Architects filed permit paperwork Thursday, Sept. 10, for a $60 million seismic overhaul of Tacoma's Union Station courthouse at 1717 Pacific Ave.
Seattle-based NBBJ Architects and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) submitted a pre-application for the seismic retrofit and modernization of the downtown landmark, The News Tribune reported. A 2016 GSA seismic rating report flagged the historic rotunda as one of the highest seismic-risk buildings within the agency's nationwide portfolio.
Congress earmarked $79.26 million for the project when President Biden signed a spending bill on March 23, 2024, according to a GSA press release. The pre-application values the current scope at $60 million. The remaining $19 million gap is not explained in the filing.
What the project includes
The work calls for structural seismic bracing throughout the 1911 building, plus demolition and reconstruction of interior spaces at the track level. Fire protection upgrades, roof repairs addressing water damage in the rotunda, and restoration of interior finishes at the concourse, Pacific and balcony levels are also planned.
Security additions may include vehicular bollards along Pacific Avenue and at east-side pedestrian entrances, along with changes to the north parking area to create blast stand-off distances. The filing notes a potential net loss of 38 on-site parking stalls.
A letter from the architects said budget constraints will likely focus the scope on the historic building itself, taking advantage of efficiencies while that portion of the facility is vacated.
Why it matters
Follow-up studies in 2021 and 2024 examined modernization needs and retrofit strategies while emphasizing preservation of the building's historic character, the architects' letter stated. Those evaluations laid the groundwork for the current project.
Union Station was built by the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1911 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, according to HistoryLink. The GSA rehabilitated it for courthouse use between 1988 and 1992. It now houses the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
The city of Tacoma transferred ownership to the GSA for $1 in 2022, completing a deal rooted in a 1986 tentative agreement between the city and the federal government.
What comes next
The architects' letter laid out a tentative timeline: initial permits submitted in December 2026, construction beginning in the fourth quarter of 2027 and completion in late 2030.
The filing does not say where the federal court will operate while the building is vacated. That is a major open question. GSA representatives did not respond to The News Tribune's request for comment on Thursday, the newspaper reported.
No public comment period or hearing date tied to the pre-application has been announced.
