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TACOMAWEEKLY NEWS FREE • SUNDAY, JULY 21, 2019
WWW.TACOMAWEEKLY.COM
PLANNING UNDERWAY FOR NEW MORGAN FAMILY YMCA BY JOHN LARSON
jlarson@tacomaweekly.com
After 42 years of operations, planning is underway to build a new home for the Morgan Family branch of the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties. Located on 13 acres in the West End at 1002 S. Pearl St. near Tacoma Community College, the branch opened in 1977 to replace the original YMCA in downtown. That facility has since been converted into condominiums. Loren Johnson, associate facility development director, has worked at the Morgan branch for 35 years, including a stint as branch director. On a recent tour of the property, he pointed out where the organization hopes to build a new home in the northwest part of the parcel, where a sports field currently sits. Once it opens, the existing building would be torn down.
BCRA
This rendering depicts the front entrance of the future Morgan branch
It would be open for use while work happens on the future home. “The intent is to keep the building open for the bulk of construction,” he said. The new building would offer
many of the amenities in the current structure, such as weight rooms and a pool area. The future pool, for example, would have a spray ground and a lazy river, features common in newer
recreation facilities. The project does not have an estimated cost at this point. Communications Director Jonny Eberle said discussions on cost are underway with the architectural firm BCRA and the general contractor, Absher Construction Company. Fundraising for the project is underway. Johnson said some of the money could come from a bank loan or bond sale. Grants from the state government and family foundations are likely other sources of funding. The project does not yet have a timeline. “Construction being construction, our schedule is fluid,” Eberle observed. Johnson noted that because the branch is on land zoned for residential use, the proposed project required the YMCA to file for a conditional use permit.
MAN STAGES ATTACK AT NORTHWEST DETENTION CENTER Suspect fatally shot by police officers
BY JOHN LARSON jlarson@tacomaweekly.com
A man armed with a rifle and Molotov cocktails carried out a pre-dawn attack on July 13 on the Northwest Detention Center, a facility owned by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and operated by the GEO Group. It has been a flashpoint of demonstrations for years, and while some prior protests have resulted in vandalism and arrests, the actions taken by Willem Van Spronsen represent a drastic escalation of violence. The 69-year-old Vashon Island resident apparently attended a rally on the evening of July 12,
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then remained on the scene. At about 4 a.m., he lit the objects and began throwing them at buildings and vehicles in the parking lot, setting one car ablaze. Tacoma Police Department sent officers to respond. TPD provided this information to the media: An employee of the facility, which is located at 1600 E. J St., reported that a man outside was armed with a rifle. The suspect began throwing incendiary devices at the center and vehicles. He attempted to ignite a large propane tank and set outlying buildings on fire. Officers arrived at the scene and located the suspect. They called out
shots were fired. Officers reported that in addition to the weapon, the suspect was wearing a satchel and had flares.
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Officers retreated to a position of cover and contained the area. Med-
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