Townhome projects proposed in Tacoma and Lakewood. ‘We hope to do more,’ developer says
New townhomes could be coming to Tacoma’s West End, permit documents show, from a development group that’s already brought different townhome sites to the area.
The latest plans call for a 55-unit rental townhome community on 2.19 acres at 5312 N. 30th St. A pre-application was filed with the City of Tacoma on Oct. 1.
Fulcrum Development/Harman Construction of Tacoma are behind the project, and already have completed several different local townhome sites.
Past projects include Rochester Street Townhomes (just off Sixth Avenue and North Rochester Street), 6ixth Ave Townhomes (Sixth Avenue and North Rochester Street, former site of Imperial Dragon restaurant), and Orchard Street Townhomes (4873 S. 48th St.) as well as two completed Lakewood sites and a third on the way.
According to the pre-application, the proposed Arcadia Townhomes project is valued at $10 million.
The Tacoma property is owned by Miller Investment Partnership of University Place, whose managing general partner, Paul Miller, died unexpectedly last November. The longtime area businessman-civic leader helped establish LeMay-America’s Car Museum, among other notable work.
If all goes to plan, construction could start next year.
Alex Harman, who launched Harman Construction in 2010, told The News Tribune in a Tuesday phone interview that Harman is the general contracting arm of the group, Fulcrum is the development branch and Pivot Properties is the group’s property-management branch.
“We’ve been following Home in Tacoma,” he said, “and we have done just a pre-app on our conditional use to see if we could glean some more details on how Home in Tacoma will work.”
Home in Tacoma is a part of the city’s Affordable Housing Action Strategy and focuses on allowing more types of housing beyond single-family dwellings in more parts of the city, introducing different building types and the option to create more parcels through subdividing lots.
Harman sees townhome development as a bridge between single-family housing and apartments, giving people more space without the responsibility of a house.
“Not everybody wants to be in an apartment in the true sense,” he said. “And so we got into the missing middle housing, before it was cool to do missing middle housing, I guess.”
“We’re excited about it, and we hope to do more,” he added.
The proposed site formerly was home to Arcadia Montessori Preschool & Kindergarten, with a previous address of 6312 N. 30th St., of which Harman has past ties with his children.
“Both of my kids — one’s now a freshman and one’s a sixth grader — attended Arcadia Montessori School,” he said. “I never would have thought in a million years, that we could possibly be creating more housing units there.”
He said the property held special meaning for his family: “Our kids met friends there that they still have to this day.”
The initial site plan in the Tacoma project shows 13 townhome buildings and two separate child play areas and extra onsite parking.
Projected rents have not yet been listed for the project. At the developers’ 6ixth Ave Townhomes, rents range from $2,495-$2,695 for residential townhomes to $2,795-$3,095 for live/work models, according to its website, while rents for available units at Orchard Street Townhomes range from $2,895-$2,995.
Harman described what the developers’ standard townhome unit is like, including for the West End project:
“Our basic model is a two-bedroom with a bonus room-office. And you have a two-and-a-half bath. You have a large single-car garage and about 1,300 square feet of living space.”
“You have your own parking, you have lots of storage. It really does fit for an urban environment,” he added.
Maria Lee, media representative for the city, told The News Tribune this week that “staff is still reviewing” the plan.
Lakewood townhomes
The developers also are behind a proposed 44 townhome-style rental unit project in Lakewood. That site, at 4500-4504 111th St. SW, calls for development across nine buildings, with units ranging from 2-bed/2-bath to 3-bed/2-bath. Each unit at the 1.73-acre site includes at least one parking stall within a private garage.
The site is bordered by Kline Street Southwest and Kendrick Street Southwest and owned by an LLC affliated with the developers.
The Lakewood project, known as Kendrick Townhomes, most recently was issued tree-removal permits. City documents also show it received a Conditional Certificate of Tax Exemption for Multifamily Units in September, qualifying for an 8-year MFTE, which allows for all units to be market rate.
For now, Harman said they are still considering their MFTE options for the Tacoma project.
“We have a focus on having an affordability component, and we’re looking to do more of that within our projects that we’re building,” he said. But, “in this time, everything is super sensitive because the cost of construction and interest rates and everything is up. So we’re being very careful and trying to be very prudent.”
As for the Lakewood project, “Hopefully, knock on wood, we’ll get permits soon and break ground this month,” Harman said Tuesday.
The development group has other examples of its work in Lakewood: Rainier Terrace Townhomes, 4108-4110 108th St. SW and One 12 Townhomes, 11102 Freiday St. SW near St. Clare Hospital.
“We feel that everybody should have a clean, healthy, safe, spacious place to live that’s next to good schools and good grocery stores and transit,” Harman said.
He added: “All the stuff that makes the community come together — that’s our goal.”
