Cushman Commons

Welcome to the North End Neighborhood Council’s Cushman Commons page.

Tacomans should get ready for a unique opportunity to decide the future use of two historic buildings: The Cushman and Adams substations on North 21st Street.

Tacoma Public Utilities will soon no longer need the buildings or properties.  Otak is the consultant hired by City of Tacoma and equally funded by TPU.  They plan to hold a formal public process to hear the community’s ideas for the future of this Tacoma Historic Places site.  These in-person and virtual public meetings will be scheduled late Spring early Summer 2023.   NENC hopes to plan a similar event with the City and TPU as happened in September 2018 which featured a community oriented street fair and viewing of the buildings interior.   Since these historic buildings belong to all Tacomans, plenty of notification will be given for all to participate.

Recently District 1 where can i buy isotretinoin in the philippines City Council Member John Hines provided the following update on his August 2022 newsletter:

Cushman and Adams Substation Re-Use Conversation

“Like many of you, I am anticipating the kick-off for the re-use conversation for Cushman and Adams Substation. This project, like many things in our lives, was placed on hold in April 2020 while we responded to the impacts of COVID-19. Staff will be updating the City Council and Public Utility Board during the next few months on plans to restart community engagement on what the future use of the substations could be.

The project currently remains funded, and OTAK remains the consultant to lead the process when it moves forward. I will be sure to continue to update you on the potential timeline and when to expect it to begin. The City of Tacoma and Tacoma Public Utilities remain committed to a robust public process and community-wide conversation about the future of this property. I know how special this space is to the community and recognize the unique opportunity we have with these historic properties.”

The North End Neighborhood Council, after extensive public outreach, has proposed a future use to be a community center and park space, “Cushman Commons.”

The 6-minute video below gives a brief overview of the buildings, provides info on the planned public process, and explains why our vision is a great fit for the site.

spookily We’d love your support!

Use the link below to sign up for more information and to get updates on the schedule for the public process.

Cushman Interest List: Sign up for updates

What’s the status of the Cushman Substation?

In 2018, Tacoma Public Utilities replaced the old electric towers on North 21st Street with monopoles and disconnected the Cushman Substation from the electrical system. In the near future, TPU will move its remaining equipment out of Cushman, and the building will be surplussed.

Community members along with the North End Neighborhood Council encouraged the City to hold a public process to hear the community’s ideas for future use of the substations and the surrounding properties. The City hired Northwest firm Otak to lead the process. Otak plans to hold “visioning workshops” followed by “scenario workshops” to create two or three different plans for repurposing the site.

Originally scheduled for May 2020, the “visioning workshops” have been postponed due to the COVID-19 social-distancing requirements. The City currently intends to reschedule them once public meetings can resume.

 

How can I stay informed?

We’ll use this list to share news about the Cushman site and updates on the public process as well as any future Cushman-related events put on by the City or the NENC. You can also check this website and the NENC on Facebook for updates.

We’re looking for volunteers to help with events and communications. So, if you’re interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities, please sign up for the Interest List.

 

Why is the Cushman-Adams site important?

Learn more about the historic significance of the Cushman-Adams sites from the Historic Register Nomination. In 2017, the exteriors of both Cushman and Adams substations and the surrounding sites were placed on the Tacoma Register of Historic Places.

See also:

Past posts related to the Cushman-Adams site on this website can be viewed here.

Photos: