When I served in the Navy, our family moved frequently! Four interstate moves in eight years, which is about average for military families. My wife loved it for many reasons, especially the chance to purge our unused and unneeded stuff that always seems to accumulate. Moving not only kept us “lean and mean” from a household perspective but also allowed us to immerse ourselves in new communities.
Well, moving day is on the horizon for some of us in the County-City Building (CCB)!
As I blogged back in May of last year, we purchased the building at 1501 Market to make room for more courts and justice-related services – transforming the CCB into the Pierce County Justice Center. Additionally, we will also be consolidating non-justice-related departments into 1501 Market, enabling us to vacate several leased spaces. This move improves our long-term financial stability and enhances efficiency by co-locating departments.
Our Facilities Team has been hard at work, meeting with departments slated for relocation to 1501 Market and those that will remain in the Justice Center, to plan space utilization and listen to what departments want in their new space. If you have ever considered remodeling your home, it will come as no surprise that the list of “wants” ($33 million) exceeds our available budget ($22 million) for remodeling. So like a home remodel, Facilities is narrowing the “wants” down to “needs” and ensuring consistency across the various departments.
Now, two teams will be relocating from the CCB to join Facilities and Information Technology at 1501 Market in June. These next moves are being driven by the need to renovate the 7th Floor, prompting the Executive Team and our Communications Department to pack up and head over and down a few blocks! And just like during my many Navy moves, I will be purging my office!
And also like my military moves, I am excited to get to explore our “new” neighborhood! I already frequent Campfire Coffee just down Market Street and Ebony & Ivory over on 13th and Broadway. It will be convenient to go to events at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center and Hotel Murano. Even the UWT Campus and shops and eateries on Pacific Avenue will be within walking distance, although I will likely have to drive to the Corina Bakery now!
This massive planning and coordination effort is led by Director Karl Imlig and the Facilities Team. I want to give a special shout-out to Deborah Anderson, Erin Anderson, Sebastian Kalilikane, and Courtney Marshall for their leadership in this important work.
And, in a similar vein, Planning & Public Works is planning their move out of leased space at the Tacoma Mall Plaza and consolidate into our existing owned buildings.
And I will close with another connection to a former blog from the end of March about our Jail. During my Inside Pierce County episode, I introduced you to Corrections Deputy Rachel Yelle and her K-9 Partner Rebel. They recently discovered a hidden knife during a search around the jail. Thank you, Deputy Yelle and Rebel – great teamwork!
Thanks for reading,
Bruce
