Centerforce Purchases Historic Building for Tacoma Headquarters

Centerforce — a South Sound nonprofit whose mission is to empower adults with disabilities to engage in their communities through advocacy, employment, and education — has acquired the historic Bone Dry Shoe Building at 2111 Pacific Ave. in downtown Tacoma for $2.495 million.

The building establishes a permanent headquarters for Centerforce while preserving one of Tacoma’s most recognizable historic office buildings, according to a news release from Lee & Associates, which represented the seller in the transaction.

The seller was The 21 Pacific LLC, according to Pierce County records.

Originally constructed in 1917 for the Bone Dry Shoe Manufacturing Co., the building has been a fixture of Tacoma’s industrial history for more than a century, the release said. Designed to manufacture rugged footwear for loggers, laborers, and outdoor workers throughout the Pacific Northwest, the structure still showcases its original heavy-timber framing, exposed concrete walls, and hardwood floors.

In 2000, McGranahan Architects completed an award-winning rehabilitation of the property, transforming it into modern office space while preserving its historic character, the release noted, adding that after about 25 years as the firm’s headquarters, the building is now beginning its next chapter with Centerforce. McGranahan, which became McGranahanPBK in 2024 after merging with PBK, moved to Tacoma Centre earlier this year.

Centerforce Executive Director Mark Mattke said the building acquisition represents an important milestone for the organization.

“Owning our own headquarters is an investment in our mission and in the people we serve every day,” Mattke said. “This new location in downtown Tacoma will support our long-term growth while allowing us to expand the services and opportunities we provide throughout our community. We’re honored to become the next stewards of such an important piece of Tacoma’s history.”

In an email, Mattke said Centerforce has been leasing space in a building in Lakewood that it built in 1998 and sold to new owners in 2022. Over the years, the nonprofit has expanded its team to 35 members that now serve clients in Pierce, King, and Thurston counties, so it sought more space to accommodate staff and support future growth.

Centerforce will make tenant improvements inside its new home and anticipates moving from its current location in Lakewood and beginning operations in the Tacoma building in late fall. It will occupy 6,000 square feet, leaving another 6,000 square feet available for lease on the first floor, he said in the email, adding that Centerforce is excited for the relocation.

Centerforce has supported people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in achieving meaningful employment and community inclusion across Pierce, South King, and Thurston counties for more than 55 years, according to its website. It added that it annually provides more than 25,000 hours of employment assistance and 14,000 hours of community-inclusion services to its 300 clients.

John Bauder, principal at Lee & Associates, said in the release that representing the owners in the sale of the Bone Dry Shoe Building was especially meaningful because of the history behind both property and the people who have called it home. He represented the property with Harrison Laird, another Lee & Associates principal.

Added Bauder, “The ownership team demonstrated tremendous care in preserving this iconic building over the years, and we’re excited to see Centerforce continue that legacy. It’s rewarding to know this historic property will remain vibrant while serving both Centerforce and other businesses for years to come.”

Laird said the transaction reflects an ongoing trend in the South Sound commercial real estate market.

“We’re continuing to see strong demand from owner-users who have ever-changing office space needs and recognize today’s buying opportunities,” he said in the release. “Owner-user office sales have significantly outpaced traditional office-investment sales throughout the South Sound over the past several years, as businesses and nonprofits alike choose to invest in their own facilities rather than lease. Well-located, character-rich buildings like the Bone Dry Shoe Building remain especially attractive to organizations looking for a long-term home.”

Ryan Kershaw and Drew Frame of Kidder Mathews represented Centerforce in the acquisition.