Tacoma voters are about to weigh in on a hefty $155 million parks bond that promises more than 100 projects citywide and a full rebuild of the long-closed Dash Point Pier. Ballots are scheduled to be mailed next Friday and must be returned by April 28, 2026. The pier, shut down in 2021 after an engineering inspection found it structurally unsound, is listed as one of the first jobs Parks Tacoma would tackle if the measure passes.
What the package covers
According to Parks Tacoma, the six-year proposal would raise up to $155 million for upgrades at roughly 40 parks, community centers and zoo facilities, and would kickstart more than 100 capital projects. Staff and the Park Board say the plan zeroes in on replacing aging playgrounds, improving trails and accessibility, renovating sports fields and making targeted investments at Point Defiance and Northwest Trek. “This bond package focuses on taking care of our existing system while acknowledging the economic challenges facing everyone,” Park Board President Matt Mauer said in the agency announcement.
Dash Point Pier on the front burner
One of the clearest neighborhood priorities in the proposal is a total rebuild of Dash Point Pier, a regional fishing and viewing spot that Parks Tacoma closed to the public in 2021 after an engineering inspection found the structure unsafe. Reconstruction is pegged at a minimum of $5.5 million, and city documents list the pier among the first projects slated to begin if voters sign off on the bond.
Local business owners say the pier’s closure has reshaped who comes to the waterfront. Gino Rivera, who runs a nearby restaurant, told KIRO 7 that the shutdown cut down on fishermen but freed up more parking for customers.
How much it would cost
Parks Tacoma says the bond would not raise the district’s tax rate from its previous measure and would cost about $0.45 per $1,000 of assessed value, which works out to roughly $249 per year for a home at the district average. The measure needs a 60% supermajority to pass, and the district could begin receiving bond revenues as early as August or September 2026, according to reporting from Yahoo.
When and how to vote
Ballots for the special election are scheduled to be mailed next Friday, and voters have until April 28 to return them, according to KIRO 7. Residents can review the project list and FAQs to see which neighborhood projects are included and may apply to write arguments for the voters’ pamphlet as the district finalizes election materials. With a tight timeline before ballots land in mailboxes, Parks leaders say digging into the project map and budget documents is the best way to understand how the bond could affect specific neighborhoods.
