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TACOMAWEEKLY NEWS FREE • SUNDAY, MAY 26, 2019
WWW.TACOMAWEEKLY.COM
TACOMA HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS AMBITIOUS PLANS FOR JAMES CENTER NORTH BY JOHN LARSON jlarson@tacomaweekly.com
James Center North could be called the Bermuda Triangle of shopping complexes in the area. Located across the street from Tacoma Community College and a Pierce Transit transfer center along South Mildred Street, it would seem ideally situated to draw customers such as students and staff, and anyone going in and out of the area on mass transit. With ample free parking, one would think that it would draw in motorists as well. A few businesses have done well, such as the Fred Meyer Marketplace grocery store and the Ivar’s fish and chips fast-food restaurant. But countless others have come and gone over the years: a Chinese buffet, a five-screen movie theater, a dental office, a Russian restaurant. The Taco Bell, located 75 feet away from a campus with thousands of college students, somehow managed to bite the dust. Now, Tacoma Housing Authority has an ambitious plan to convert
TACOMA HOUSING AUTHORITY
This architectural rendering depicts what James Center North could look like in the near future.
part of the complex into a mixeduse project, complete with rental housing for students, retail units and open spaces. In 2017, it paid nearly $6 million for 6.92 acres in James Center north of the IHOP
restaurant. The five parcels currently have four buildings with 62,000 square feet, with some of that occupied by retailers and restauranteurs. In 2018, a fire caused extensive damage to a structure that
many years ago was the original home of BBQ Pete’s, and later Grandy’s. The building had been vacant for some time and was eventually demolished. THA aims to build up to 500 housing units, from market rate to subsidized apartments for low-income renters. Joshua Jorgensen, project manager in real estate development with THA, said the agency wants to construct five buildings on the parcels, over a course of two to 20 years. The schedule will depend on financing and other factors. He said THA may not take on all of the project, as it is open to selling some of the land to private-sector developers, or a non-profit organization that shares its mission of providing affordable, quality housing. Along South Mildred Street, the buildings would likely be four stories tall, to allow for views of Mt. Rainiers. Farther back on the property, the buildings could rise as high as six stories. Jorgensen noted there is a slight slope at James Center, w h i ch u See HOUSING / page 2
CPTC ANNOUNCES BRIG. GEN. JEREMY HORN AS COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER Brig. Gen. Jeremy C. Horn, the commander of the Washington Air National Guard, will deliver the commencement address at Clover Park Technical College’s 2019 graduation. “Brig. Gen. Horn has devoted his life to serving our country, and we are very excited to have him as our commencement speaker,” CPTC President Dr. Joyce Loveday said. “With 10 percent of our students being veterans and our proximity to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, there’s a natural connection to Brig. Gen. Horn’s experiences for many of our students.” As the director of joint forces, Horn is responsible for the Washington National Guard Joint Staff, Homeland Response Force, Civil Support Team, Counter Drug Program, State Partnership Program, and State Guard. He earned a bachelor of science in human factors engineering from the United States Air Force Academy in 1989 with military honors and has compiled more than 3,000 flight hours over a 30-year military career that has included assignments
around the United States and in Europe. In 2003, Horn earned his master of aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is the recipient of numerous major medals and decorations, including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, and the Aerial Achievement Medal with 13 oak leaf clusters. CPTC’s 23rd annual Commencement will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 18, at the Tacoma Dome. Admission is open to the public, with doors set to open at 5:30 p.m. The ceremony will celebrate more than 400 graduating students from the college’s 44 programs across two campuses in Lakewood and South Hill. For more information about the ceremony, visit www.cptc.edu/graduation. Media members wishing to attend can contact Tyler Scott for more information at tyler.scott@cptc.edu or (253) 589-5619.
FILE PHOTO
Brig. Gen. Jeremy C. Horn