Tacoma unveils art and placemaking plan for Tacoma Mall neighborhood

Rebecca Solverson, division manager for Arts and Cultural Vitality in Tacoma’s Community and Economic Development department, briefed the City Council on a new Tacoma Mall Art and Placemaking Plan designed to guide cultural investments in the regional growth center over the next 10 to 15 years.

The plan, funded through the city’s 1% for Art program and developed with external consultants, maps 17 specific opportunities across the neighborhood and recommends “integrated” art interventions that pair public art with transportation, parks and private development projects, Solverson said.

“This plan was funded for our 1% for art program in partnership with program services,” Solverson said. “The goal of the plan was to create a vision and roadmap for art and culture interventions to support the growth of the neighborhood over the next 10 to 15 years.”

Why it matters: The Tacoma Mall area is one of two regional growth centers in the city but lacks many public amenities, residents and some council members told staff during the briefing. The plan is intended to help the neighborhood keep pace with rapid development by guiding public art investments that also create gathering places, improve safety and address accessibility gaps.

Key findings and priorities

- Current conditions: Staff said the Tacoma Mall neighborhood has few community centers, libraries or active schools, a below‑average tree canopy and limited public green space; Madison School’s nearby green space has been closed and is in transition. Solverson said the neighborhood ranks low on the city’s equity index and is physically fragmented by highways and major roads.

- Project types: The plan groups opportunities into permanent projects (sculpture, gateways, trail connections), temporary activations (night markets, festivals, projections) and “serial transportation opportunities” that integrate art into bike lanes, crosswalks, rain gardens, seating and wayfinding as transportation projects are built.

- Two illustrative priorities: an “art and gardening” program to enliven community gardens with art, safety lighting and accessible pathways; and a redesigned connection between South 40th Street and the Water Flume Line Trail to improve ADA access and add seating, public art and bicycle access.

Linda Wysong, a plan co‑author who led research and community engagement, said the planning process included stakeholder interviews, multiple community workshops and site visits. “For the public art to be successful, it’s not just a well‑crafted and beautiful piece. It also speaks to the people who live there and adds something to the vitality of the area and to the sense of place,” Wysong said.

Funding and next steps

Solverson said the city has $50,000 set aside with Environmental Services to support the first implementation project and that staff are coordinating with Sound Transit to secure public art funding in the Pine Street corridor reconstruction tied to the South Tacoma Sounder access project. Staff are also working with Parks Tacoma on two projects in Lincoln Heights: a public art training project and a skateable art feature led by artist‑in‑residence Natalie Japil.

“We’ll be working with [Environmental Services] to decide which one is part of their public art plan,” Solverson said. “We’re working with Sound Transit right now to make sure there’s public art funding as part of that project, and we can use this plan as a basis for how that’s implemented.”

Council reaction and implementation issues

Council members praised the plan’s emphasis on integration across city departments and on engaging property owners and businesses. Council Member Diaz said the connectivity work matters because sidewalks and crossings are inconsistent across the area.

Council members and staff discussed how artists and community groups can respond to opportunities: Solverson said the city typically issues calls for artists tied to identified funding or sites and that the public art program maintains a mural roster to connect property owners with artists. The briefing also covered maintenance: Solverson said city‑owned commissioned works are added to the city’s collection and have maintenance dollars, but staffing and long‑term upkeep remain a concern as the collection grows.

Other topics raised included activating underused industrial sites for temporary arts and skateboarding uses, leveraging partnerships with property owners and nonprofits such as Spaceworks, and exploring projection and sponsorship models to help pay for temporary or digital art installations.

What the plan does not do

Staff emphasized the plan is a placemaking strategy, not a parks plan, and that many recommendations will depend on funding, landowner agreement and coordination with other capital projects. Several items — including a Madison School site and some park opportunities — are contingent on the school district or other property owners.

Ending

Staff said they will return to the council with project selections and continuing coordination with Sound Transit and Parks Tacoma. The plan is intended to provide a 10–15 year framework for integrating public art, temporary activations and design strategies into the neighborhood’s ongoing growth.