Do you need Point Defiance Park roundabout tips? Metro Parks has you covered
Expect another round of detours at Point Defiance Park’s Pearl Street entrance in the coming weeks. It’s a sign of progress in a project meant to smooth traffic flow and increase safety.
The park and all of its attractions are OPEN as construction continues, and we’ve set up a
page
on the Metro Parks website to help you plan your visit. It’s the best place to stay up to date. (You also can sign up for
email updates
on Point Defiance Park improvement projects.) Once you’re in the park, pay attention to the on-site detour signs and flaggers.
The roundabout, funded in large part through a state Transportation Department grant through the City of Tacoma, is one of many improvements happening at Point Defiance Park.
Destination Point Defiance
is the initiative they fall under, and the $198 million capital improvement bond approved by voters in 2014 is fueling much of the work, along with state grants, the Department of Ecology and other sources.
The roundabout is at the entrance to Point Defiance Park, but Metro Parks is making improvements all over the district, including the new
Eastside Community Center
. You can read about all of our capital improvement projects
here
.
You can talk with your park district
More than 100 people came to our “All Things Waterfront” open house at Foss Waterway Seaport on March 15. Not only that, but we used Facebook Live and put most of the presentations
online
.
The open house was a great way to talk with Metro Parks staff, including several project managers who are overseeing improvements all along Tacoma’s waterfront. It followed an open house in February for “All Things Point Defiance Park.”
We hope the festive, open atmosphere and fun locations make attendance easier and more agreeable. We definitely need the input (and we usually have online surveys for those who can’t attend.) Several opportunities – though no firm dates yet – are on the horizon:
- Ruston Way. You may have heard about the waterfront planning initiative that the City of Tacoma and Metro Parks are jointly managing, or written on one of the big “How Would You Improve Your Waterfront?” photo boards that we’ve taken around town. Right now, a lot is going on behind the scenes. Later this year, there will be ample opportunity to learn about Ruston Way, its needs and its possible futures, and to offer your thoughts. Keep up to date at EnvisionOurWaterfront.org.
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- Titlow Park master plan. We’re close to announcing public meetings for an update of the waterfront and natural areas inside this well-loved park. We’ll do our best to make the meetings fun and engaging. You can sign up for email updates online (click on “Titlow Park.”).
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Michael Thompson is
public information manager
of Metro Parks Tacoma. Contact
him at (253) 305-1092 or
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The future looks bright for Tacoma’s waterfront
A message from Park Commissioner Erik Hanberg
Tacoma wouldn’t be Tacoma without its waterfront.
This is something past leaders of Metro Parks Tacoma recognized years ago. Our newly posted
online vintage Metro Parks postcard catalog
appears to validate that notion. One fascinating
1910 image
shows Point Defiance Park visitors, probably at Owen Beach, scrambling over a tangle of logs and lumber that doubtless had floated in from one of the many mills that hugged the waterfront between Point Defiance Park and Old Town.
For decades starting in the late 19
th
century, the Ruston Way shoreline was studded with lumber and shingle mills, which together with those on the Tideflats earned Tacoma the moniker “Lumber Capital of the World.”
Commencement Bay’s deep water was ideal for transport, and not just for logs and lumber. Much of the valuable ore that ASARCO smelted into copper arrived by ship.
Those past enterprises are no longer central to Tacoma’s economy. But the waterfront remains a key element of the city’s appeal. And because it’s Metro Parks’ goal to lead efforts to sustain a healthy, vibrant community, we’re more involved now than ever in the future of the waterfront as a destination everyone can enjoy.
Right now, the complicated waterfront project on the east end of...
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Erik Hanberg has served on the Metro Parks Tacoma Board of Commissioners since January 2010 and was re-elected in November 2017.
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Capital Improvement Projects
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Capital Improvement Projects
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Metro Parks people, programs draw honors
Some recent awards and recognitions highlight Metro Parks’ reach in the community, and the community’s support of Metro Parks.
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Sports internships for teens yield promising results
A Metro Parks Tacoma commitment to help teens connect with meaningful entry-level job opportunities has begun to yield positive outcomes.
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Nature yoga, for children and adults, featured monthly at Tacoma Nature Center
Whether you’re a nature lover, a yoga enthusiast or simply seek something different to do with kids, Tacoma Nature Center offers a way to satisfy all of those urges.
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Metro Parks satisfies Tacoma’s craving for martial arts classes
Got an itch to learn karate? Does the traditional Japanese swordsmanship of kendo appeal? Do you simply want your kids to exercise and learn self discipline?
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Northwest Trek is in the running for nation’s 10 best wildlife parks; we’d love to get your vote(s)
Northwest Trek has been nominated by the editors at USAToday as one of the nation’s most prestigious wildlife parks in the newspaper’s 10Best Reader’s Choice travel award contest.
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Ferry Park
Ferry Park was the first park in Tacoma, donated in 1883 by Colonel C.P. Ferry. The Ferry Park we see today is much different than the original, but retains the same importance for the children of the neighborhood as a safe place to play.
Photo from 1928, courtesy of Tacoma Public Library
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Upcoming Events & Public Meetings
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Friday, April 13
Saturday, April 14
Sunday, April 15
Friday, April 20
Saturday, April 21
Saturday, April 28
Sunday, April 29
Friday, May 4
Saturday, May 5
Sunday, May 6
Wednesday, May 9
Friday, May 11
Saturday, May 12
Sunday, May 13
Tuesday, May 15
Friday, May 18
Saturday, May 19
Sunday, May 20
Monday, May 21
Saturday, May 26
Sunday, May 27
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PUBLIC MEETINGS
Board of Park Commissioners Meeting
Monday, 23
Monday, May 14
6:00 pm
Capital Improvement Committee
Wednesday, April 11 & 25
Wednesday, May 16 & 30
5:00 pm
Committee of the Whole
Monday, April 16 & 30
Monday, May 21
5:30 pm
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Metro Parks Tacoma | (253) 305-1030 | metroparkstacoma.org
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