New ballfields, tennis courts coming to Tacoma school. Construction starts this summer

Construction will start on new ballfields and tennis courts at Lincoln High School this summer.

Tacoma Public Schools and Korsmo Construction will host a community meeting at 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Lincoln High School auditorium, 701 S. 37th St.

TPS and Korsmo Construction, the general contractor, will answer questions regarding scheduling and project overview, neighborhood impacts, parking and road closures, on-site/off-site improvements and work hours of construction crews.

The $1.1 million project will add a baseball field, a softball field and eight tennis courts. Currently, baseball, softball and tennis are played off-campus at Hunt Middle School, Peck Athletic Fields and Stewart Heights Park. The new fields will be synthetic turf. The project will add batting cages, dugouts, new restrooms, spectator seating and fencing. It also will include sidewalks and pathways and be ADA accessible.

Stacy Page, TPS facilities communication manager, said Tacoma Schools wants to break ground in June or July, depending on the city’s permitting process. The project is expected to be completed by Spring 2024.

Page said this project was a promise TPS made to the Eastside community and one that it is keeping. The project was one of the improvement projects in the 2020 bond measure to replace or renovate eight aging neighborhood schools.

Tacoma Public Schools said in a news release that it wants to limit the construction impacts as much as possible and for the neighborhood to know what to expect and when.

The Lincoln Bowl was improved last summer. The upper and lower restrooms were fully remodeled, with stalls added to be compliant with the American Disability Act. The Bowl press box was painted on the exterior. Sixteen outdoor stadium lights were replaced, and existing wood light poles were replaced with four new steel poles at the athletic fields.

Those who can’t attend the community meeting but have questions can email Page at spage@tacoma.k12.wa.us.