Public meetings scheduled to discuss new South Sound 911 building

Public meetings have been scheduled for people to learn more about a plan to build a new South Sound 911 building in Tacoma’s South End.

Speakers from Pierce County, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department and South Sound 911 will discuss the building concept, timing, funding and other details of the proposal over the next few weeks.

The proposal includes demolishing the existing health department and Sound View buildings to make room for a new South Sound 911 campus. Pierce County would then purchase an existing building at 3615 Pacific Avenue to house the health department and the county’s Community Connections group that provides social services. The health department would lease its space from the county.

South Sound 911 would build its new $62 million campus on the cleared land, allowing it to house all its employees at one location.

South Sound 911 was created in 2011 after voters approved a one-tenth of 1 percent sales tax to increase public safety, in part by developing a regional radio and dispatch system. Money from that tax would pay for the building construction.

The county would use the proceeds from the sale of its buildings to demolish the Puget Sound Hospital, down the street at 3580 Pacific Avenue S. It had hoped to build a new county administration building on that site, but voters nixed that plan last year.

Meeting dates and locations are:

▪ Tuesday, 6-7 p.m., Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, 3629 S. D St., Tacoma.

▪ Wednesday, 12-1 p.m., Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, 3629 S. D St., Tacoma.

▪ April 11, 6-7 p.m., Cottesmore of Life Care, 2909 14th Ave. NW, Gig Harbor.

▪ April 18, 7-8 p.m., Pierce County Environmental Services Building, 9850 64th St. W., Univeristy Place.

▪ April 21, 7-8 p.m., Lakewood City Hall, 6000 Main St. W., Lakewood.

This story was originally published April 1, 2016 at 4:07 PM with the headline "Public meetings scheduled to discuss new South Sound 911 building."