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Tacoma City Council Approves Tideflats Subarea Plan

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On December 2, 2025, the Tacoma City Council approved the Tideflats Subarea Plan, a comprehensive strategy developed over seven years of collaboration between the City of Tacoma, the Port of Tacoma, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, the City of Fife, and Pierce County. The approval of this plan, which was unanimously supported by a multigovernmental Tideflats Steering Committee, was a key step toward advancing a shared vision that balances economic vitality, environmental restoration, and community well-being in one of Washington's most critical industrial areas.

"This plan represents a new era of collaboration and shared stewardship for the Tideflats. It provides a clear path to a future where a world-class port, a healthy ecosystem, and our community not only coexist but thrive together," said City of Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards. "We worked diligently with our government partners, Port businesses, and the community to create a plan that honors our history, powers our economy, and protects our environment for generations to come. This process began over seven years ago under the leadership of now Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello and former Tacoma Council Member Lillian Hunter. It has finally reached adoption through the tremendous efforts and leadership of Tacoma Council Member Kristina Walker."

"Approval of the Tideflats Subarea Plan marks a pivotal moment for Tacoma and the region," said Port of Tacoma Commission President John McCarthy. "It reflects years of collaboration to ensure the Tideflats remain a vital economic engine while advancing environmental restoration and community priorities. As one of the few natural deep-water ports in the nation, preserving our working waterfront is essential to supporting family-wage jobs and global trade. Over the years, four of us on the Commission have served on the Subarea Plan Steering Committee, most recently Commissioners Dick Marzano and Deanna Keller. I want to thank them for their leadership in seeing a plan over the finish line that shapes a balanced, forward-looking vision. Together, we've created a framework that will guide sustainable growth and stewardship for generations to come."

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"This planning effort for the Tideflats subarea was a multi-jurisdictional collaboration that took many years of work," said the Puyallup Tribal Council, the Puyallup Tribe's elected governing body. "We thank our partners on this plan for recognizing the Tribe, our treaty rights, and the land claims settlement during this process. By recognizing these and working together in collaboration on this plan since 2017, we were able to create a plan for the future of the Tideflats that encourages economic growth and also establishes environmental protections."

"The City of Fife is proud to have been part of this ambitious and important planning effort. Positioned between the Port of Tacoma and I-5, our community experiences firsthand the impacts of one of the county's largest economic engines," said City of Fife Mayor Kim Roscoe. "Over the course of this seven-year project, the five governments on the steering committee engaged in hard, honest conversations, deepening our understanding of each partner's history, goals, and vision for the future of the Tideflats area. The result is a thoughtful, collaborative plan for a regional asset, supported by key partners. This monumental project represents a significant step forward for the economic and environmental vitality of our port, county, and region."

"After years of collaboration and dialogue, we now have a comprehensive, unified vision that defines the future of the Tideflats area, a historic hub for jobs and economic activity in the city and region," said Pierce County Executive Mello. "This plan centers on partnership, sustainable growth, and responsible environmental stewardship."

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The Tideflats Subarea Plan is built on several key pillars:
  • Balancing Industrial Success With Environmental Restoration: Integrating policies that support industrial growth while making coordinated investments to restore ecosystems, improve water quality, and protect biodiversity
  • Honoring Indigenous Values: Recognizing the Puyallup Tribe's deep cultural, economic, and environmental connections to the land and ensuring their rights and interests are respected in all future development
  • Comprehensive Climate Action: Proactively addressing climate change with strategies for decarbonization, adaptation to sea-level rise, and restoration of natural habitats to enhance resilience
  • Economic and Industrial Innovation: Preserving core industrial uses while encouraging the growth of clean energy industries and fostering innovation that supports both the Port and surrounding urban neighborhoods
  • Modern Transportation and Infrastructure: Investing in a holistic, multimodal transportation system that serves both industry and the community, while incorporating green infrastructure to improve the landscape and increase public access to the waterfront

More information about the Tideflats Subarea Plan and related amendments, including background materials, is available at tacoma.gov/tideflats.

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