What’s next for Tacoma middle school after plans for turning it into housing fails?
The Tacoma Housing Authority (THA) has backed out on plans to acquire Gault Middle School in Eastside, primarily due to financial impacts stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency announced.
“A main reason for Tacoma Housing Authority’s decision is the large cost of responsibly securing and protecting the property while it awaited full redevelopment,” THA and Tacoma Public Schools said in a joint statement Sept. 24.
Gault Middle School, 1115 E. Division Lane, closed in 2009 and remains vacant. The 7.3-acre property includes six buildings, a swimming pool and an open field.
THA had been in discussions with Tacoma Public Schools to acquire the property. The two agencies signed a non-binding letter of intent in January.
THA proposed turning the property into mixed housing and a community space to lease for purposes such as performing and culinary arts, community day care/early childhood programs, or office space for organizations, with possible outdoor play and recreation.
The project garnered positive interest from nearby residents, according to responses collected through a consultation by THA and Tacoma Public Schools.
“Those sentiments make this decision to forego further work to acquire the property especially disappointing,” the joint statement said. “Tacoma Housing Authority is disappointed to have to forego the chance to do that, at least for now.”
Michael Mirra, executive director of THA, said the agency decided not to pursue the project further, primarily due to COVID-19 related costs.
THA has experienced increased expenses attributed to the virus, specifically operational expenses or back-filling rent losses for its tenants, Mirra said.
Mirra estimated it would have cost $3 million to demolish outbuildings at the Gault site and to secure the original building.
Mirra said THA would be interested in picking the project back up in the future, but it depends on the duration of the pandemic and its financial impacts, which are uncertain.
“I would count this as what we’d hope to be a temporary financial problem resulting from the pandemic,” he said.
City Council member Catherine Ushka, who represents the Eastside, said Tuesday she understands THA’s decision. She added that she’s been concerned with the property since it closed.
“We’ve been waiting a long time for something to happen with that building, so I’m disappointed that it fell through,” she said.
As for moving forward, Ushka said she’d like to see something at Gault similar to what’s being done with the former Cushman and Adams Substations in North Tacoma. The city is partnering with Tacoma Public Utilities, which uses the properties for storage and equipment repair, to gather input about the future of the sites.
Tacoma Public Schools said it plans to secure the Gault site, including demolition of some of the buildings, and evaluate options for eventual sale or transfer of the property, said Alicia Lawver, strategic planning and policy manager for the district.
“While Tacoma Public Schools was excited about the potential community benefits offered by the Tacoma Housing Authority’s vision, the district remains hopeful about finding a solution that benefits our community,” the district said in a statement.
This story was originally published September 30, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
