TACOMA: Metro Parks Board of Commissioners unanimously voted Monday to authorize the surplus and sale of about two acres of undeveloped property on the SERA Campus for a new fire station to serve South Tacoma.
The Board’s decision comes after a year-long assessment following a request from the City of Tacoma.
The request followed a City-conducted facilities needs assessment in 2023 that daylighted Fire Station 7 on South Warner Street was undersized and does not have capacity for needed expansion. The current station was built in 1959 and shares a facility with the South Tacoma Library Branch so it cannot be extended to support a second fire apparatus.
The 2.27 acres located near South Tyler and South 58th streets are located roughly a half mile from the current station, providing important proximity to the current station’s service radius. Placing a fire station at the 75-acre SERA Campus also makes sense based on the existing infrastructure in the park to serve as a crisis command site in the event of natural disasters or other catastrophic incidents.
The parcel in question currently is partially fenced due to misuse and dumping.
Proceeds from the sale would go toward future park development in South Tacoma, supporting a more equitable distribution of park access and supporting Metro Parks’ goal of having every person in Tacoma live within a 10-minute walk of a park by 2030. During the assessment phase, the acreage was valued at $870,000.
“We evaluated this proposal not only on the basis of public safety needs in South Tacoma, but also for the opportunity this provides to more equitably distribute park resources within this area of our city,” said Metro Parks Tacoma Board President Andrea Smith. “We believe this decision is in the best interests of our community’s overall well-being.”
A tree survey was completed and found there would be “minimal tree removal impact.” Trees within the proposed project area consist primarily of colonized species that appear to have self-seeded after a previous construction project on South Tyler Street. Any trees removed would be replaced with two others planted on the SERA Campus.
The station serves a city area with the second-highest call volume and responds to more than 3,500 emergencies every year, which exceeds the department’s annual target standard of 2,500 calls.
There are 17 active fire stations and nine support facilities throughout Tacoma.
Metro Parks and the City have partnered in a similar manner in the past by locating Tacoma police substations at the Center at Norpoint, Stewart Heights Park and Wapato Park.
SERA Campus is home to STAR Center, Gray Middle School, the Boys & Girls Club’s Hope Center and a Metro Parks sports complex with multiple fields, tennis courts, a sprayground and playground.
