Plans are moving forward to establish a new base in downtown Tacoma for a major behavioral health service nonprofit.
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Comprehensive Life Resources will move its headquarters from 1305 Tacoma Ave. S. to 737 Fawcett Ave. after extensive renovations this year.
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Plans filed with the City of Tacoma last fall call for interior demolition and renovations both inside and outside the building, giving it a whole new look.
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Site development and building plans were filed with the city April 7.
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CLR purchased the building from Tacoma-based MultiCare Health System in 2022 for $3.8 million. The building, a former hospital, dates to 1967, according to county records.
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CLR is investing about $9 million into the property, according to its media representative, Christine Gleason, in an email responding to questions about the project.
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“It was originally built as a hospital, and there are still remnants of that on one of the floors,” Gleason noted. “It sat vacant for a number of years; the MultiCare employees based there worked from home when the pandemic hit and MultiCare no longer had a need for it.”
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Under CLR ownership, the site will become an integrated care center that includes behavioral health, medical, dental and pharmacy services.
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The work will take a few years to complete and will be divided into two phases.
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“Because of the increasing labor and construction costs, we will implement a second phase in 2024 to fully complete the project,” Gleason noted.
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Phase 1, April through December, will include interior demolition and construction of physical spaces for clients — treatment rooms, waiting rooms, high-acuity area, medical and dental exam rooms, restrooms and reception.
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Additionally, office spaces, dedicated telehealth stations, break room, and meeting rooms will be constructed in the first phase, as well as facade improvements, painting, installation of security fencing and signage.
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Second-floor renovation will include space for “our Program for Assertive Community Treatment teams, which provide integrated care for people with severe mental illness to reduce hospital, emergency room and jail utilization,” Gleason wrote.
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“The other portion of this space will be a large conference room with an operable wall that will enable large groups a place to meet. The rooms will be available for government and community organizations to use,” she added.
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CLR owns two parking lots across from the building “that will be designated for client parking. The lots are usable, but these improvements will make them safer and more accessible,” she wrote.
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Electric vehicle charging stations also are part of the plans.
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Outdoor space in the building’s front “includes an area that can be used for staff and clients to sit, eat and wait for appointments. The space needs decking installed to prevent damage to the roof,” Gleason wrote.
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Phase 2, in 2024, does not have a timeline. The agency does not know the scope of right-of-way improvements that will be required by the city.
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“That would be determined closer to when the work on Phase 2 begins,” Gleason added.
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The project is being funded with:
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▪ $10.5 million in long-term financing and agency reserves, already secured.
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▪ $2.5 million from Washington State Building Communities Fund, also secured.
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▪ $3 million capital fundraising campaign, launched in late February, with a $100,00 commitment already from Coordinated Care, according to Gleason.
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J.S. Richards is the project’s general contractor, and CLR is working with Ferguson Architects, both Tacoma-based.