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1. What is the Health and Community Building concept?

A concept under consideration may provide new homes for some county employees and two independent government agencies, South Sound 911 and Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.


The proposed concept includes the sale of the Health Department building occupies, Pierce County’s Sound View building to South Sound 911. The County would use the proceeds from the sale to raze the Health Department and Sound View buildings, as well as the old Puget Sound Hospital. Pierce County would purchase an existing building across Pacific Avenue to house the Health Department and Community Connections. In addition, we would relocate about 24 employees from the Sheriff’s department who currently work in the Sound View building. The Health Department would be a tenant in the County-owned facility.


The highlights of the concept under consideration are:

• The County would eliminate a costly lease for Community Connections’ downtown location


• The Health Department would vacate a building in need of significant upgrades and repairs and remain in a location familiar and convenient to its customers and clients


• Some complementary work of the Health Department and Community Connections would better serve its customers


• The Lincoln District would no longer have to deal with the crime associated with the abandoned hospital


• South Sound 911 would be able to move forward and build a new operations and Emergency Operations Center facilities.

2. Why is this necessary?

The Health Department would vacate a building in need of significant upgrades and repairs and remain in a location familiar and convenient to its customers and clients.
Community Connections has an expensive lease in a downtown building for part of its operations and occupies an aging facility on Pacific as well. We believe this concept may be a creative way to accomplish several needs at once.

3. Where is the money coming from to do this?

We would use proceeds from South Sound 911 as they move forward from their voter-approved building project. The County would issue a bond for the remainder of the funding.

4. What happens next?

We are going through a comprehensive review process, which will include negotiations with a building owner and a series of community meetings to solicit input and comment from residents.

5. When would the buildings be razed? Are there any environmental impacts to consider for local residents?

We are only at a concept phase so it is difficult to speculate when any building would be razed. However, there are a number of skilled vendors who could safely tear down the buildings under consideration.

6. What about increased traffic to the area?

Very little change in the traffic patterns would occur from County and Health Department employees moving into the proposed Health and Community building. Many of the Community Connections employees are out in the field much of the day, so we anticipate very little, if any, impact to the surrounding community.

7. What if the concept does not work out? What happens to South Sound 911?

If the concept does not pan out, South Sound 911 will need to look at alternatives. Voters approved their new building and we are happy to partner with them to find a location and project that works for them.

8. Is this a way to evade the decision of voters last fall?

Our focus has been on finding creative and cost-effective ways to save money, address facility needs and align efforts that serve a similar client base, and relocate out of worn down buildings. We continue to seek out ways to best use the resources we have to serve County residents.