Parks Tacoma is looking for a private company to run the Point Defiance Marina Complex, posting a formal request for proposals on Wednesday, June 24, with a three-week window for interested operators to respond.

The RFP (No. P2026-14) covers management of public marina services at the complex, located at 5912 Waterfront Dr. in Point Defiance Park. Proposals are due by 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 14, submitted by email to [email protected]. The full RFP document is posted on the Parks Tacoma website.

The marina currently offers boat rentals, kayak rentals at Owen Beach, dry boat storage, moorage, an eight-lane public boat launch, fuel and supplies, free public fishing piers, a monthly fishing derby, and boating safety courses. It holds five-star Clean Marina certification.

The search for a new operator comes as Parks Tacoma prepares to take direct control of the adjacent Breakwater Marina property on October 1, ending a sublease arrangement that dates to 1964.

George Schaaf, director of Parks Tacoma's Parks and Recreation Department, wrote in an April 6 email that the district is "currently evaluating future operations for the marina, including slip configuration, pricing, commercial tenancy and opportunities to expand public access and on-water recreation."

Deputy director Joe Brady wrote the same day that the public facility will no longer allow liveaboards or privately owned boathouses. About 120 boats, 18 boathouses, and 10 liveaboards currently occupy the Breakwater Marina site, owned for 32 years by Michael Marchetti.

The Tacoma area is short on boat slips. Nearby Foss Landing carries a three-year wait list for boat parking and an eight-year wait list for liveaboard spots, according to a spring 2026 Tacoma News Tribune report.

The RFP notice is scheduled to run again in the Tacoma Daily Index on Monday, July 6. Parks Tacoma has not publicly announced a timeline for selecting an operator or a contract start date.