Tacoma's South End could get its first community center after Parks Tacoma launched a search for architectural and engineering teams to study where and how to build one.

The Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma issued RFQ #J2026-15 on Wednesday, Sept. 23, seeking multi-disciplinary firms to conduct a feasibility study. The study will identify a preferred site, develop conceptual designs, assess programming needs, analyze potential partnerships and produce a funding plan and operational business plan.

Firms interested in the work must submit their qualifications by noon Oct. 15. Procurement contact Sheila Jorstad is handling submissions at [email protected].

Why the South End

Parks Tacoma operates four community centers across the city: People's Center on Hilltop (built 1978), Eastside Community Center (opened 2018), STAR Center (opened 2012) and Center at Norpoint (opened 1995). None sits in the South End.

According to Parks Tacoma's bond page, data from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department shows South End residents face higher poverty rates than the rest of Pierce County, shorter life expectancies and lower rates of regular exercise. Community leaders have described a need for a gathering space for youth seeking a place to belong, Parks Tacoma said on its bond page.

Park Board member Bronwyn Clarke said in March, when the bond campaign was underway, "My neighborhood in the South End has long faced gaps in gathering spaces and residents here face significant health disparities. We cannot leave the South End behind …"

Bond money behind the project

Tacoma voters approved Parks Tacoma's $155 million Proposition 1 bond measure on April 28 with 76.14% of the vote, clearing the 60%-plus-one threshold. The six-year bond package covers more than 100 projects at over 40 parks and facilities. It does not raise the existing property-tax rate of $0.45 per $1,000 of assessed value, about $249 a year for a home valued at $553,000.

The bond includes funding for the first phase of design for a South End community center, according to Parks Tacoma. The feasibility study now underway is a precursor to that design work, though the specific dollar amount earmarked for the South End project has not been disclosed.

Budget pressures in the background

The feasibility study arrives as Parks Tacoma navigates financial strain. The agency's 2025-26 budget carried a $17 million deficit, prompting $9 million in cuts. As The News Tribune reported, all four existing community centers closed on Sundays starting July 1, and other hours were reduced, saving about $180,000.

Parks Tacoma has since added financial-oversight measures, contracted an independent internal auditor and shifted from biennial to annual budgeting, according to South Sound Biz. The Board of Park Commissioners is scheduled to review the proposed 2027 operating budget Oct. 26, with adoption planned for Nov. 9.

What comes next

The Oct. 15 deadline is the first public milestone. No timeline for completing the feasibility study or moving into design has been announced. The full RFQ and background documents are posted on Parks Tacoma's procurement page.

The Park Board's next regular meeting is Monday, Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. at district headquarters, 4702 S. 19th St.