‘Adaptive reuse’ might be a stretch for project to revitalize old Tacoma building

A project touted as something that would be an “adaptive reuse” of a building constructed in the early 1900s is getting a little heat.

The plan to build apartments and retail in Tacoma’s Valhalla Hall on Hilltop’s Martin Luther King Jr. Way at South 12th has changed since it was originally proposed, The Tacoma News Tribune reports. As reporter Kate Martin writes, it was a project “once lauded as a model for reuse of a historic building.”

Now, the redevelopment project looks like it will include a little more demolition than previously thought. Martin reports all exterior walls, the roof, and much of the interior will be destroyed. The redevelopment could cost as much as $7 million, the News Tribune reports.

The 1906 building was constructed for the city’s Swedish-American community. It has been vacant since 2009; the city bought it in 2014 in a foreclosure sale, the News Tribune reports. It was deeded to the Tacoma Community Development Authority.

One of the reason for the city to deed the building to the Development Authority was for “the purpose of demonstrating the viability of adaptive reuse of heritage structures in Tacoma,” according to city documents.

Saying the building will be part of “adaptive reuse” might be stretch now. Carey Jenkins, Tacoma’s Housing Division manager, told the News Tribune that “adaptive reuse” is not appropriate for the project.

Though the old building will see more demolition than originally thought, the redevelopment may be more welcome than it is in its current state. The old social hall has been boarded up for some time.

In place of the social hall, Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood will get a building with 24 apartments and ground-level retail. Nine of the apartments will be for low-income residents.

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