Pierce County tables $7.4M building purchase for Sheriff’s Office. Here’s what we know
After considering purchasing a $7.4 million facility in Tacoma to store evidence for the Sheriff’s Office, Pierce County has decided to table the discussion after renovation costs would add millions to the price tag.
The Pierce County Rules and Operations Committee voted to indefinitely postpone discussions about purchasing a 31,299-square-foot warehouse on the 5900 block of North 9th Street March 17.
“According to the presentation from Facilities, they determined that costs to renovate the building were higher than anticipated and budgeted ($7.4 million purchase with $2.5 million renovation budgeted) [and] approximately $7 million in additional improvements would be needed over the next two to three biennia, and so the purchase did not seem prudent,” said Bryan Dominique, a spokesperson with the county.
Steve Wamback, the county’s deputy director of facilities management, told the committee March 18 staff obtained an appraisal of the building in December and later determined that the cost to renovate the building to suit the Sheriff Office’s needs “was higher than anticipated and budgeted.”
Some of the additional $7 million in improvements needed would have included installing a new roof, landscaping and upgrades that would need to come out of the budget, Wamback said.
“Pierce County has run a historic deficit in our building maintenance functions we have in our County-City Building complex alone … and [to] incur a substantial deferred maintenance deficit on that building on Day Zero did not seem prudent for us,” he said at the meeting. “This just does not pencil out for us long-term, so we are not moving forward with this acquisition.”
Wamback said the Facilities Management Department is exploring more cost-effective and less risky alternatives and is meeting with the Sheriff’s Office to explore options. Staff has also been in communication with the Elections Center, the Finance Department and the County Executive’s Office, Wamback said.
“We do hope that we are able to bring back a concept as to where we go next … in six to eight weeks,” he said. “We’re going to take some time to make sure that we don’t repeat this surprise.”
Sheriff Office evidence is stored in multiple locations, including the county’s Annex West building, which serves several county departments, including the Election Center. Pierce County previously approved a budget and capital facilities plan to expand the Election Center at 2501 S. 35th St. That meant the adjacent Sheriff’s Office property room would need to be relocated, according to an initial resolution before the council. Under state law, the Sheriff’s Office is required to store some evidence for up to 99 years.
Sheriff’s spokesperson deputy Carly Cappetto said on March 3 that the office’s current space is full and a move is “long overdue.”
Wamback said 50% of the sheriff’s property room is used for evidence storage by the Tacoma Police Department.
This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 5:15 AM.
