College of art, design sets sights on Tacoma
The Northwest College of Art and Design has announced plans to move to Tacoma this fall from its Poulsbo campus.
Kim Perigard, director of operations for the school, declined to comment, saying they cannot talk about the move until the school gets approval from accrediting agencies.
However, the school posted a detailed message on Facebook about the move, which was originally reported by the Kitsap Sun.
The school’s announcement said it bought a seven-story property at 1126 Pacific Ave. The building is one block down the hill from a Link light rail stop.
Pierce County records show Freeman Investors LLC bought the property earlier this month for more than $3.8 million from Cardinal Equities LLC, a California company.
Freeman Investors LLC is registered to Craig Freeman, state records show. He is listed as the president of the college on its website.
The school is selling its 26.6-acre Poulsbo campus, according to an online listing at pugetsoundcampus.com with an offer price of nearly $5.5 million.
In its post, the school called the new location a “significant upgrade.” Students will have access to more options in housing, local food, employment and internships by moving the campus to Tacoma.
At the same time, the move positions the college for long-term growth, the post said. Its move to Pierce County means the college can draw from around 3 million people within a four-county area, the post said.
The school plans to offer new two-year degrees in several areas starting May 2018, including user experience, web development and graphic design. Specifics were not available.
The school’s website says it has fewer than 125 students in a calendar year. The school is coordinating with rental agencies in the area to help students relocate to Tacoma in the fall, the school’s Facebook post said.
For those who will be crossing the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to attend, the school said in its post that it will pay for students’ bridge tolls for the fall semester on class days.
Kate Martin: 253-597-8542, @KateReports
This story was originally published March 29, 2017 at 3:25 PM with the headline "College of art, design sets sights on Tacoma."