Neighborhood News
- Mirabelle Apartments Breaks Ground in Frederickson
- Construction began in July on Mirabelle Apartments, a Frederickson development that will provide more than 100 deeply affordable apartments for families. It is the first Pierce County project to begin construction with financing from the Washington Family Housing Fund, a partnership between Ballmer Group and the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. The fund provides zero-interest, forgivable subordinate loans intended to financing gaps that can prevent affordable family housing from moving into construction. Learn more at ballmergroup.org/wafam/.
- Puyallup Tribe Makes World Cup History
- The Puyallup Tribe became the first Indigenous nation formally represented at a World Cup this June, serving as Seattle’s Official Host City Supporter for FIFA World Cup 2026. A month of programming opened with a Portland Avenue parade drawing participants from eight-plus countries, followed by a June 18 coastal protocol honoring the 1998 Paddle to Puyallup with canoes representing tribes from Quinault to Suquamish. Powwow weekend brought 15 competition drum groups and a Red Dress special honoring Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People before a 100-plus-team stickgame tournament closed things out. Watch parties at spots like Emerald Queen Casino and Woven Seafood & Chophouse doubled as showcases for tribal-owned businesses throughout Tacoma.
- Korum Ford Gives Playhouse a Lift
- When Lakewood Playhouse’s aging box truck reached the point where repairs no longer made sense, a Playhouse board member called Korum Ford President John Hall about a possible sponsorship. Hall agreed to help before hearing the proposal. Hall spent several weeks searching the dealership’s inventory for a suitable passenger van, then had it cleaned, safety-inspected and fitted with new tires before giving it to the Playhouse. The donated van will transport actors, volunteers, sets and materials to performances and community events.
- Frederickson Warehouse Sells for $174.5 Million
- A 782,875-square-foot warehouse at the FRED310 industrial campus in Frederickson just changed hands for $174.5 million, with Bridge Logistics Properties picking up the Harbor Freight-leased building from developer Panattoni. Built on former Boeing land and completed in 2024, the sale ranks among the Puget Sound region’s largest industrial deals this year, and it’s not the first nine-figure trade at the site: Building D sold for roughly $176 million last year. FRED310 spans about 310 acres near I-5 and the Port of Tacoma, with room to grow to 4 million square feet, and investors clearly aren’t done circling it.
- Steilacoom Plans Townwide Power Outage
- Steilacoom is shutting off power townwide for two full days, August 13 and 14, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., while Bonneville Power Administration does proactive maintenance on the substation that carries 100 percent of the town’s electricity. There’s no partial workaround here: If BPA needs to work on it, the whole town goes dark. Stock up, charge devices and check on neighbors who might need help riding it out.
- New Whittier Elementary Takes Shape
- Crews have finished demolishing the old Whittier Elementary pre-K building and are now pouring concrete footings and foundations for the new school, with deep utility work continuing across the site. Contractor Cornerstone CGI posts monthly progress updates, most recently July 10. Neighbors can sign up for construction e-alerts via the orange bell icon on the district’s Construction Updates page or call Planning & Construction at 253-571-3350.
- Thun Field Runway Closes for Reconstruction
- The runway at Pierce County Airport-Thun Field will close to all fixed-wing aircraft operations July 27 for a reconstruction project expected to continue until early November. Pierce County is rebuilding the aging runway, widening it from 60 to 75 feet, upgrading drainage and lighting and realigning and repaving taxiway connectors. The reconstructed runway is expected to have a useful life of 20 to 30 years. Electrical work in four county-owned hangars is scheduled August 3 – 21, but airport businesses and other areas of the property remain accessible. Updates are available at piercecountywa.gov/8876/Runway-Reconstruction-Project.
- Even Indoor Cats Need Licenses
- Tacoma requires annual licenses for dogs, cats and pigs within city limits, including cats that never go outdoors. Licenses cost $40 for spayed or neutered dogs and pics and $30 for spayed or neutered cats. The fee increases to $175 for an animal that has not been spayed or neutered, with discounts available for seniors and people with disabilities.
- Licensing gives pets identification tags that help Animal Control reunite lost animals with their owners, and the fees help fund animal-control services. Register through the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County, a participating veterinarian or licensepet.com/wl3/reg/tactwl.
- Canvass for Safer Streets
- Tacoma on the Go is knocking on doors Saturday, Aug. 1, in support of the Connect Tacoma: Safe Streets & Sidewalks Levy ahead of the Aug. 4 election. The levy would fund improvements to dangerous arterial streets as well as sidewalks, bicycle lanes and crossings citywide. No canvassing experience is needed; training and materials are provided. Volunteers meet at 10 a.m. at Willard School, 3201 S. D St., before heading to assigned neighborhoods. Sign up for find another canvassing time at mobilize.us/pcclc/event/990643.
Local Governance
- Residents Fight DuPont Mine Expansion
- A group of DuPont residents organized as the Clover Creek Restoration Alliance is taking CalPortland to court over a city-approved permit to expand mining into roughly 188 acres of forest near Sequalitchew Creek. The expansion would require long-term dewatering of the aquifer feeding the creek, a fish-bearing stream beside a popular community trail and the site of a 7,000-year-old Indigenous village. The city approved the permit despite testimony against it from residents, scientists and tribal representatives. The group has filed a legal appeal and secured representation but says it still needs %5,000 to $10,000 to keep the fight going. David versus Goliath, playing out over water and salmon habitat.
- Voters Guide Covers Aug. 4 Primary
- The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber released its Vote for Business voters guide ahead of the August 4 primary, laying out where candidates stand on issues affecting the South Sound economy. It doesn’t endorse anyone; it’s homework before you fill out a ballot. Also bundled in: Pierce County drop box locations, candidate financial disclosures and district lookup tools.
- Final SR167 Stage Breaks Ground
- WSDOT kicked off the fourth and final stage of the SR 167 Completion Project this month, aiming to wrap by September 2029. This last stretch covers 2.6 miles between North Meridian Avenue in Puyallup and I-5 in Fife, closing out the six-mile tolled expressway that will eventually connect SR 509 near the Port of Tacoma, a direct freight route decades in the making. The entire project sits on Puyallup Tribal land, and WSDOT credits the tribe’s partnership, along with Pierce County, Fife, Tacoma, Edgewood, Sumner and Puyallup, as central to getting it built. Beyond the freight lanes, crews have rehabilitated more than 150 acres of wetlands and added new trail connections for walkers, bicyclists and wildlife along the way.
- Pierce County Leads State in 988 Emblems
- Pierce County has outfitted 573 fleet vehicles with 988 emblems, small license plate add-ons promoting the state’s Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, making it the top purchaser of any government or nonprofit in Washington. Executive Ryan Mello is daring other counties to catch up, and anyone can buy an emblem through Department of Licensing, with proceeds funding veteran suicide-prevention programs. The push lands alongside a busy stretch of veteran-focused spending: $1.3 million split between Valley Cities and the Multicultural Child and Family Hope Center for behavioral health access, $300,000 for biometric gun lockboxes tied to Gun Violence Awareness Month and a council proclamation marking July 25 as National Hire a Veteran Day. Pierce County is home to roughly 89,000 veterans and Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Veterans in crisis can dial 988 and press 1, chat online or text 838255.
- Tacoma Street Funding Triples Its Reach
- Tacoma City Council got a report card on the voter-approved Streets Initiative at its July 22 study session, and the 10-year tally is substantial; 18 blocks of permeable pavement and new bicycle and pedestrian facilities in Larchmont, a full multimodal makeover of more than 20 blocks along Fawcett Avenue through the brewery District and nearly four arterial lane miles rebuilt on South 56th Street with safer access to Water Ditch Trail. Beyond the pavement, the dedicated funding stream let the city compete for and win state and federal matching grants at roughly a 3-to-1 return. Voters get a sequel in August: the Connect Tacoma: Safe Streets and Sidewalks levy, a proposed 10-year follow-up funding plan for arterials, neighborhood streets and sidewalks. tacoma.gov/connecttacoma.
- Pierce County Invests $2.6 Million in Youth
- Pierce County is directing $2.6 million from the Puget Sound Taxpayer Accountability Account toward early learning and out-of-school youth programs chosen from 72 applications. Of that, $510,000 goes to child care capacity and subsidy support. The Multicultural Child and Family Hope Center, BrightSpark Early Learning, Greentrike and Step by Step all get a cut, while $450,000 backs youth programs at Communities in Schools of Tacoma, Hilltop Artists and Tacoma Community Boat Builders. Hilltop Artists’ Arts Connect diversion program, which pairs mentorship with glassmaking for young women impacted by the juvenile justice system, shows what the money can do: One recent participant went from maximum-security detention to a Pilchuck Glass School scholarship and a Museum of Glass internship in three years. Additional allocations fund late-night programs through Clover Park and Bethel school districts, Parks Tacoma, Tacoma Public Schools and Pierce County Parks and Recreation across the county. Full list of youth programs at piercecountywa.gov/thrivingyouth.
Arts & Entertainment
- Wrestling Returns to Tacoma Armory
- Grit City Championship Wrestling returns to the Tacoma Armory on Saturday, Aug. 1. Local Hilltop business owner and professional wrestler Dave Dobashi is reviving Tacoma’s wrestling history in the same building that hosted matches in the 1950s and ’60s. The card features KISW radio host Steve Migs, GCCW women’s champion Sunni Daze and villan-coded newcomer Janice Jet, with regge-rock band Dirty Tribe providing the live soutdtrack. Buy tickets at Bobashi Market for a shot at winning a commemorative championship belt: General admission gets five raffle entries, VIP gets 10 and you have to be there to claim it. Advance general admission runs $31.95; VIP runs $63.72. Day-of prices climb a few bucks. No refunds, but Tacoma Arts Live will exchange tickets for another event if plans change.
- South Tacoma Launches First Friday
- South Tacoma Way gets its own First Friday series this August, repeating September 4 and October 2. The first block party runs from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, along South Tacoma Way. The South Tacoma Business District is putting together a guide to participating shops, specials and extended hours, so the whoe stretch turns into one open house instead of a handful of scattered doors. Expect some parking lot and alley closures near the Puget and Washington blocks during setup and teardown. Bring cash and curiosity.
- United by Music Joins Summer Sounds
- Gig Harbor’s Summer Sounds concert series gets two special guests this year: United by Music North America, a Gig Harbor-based nonprofit band that mentors and showcases neurodivergent and differently abled musicians, opens for The Mixed Tape on August 4 during National Night Out and returns August 25 to open for Non Jovi at the season finale. Both nights kick off at 5 p.m. at Skansie Brothers Park, 3211 Harborview Drive, with featured act taking the stage for 6 tp 8 p.m. Free admission; bring a chair or blanket. Hosted by the City of Gig Harbor with Visit Gig Harbor and the Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce.
- Stankoma Aroma Returns for Third Year
- The Tacoma-centric benefit festival returns Aug. 20 – 22 for a third year, spotlighting the region’s DIY music scene across three nights at the New Frontier Lounge, the Valley and Slice of Life. Proceeds are split between Advocates for Immigrants in Detention Northwest and the RISE Center of Hilltop, which helps homeless Tacomans find housing and opportunity. Thursday’s New Frontier lineup includes Holy Death Temple and Novamotor; Friday at the Valley brings Dust Moth and Heiress; Saturday closes at Slice of Life with Old Iron and Odachi, among others. Two stages, staggered sets, for the price of showing up.
- Waffle Week Returns to the Hob Nob
- The Hob Nob celebrates National Waffle Day with a full week of mini waffle flights Aug. 24-28, back for a second year. Full flavor and pricing details are still coming from Sound Restaurant Family, but if last year’s turnout was any indication, get there early.
- Living History Returns to Tacoma Cemetery
- Tacoma Historical Society and New Tacoma Cemeteries bring back their annual walk-through-history event from 4 to 7 p.m. Aug. 8 – 9 at Tacoma Cemetery. Reenactors will portray notable past citizens, including this year the founder of Ted Brown Music, which remains family-run 95 years later, Tours run every 20 minutes, last about 90 minutes and cover roughly a mile of the city’s oldest cemetery. The 7 p.m. twighlight slot has reduced visibility, so early birds should book earlier tours. Advance tickets are required at tacomahistory.org/living-history-cemetery-tours.
- KNKX Celebrates 10 Years in Tacoma
- KNKX celebrates its 10th anniversary at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday Aug. 11, at Foss Waterway Seaport. Jazz host Abe Beeson will emcee an evening of anecdotes, KPLU trivia, prizes and local history. Music programming direcor Carol Handley and Tree of Jazz Host Justus Sanchez open with the show’s origin story, tracing the roots and branches of the format. Then All Things Considered hot Emil Moffatt sits down with historian Nancy Bourne Haley and Seaport CEO Brent Mason to unpack the Thea Foss legacy, from her tugboat company’s 1889 founding to the 125-year-old building that now holds the South Sound’s biggest maritime history collection. Enter to win tickets by August 3 at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DQN835Z.
- Proctor Arts Fest Marks 30 Years
- The Proctor District throws its biggest party of the summer from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday Aug. 1, along North 26th and Proctor streets. The arts fest marks its 30th year and draws a crowd north of 10,000. Expect 160-plus regional vendors slinging pottery, jewelry and original art across the district, plus three stages of live music, including a Family Stage organized by Tacoma Public Library. The regular Proctor Farmer’s Market runs alongside it, backed by food trucks, a beer garden and sidewalk sales up and down the neighborhood shops. Parks Tacoma brings hands-on art activities for kids. All day, one district, zero excuses to stay home.
- Hotrod4Hearts Returns to Griot’s Garage
- Griot’s Garage’s flagship retail store hosts the 12th annual Hotrod4Hearts car show from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday Aug. 2. Proceeds benefit the American Heart Association. Kids and pets are welcome to wander the rows of hot rods and classic builds. No online registration this year; show up in person if you want to enter a car or just gawk at someone else’s restoration project.
- Tacoma Talk Revisits 1951 Vice Raids
- Tacoma Comes Alive digs into the city’s shadier chapters during a talk from 1 to 1:30 p.m. Monday Aug. 10, at Merrill Gardens at Wright Park. The program examines the 1951 vice raids, the scandal that reportedly rearranged the whole town. Expect bootleggers, bordellos and the strange tale of a former city attorney who died in a mysterious fire, the kind history Tacoma tends to whisper about rather than put on a plaque. Reservations required: Call 253-210-3318 and ask for Diana.
- National Night Out Planned at Sprinker
- The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office and Pierce County Parks will host National Night Out from 5 to 8 pm.m Tuesday, Aug. 4, at Sprinker Recreation Center in Parkland. The free community event is intended to strengthen relationships between residents and law enforcement through informal conversations and neighborhood activities. Community groups holding separate National Night Out gatherings may request a deputy visit by emailing PCSHERIFF@piercecountywa.gov. Sprinker Recreation Center is at 14824 C St. S, Parkland.
Opportunities
- Manufacturing Incubator Seeks First Cohort
- Got a product idea gathering dust? The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber’s inaugural Manufacturing Incubator Cohort runs through September 8 through November 24, a 12-week program built to help makers, inventors and entrepreneurs actually launch instead of just dreaming. Applications are now open through the chamber.
- Pierce County Seeks Parks Adviser
- Pierce County wants a District 2 resident on its Parks & Recreation Citizens Advisory Board, an 11-member group that advises the department on operations, capital projects and funding needs. Members serve four-year terms and meet quarterly. If trails, parks and recreation programs in your corner of the county matter to you, this is a direct line to the people making those calls. Apply at piercecountywa.gov/ParksCAB.
- Tacoma Offers 2027 Event Funding
- Tacoma Venues & Events is taking applications through August 4 for its Special Events Funding program, which reinvests Tacoma Dome and Convention Center revenue into community events happening in 2027. The council-appointed Events and Recognitions Committee judges applications on merit, capacity and community impact. Last year, it handed out $90,000 across 28 organizations. Applicants can also opt into the City Event Services program for nonmonetary support from other city departments. Guidelines and applications at tacomavenues.org.
Recreation
- Walk Tacoma Explores McKinley Hill
- Tacoma on the Go wraps up its neighborhood walk series from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday Aug. 12, beginning at VFW Post 969 in McKinley Hill. The roughly one-mile route traces the area through the voices of residents, business owners and longtime advocates who’ve shaped it. It visits McKinley Park and the Pipeline Trail before wrapping up with refreshments at VFW Post 969. Sponsored by MultiCare. Registration Required.
- Parks Tacoma Opens August Camps
- Still need to fill August afternoons? Parks Tacoma’s STAR Center is running Snapology and robotics camps for ages 5-12, plus basketball and skimboarding sessions through the month, with dance and creative arts camps mixed in too. Sign-ups are rolling, and most weeks still have open spots as of this week.
- Falling Water Closes Lake Tapps Boat Launch
- The Allan Yorke Park boat launch closed Monday July 27, because Lake Tapps fell below its minimum recreational level. The lake measured 541.48 feet at 8:30 a.m. July 24, and officials did not expect conditions to improve. Cascade Water Alliance owns and manages Lake Tapps, not the City of Bonney Lake. The city will reopen the launch if the lake returns to a level that permits safe public access. No refunds will be issued under the city’s boating policy. Current levels at cascadewater.org/lake-tapps/lake-levels.
- The Sandlot Comes to Cirque Park
- University Place closes out its Fourth of July celebration with a free showing of The Sandlot Saturday Aug. 1, at Cirque Park. Activities begin at 4:30 p.m., and the movie starts at dusk. The afternoon includes live sets from Brian James and Chapter 5, stilt walkers and acrobats roaming the grounds, a Kids Market of young entrepreneurs and a beer garden running until 9 p.m. Food trucks Stack Burgers, Matt Perini Hot Dogs, Flavorworks and Bliss Small Batch Creamery cover dinner. Before the movie rolls, catch the USA Flag hot air balloon, built for the 1976 Bicentennial and one of only three in the country, courtesy of Seattle Ballooning.
- Frontier Park Playground Closed for Resurfacing
- Pierce County Parks closed the playground at Frontier Park in Graham from July 20 through Aug. 6 for a resurfacing project. Other areas of the park remain available unless separately posted. Frontier Park is at 21718 Meridian E. in Graham. Closure information is available at piercecountywa.gov/1321/frontier-park.
- Sea Lion Pup Debuts at Point Defiance
- Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s newest sea lion pup, born June 1, is now swimming in the Rocky Shores habitat alongside mom Eloise. Keepers named him Owen for Owen Beach down the hill and for the California sea lion range that technically stretches this far north. He’s only the second sea lion pup born at the zoo in its 121-year history. His sister Pepper was the first, in 2024. He’ll nurse for up to a year before graduating to fish and squid. Go say hi at Rocky Shores.
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