‘That view is so beautiful.’ City to spend $600K to overhaul blighted Tacoma overlook

Soon a neglected overlook with stunning views of the Tacoma Dome and Puget Sound will be considerably less gritty.

The Tacoma City Council recently approved a nearly $600,000 contract to give a facelift to the McKinley Overlook along East 32nd Street, from East E and F streets. The site has become a magnet for litter, loitering and homicides.

In June, 23-year-old Brichaun Pringle was fatally shot at the overlook while attempting to break up a fight, The News Tribune previously reported. Another killing unfolded there in March 2023: that of Yi Un Ortega, 43 , who died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Such reasons have motivated some residents to make renovating the overlook a key goal in the McKinley Hill Neighborhood Plan.

Kristy Fry stopped to speak with The News Tribune on Monday while going for a walk on East 32nd. As someone who’s served on the McKinley plan’s project team, “activating public spaces” is something that members prioritized, she said.

The homicides have been especially frustrating to residents, Fry said: “But it’s also such a beautiful place to live. Where else in Tacoma do we have these views of Mount Rainier? Where else do we have these views of downtown and the water? We don’t.

“So, there’s a lot of pride on the side of town,” she continued. “And we really enjoy getting out and enjoying our spaces.”

What is the city doing about the McKinley Overlook?

The Tacoma City Council on July 9 agreed to spend $596,783.30, budgeted from the transportation capital fund, on the overlook contract. Construction will consist of landscaping, curb ramps, sidewalks and other pedestrian features, roadway repairs and more, according to a contract and award memo.

Today a black chain-link fence lines the area and spray paint covers city of Tacoma signage. Empty alcohol bottles dot the ground. The roadway is relatively wide and lacks infrastructure for foot traffic.

District 4 Council member Sandesh Sadalge told The News Tribune that the overlook project started as part of the McKinley neighborhood plan. His involvement in that plan marked his start in public service in Tacoma after moving here in 2019.

Some neighbors won’t take their kids to the overlook because of dangers like broken glass, and others won’t walk their dogs, Sadalge added.

It’s a sentiment echoed by resident Kaeli Todd.

Todd said although she mostly feels safe in the neighborhood, she’s also heard gunshots with increasing frequency since moving to the area in February 2020. She avoids walking her Australian cattle dog, Buck, along that stretch of East 32nd Street — but wishes she could.

Todd supports the city’s efforts to fix up the overlook.

“I think it would be great because that view is so beautiful,” she said. “And the space could be usable if it weren’t occupied by people who are kind of hanging out and loitering and doing things that make me feel a little less safe walking him around.”

When will the McKinley Overlook be completed?

Sadalge said the project will add sidewalks and accessible ramps. A major issue for that area was a lack of visibility at night, so lighting will be included.

The overlook will soon be greener thanks to the addition of plants, he said, not to mention spots for benches. The city expects to work with artists on temporary and permanent art installations.

Clara Dubow, engineering project manager with the city, noted that the Port of Tacoma awarded the city’s Planning Department about $30,000 for wayfinding signs, which will help orient folks toward the overlook. Plaques will crop up with historical tidbits and honoring tribal lands, she said. A viewfinder will allow people to take in the city’s downtown sights.

Another change: Dubow said the project will narrow a section of road to 14 feet — roughly half its original width. That move should help discourage cars from speeding. The project will install around five designated parking spaces, she said.

Garbage cans will also be added to help cut back on littering , according to the project’s webpage.

The overlook’s construction timeline is fairly short: Dubow expects it to last a month or two. Construction is slated to start this fall and landscaping should wrap up next spring, per the webpage.

Sadalge said the McKinley neighborhood plan’s priorities were important to his predecessor, the late Council member Catherine Ushka .

Getting to safely access the space is a moment that can’t come soon enough for many McKinley neighbors.

“You get a great view of a lot of things that make Tacoma, Tacoma — and it should be activated,” Sadalge said. “It should be a place that families can come, that residents can come, and not feel dejected.”