. “We’ll definitely treat it with respect and love.”

This story was originally published July 29, 2025 at 10:02 AM.