Toll Brothers plans to build 47 luxury homes on an 18-acre site in Northeast Tacoma, with sales expected to start in mid-2027.
The Fortune 500 homebuilder announced the development, called Watchtower at Browns Point, in an Oct. 20 news release first reported by The News Tribune.
The company acquired the land at 5920 Browns Point Blvd. and along Beverly Avenue Northeast for $10.7 million earlier this year, according to the Tribune.
Site preparation is already underway. The city of Tacoma issued site development and work order permits on June 18, according to the city's project page.
Those permits cover a temporary sales center, a temporary parking lot and associated site work. No home construction can begin until all remaining permits are approved.
Homes will range from 2,873 to 4,087 square feet with four to seven bedrooms, four to six bathrooms and two- to four-car garages, according to the company's release. Prices have not been announced.
Todd Callahan, Toll Brothers' regional president for the Pacific region, praised the development's home designs and Puget Sound views in the release.
The project has a long permitting history. Toll Brothers first submitted plans to the city in early 2022. A hearing examiner approved the preliminary plat and a Critical Area Development Permit on Oct. 2, 2024, with conditions.
The approval drew opposition. The city sent public notice to all residents within 1,000 feet of the site on July 11, 2024. A total of 29 comments were submitted, with over 200 pages of written material, according to city records. Opponents cited loss of the natural environment and traffic concerns, the Tribune reported. Two appeals of the city's environmental review were filed; one was withdrawn before the hearing examiner's Aug. 29, 2024, public hearing.
The project carries environmental conditions. About 25% of the site will remain protected open space, preserving a wetland and biodiversity corridor. The site also falls within the ASARCO soil plume, requiring erosion management and dust control during grading and construction, according to city records.
Off-site improvements are required as well. The developer must install updated curb ramps, sidewalks and flashing pedestrian lights on Browns Point Boulevard as part of environmental mitigation.
The project remains in the post-approval permitting phase, according to the city. Toll Brothers must still complete infrastructure improvements, finalize easements and obtain final plat approval before lots can be formally created. All homes on lots 1 through 44 will require automatic fire sprinkler systems because the development has a single access road.
