Help Kickflip Tacoma's New Covered Skate Plaza
Tacoma’s District 2 voted to design and build a covered skate plaza featuring public art under I-705 in Downtown Tacoma. This exciting project is a collaboration between the City of Tacoma, Parks Tacoma, and community, working together to create a vibrant, inclusive space where people can skate, create, and gather.
Let’s build something that brings Tacoma together!
Project Overview
The community has spoken: Tacoma needs more skate parks. Both Parks Tacoma and the City of Tacoma have determined that skate facilities are a priority for community through the development of the 2024-2030 System and Strategic Plan and the Participatory Budgeting Process for District 2.
Project Goals
The vision for this project is to create a community hub that extends beyond traditional skatepark amenities. The space will reflect the character of the urban environment while catering to diverse stake styles recognizing that this will be Tacoma’s only covered skatepark. There is potential to draw inspiration from iconic skate spots in urban places like Barcelona, New York City, and San Francisco where skateable features are integrated with the design of high-quality urban spaces. The Dome Skate Plaza will center the gathering of community and socializing of urbanites through the culture and celebration of skateboarding.
Vision:
- Develop a skate plaza that is covered, has lighting, and is available for year-round use
- Create a community hub that extends beyond traditional skatepark amenities
- Draw inspiration from iconic skate spots in urban places like Barcelona, NYC, and San Francisco
- Design a high-quality urban space that encourages social gathering and celebrates the culture of skate
- Integrate public art, placemaking and landscape design that enhances the experience for all users
Community Vision Boards
Share your thoughts! Vision boards will be open for comments October 16-November 16.
What is your favorite skate park and why?
Community Workshop & Skate Session, 10/16/25
Other Projects in the Dome District
In addition to the skate plaza, a handful of other significant projects are also slated for the next few years in the area surrounding the proposed skatepark location. They are all part of the larger picture to activate the Dome District as an emerging neighborhood of Tacoma, providing a placemaking opportunity through intentional and innovative urban design. These suite of projects will encourage beneficial use of currently underutilized land in Tacoma’s urban core.
The Dome District of Tacoma is slated for a significant increase in residential units, new business development and a major investment in public transportation in the coming years. Major train station development by Sound Transit and streetscape and regional bicycle trail enhancements on Puyallup Avenue (S 24th St) will further activate this emerging transit-oriented neighborhood.
Rehabilitate approximately 1,100 linear feet (LF) of an existing 63-inch diameter storm pipe using a semi-trenchless technology. This will also replace 3,500 LF of wastewater and storm trunk mains due to aging.
Reconstruction of a roadway with complete street elements including sidewalks/curb ramps, bulb outs, crosswalks, signals, lighting, landscaping, bus stops, upgraded utilities, and a transit lane, as well as minor improvements to side streets to reorient/increase functionality of parking spaces, and other street amenities. The project also incorporates Tacoma’s portion of the spuyaləpabš regional trail.
The Tacoma Dome Access Improvements (TDAI) project is a Sound Transit 2 (ST2) project that dedicates funding to improve how riders get to the Tacoma Dome Station area. Sound Transit, in coordination with the City of Tacoma and through previous public engagement, identified potential access improvements including surface parking (up to 300 stalls) and improvement projects for pedestrians, bicyclists (non-motorized), and transit riders.
The Tacoma Coal Gas plant, located at the head of the Thea Foss Waterway, operated between 1884 and 1924. After it closed, property owners removed above-ground structures and covered the site with fill. Contamination was discovered on the site in 1984 during geotechnical drilling for construction of I-705.
The Greenscape Enhancement addition to the Puyallup Avenue corridor project would beautify and improve the landscape performance and ecological function of an area of Tacoma with the highest average ambient temperatures, lowest tree canopy coverage and the greatest need stormwater treatment retrofits. Bioretention facilities distributed throughout the entire Puyallup Avenue and provide a fee-in-lieu stormwater treatment facility for 45 acres of the Lower Puyallup and Foss Waterways.
