Popular Pierce County dog park closed until fall for construction. Here’s what to know

Four-legged residents of Gig Harbor may need to find a new place to get their energy out this summer and early fall.

Tubby’s Trail Dog Park at 1701 14th Ave. NW is closed from July 15 to Oct. 30 for construction, according to the announcement from PenMet Parks . Dog owners are encouraged to visit Rotary Bark Park at 10100 Bujacich Road NW as an alternative during the closure.

During the closure, no public access will be allowed.

“Construction crews will be completing work with heavy equipment and site hazards will be present,” the announcement says. “To ensure your safety, please do not enter the park.”

The plan is to maintain the space as a dog park, according to Heather Dyson, marketing coordinator for PenMet Parks.

Crews will be adding a rain garden as well as a walking trail and parking area accessible to people with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

A rain garden is a planted plot designed to soak up rain water runoff from roads, rooftops and sidewalks, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency .

Dyson wrote in an email that the rain garden will be about 120 feet long by 60 feet wide and 2 feet deep and will contain plants, shrubs and soil to help absorb the current flow of stormwater to the site.

The ADA parking stall will be installed in the current parking lot, and a 5-foot wide ADA-accessible trail with a compacted, crushed gravel surface will run from the parking lot to the rain garden and around the border of the rain garden, according to Dyson.

The announcement from PenMet Parks says the improvements to Tubby’s Trail Dog Park “will support storm drainage improvements while enhancing trail access, supporting healthy habitat, and reducing erosion at this park facility.”

The timing of construction in the summertime allows crews to avoid the difficulties of working in wet soils. It was also dependent on PenMet Parks’ receipt of the necessary approvals and permits from the Washington State Department of Transportation and Pierce County.

The improvements are part of the multi-year PenMet Parks Recreation Center project , which involves building a 58,000 square foot indoor recreation facility with a track and multiple sports courts, according to the project website. The Recreation Center project budget of $31.6 million was approved in 2021 .

“The Recreation Center will utilize the existing storm pipe crossing at 24th Avenue to continue to send stormwater runoff to the Tubby’s property,” Dyson wrote. “Improvement to the stormwater system will be included to be compliant with WSDOT and Pierce County stormwater discharge requirements including a series of swales, rock check dams, and the rain garden.”

The first phase of the project to build a new administrative headquarters for PenMet Parks along with public spaces for the community was completed in 2023, with minor repairs continuing in 2024, according to the project website. The administrative office is at the same address as the Recreation Center, 2416 14th Ave., which is located north of Tubby’s Trail Dog Park across 24th Street Northwest. The Recreation Center is projected to open in 2025.

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