New future for Tacoma’s defunct Gault Middle School could include housing, recreation
For a decade, Gault Middle School has sat vacant on Tacoma’s Eastside.
Located at 1115 E. Division Lane, the school closed down in 2009.
Now, the building’s windows and doors are boarded over from years of accumulated damage.
“We’ve had a lot of wire theft happen and vandalism,” said Alicia Lawver, strategic planning and policy manager for Tacoma Public Schools.
A new plan could breathe life back into the property.
Tacoma Public Schools is in discussions to have Tacoma Housing Authority potentially acquire the site, according to a Jan. 7 letter of intent signed by the two agencies.
“We’re excited to find a use for the property that provides community benefit and activates the site,” Lawver said in an email. “THA has shown its commitment to community engagement on past development projects, and we look forward to partnering with them in a similar comprehensive approach to finding solutions for the Gault property that truly benefit the community.”
That could include developing mixed-income housing, a community facility and outdoor recreation spaces, but nothing’s for sure yet.
Both TPS and THA “take this obligation seriously and are both committed to this possibility,” said THA executive director Michael Mirra in an email.
A complicated property
Gault Middle School closed at the end of the 2008-2009 school year as part of a school merger.
Gault and McIlvaigh Middle School combined to form First Creek Middle School, which opened in 2009.
The merger was a way for the district to save money, as enrollment was declining at the time.
After the school was closed, Puyallup Tribe of Indians and Department of Veteran’s Affairs expressed interest in purchasing the property, but the parties never came to an agreement.
The school stayed on the market for years, garnering some interest, but nothing stuck. Part of the difficulty, Lawver said, was the underlying interest in a pool on the property, which is jointly run by the city of Tacoma and Metro Parks. The pool closed down when the Eastside Community Center opened with a pool in 2018.
“We are working with Metro Parks and the City of Tacoma to find ways to deal with an interlocal agreement from 1982 that is tied to the site,” Lawver said.
In December, TPS sent out a request for letters of intent for the property, prompting THA to reach out. Lawver said some developers also showed interest in the property.
New vision
In the letter of intent, Mirra outlined some potential uses of the site.
Among the possibilities:
▪ A community space to lease for purposes such as performing and culinary arts, community day care/early childhood programs, or office space for organizations
▪ Residential loft space on the second floor
▪ Mixed income housing within the site, from rental units to market-rate households
▪ Outdoor community play and recreation spaces
“(A)s with all THA developments, we mean it to look lovely,” Mirra wrote in the Jan. 7 letter.
No decision has been made whether the building would be torn down or reused. TPS and THA staff plan to visit the property this week.
The property, valued at $1.33 million per the last appraisal, would be acquired through an intergovernmental transfer, the letter stated.
Instead of cash, THA is proposing non-cash services in exchange for the property, including:
▪ Expanding its Tacoma Schools Housing Assistance Program (TSHAP), valued at $3.8 million
▪ Waiving rent to host a TPS Head Start classroom at THA’s Bay Terrace property, valued at $270,000
▪ Construct affordable housing on the property, made available to families with children enrolled in TPS schools, valued at $20 million
Now, TPS and THA will enlist a community consultation firm to lead the process to engage the community on the plan, which includes open houses and an advisory committee. The process is expected to begin in March.
After outreach, an official purchase and sale agreement would be worked out. The Tacoma Public Schools Board of Directors would have to approve the agreement to complete the transfer.
This story was originally published January 28, 2020 at 5:25 AM.
