What’s Next?

While the campus master plan is a framework that will guide the University of Washington Tacoma's development over the next 35 years, several aspects are already underway and will soon become visible to campus visitors.

One of the most significant and anticipated changes is a new residence hall that will add 500 new beds to campus, along with UW Tacoma’s first-ever dining hall — amenities that will transform the university into a more residential 24/7 environment.

Following a presentation to the UW Board of Regents on the new student housing and dining hall project, UW Tacoma received the green light to begin seeking proposals from development partners in November. With a targeted opening of late 2029, the university is on track to select a developer for the project in May.

Leonard Forsman, chair of the UW Board of Regents, remembers the excitement that surrounded the campus’s early days. When the archaeology firm he was working for at the time moved from Seattle to Gig Harbor, Forsman found himself spending a great deal of time in UW Tacoma’s library for research projects.

Recognizing both the sustained community enthusiasm and the thoughtful planning that shaped the campus master plan, Forsman said there’s no question that this move is the right one for UW Tacoma’s future.

“We knew that there was a need,” Forsman said. “We’ve been hearing some of the needs (UW Tacoma has) had as they’ve grown. A big part of the culture of a campus is the food services and housing. That’s crucial to its identity.”

Other projects on the horizon include renovations to two existing campus facilities: the Tioga Building and the Swiss-Wild Building (Swiss Hall) — a beloved historical space that will be transformed into a hub for student programming and a new campus welcome center.

Ben Mauk, UW Tacoma’s director of real estate and development, said the master plan presents a timely opportunity to highlight and capitalize on the university’s role as a contributor to community and economic development in the South Sound.

“This plan is not sitting on the shelf,” Mauk said. “It’s actively driving interest and momentum behind key projects, including UW Tacoma’s residence hall and dining hall project. We are fortunate that community partners have embraced this vision, recognizing the university as a regional asset that will continue to transform Tacoma’s historic downtown.”

“This plan is not sitting on the shelf. It’s actively driving interest and momentum behind key projects, including UW Tacoma’s residence hall and dining hall project. We are fortunate that community partners have embraced this vision, recognizing the university as a regional asset that will continue to transform Tacoma’s historic downtown.”
— Ben Mauk, director of real estate and development

The plan was developed as a flexible framework that may evolve over time, and Mauk says that community leaders will continue to provide counsel and guidance throughout the implementation process.

Student and faculty involvement in the master planning process will also continue. In addition to advising on the plan’s progress, faculty members Bára Šafářová and Nara Almeida are developing new opportunities for urban studies and civil engineering majors — and potentially students in other programs — to gain hands‑on experience implementing the master plan through their coursework. Students interested in getting involved can contact them directly.

Šafářová and Almeida are also using this opportunity to turn knowledge into impact. In their initial exploration of the pilot capstone course, they were surprised to find no published research about this type of student-faculty collaboration across their fields.

Together, they’re working to close that gap. Alongside their students, they’ve authored several research articles detailing what they've discovered through this experience. Almeida says now that they have a better sense of what’s in store for the future of campus, they can focus on the technical details and help bring the plan to life.

“I think having more of this, especially related to the master plan, (is important) because it's our home,” she said. “It's where we go. We create more of this sense of community among ourselves.”

It’s that spirit of partnership and shared purpose that gives Chancellor Sheila Edwards Lange confidence and excitement for UW Tacoma’s bright future.

“UW Tacoma began 35 years ago because this community believed education could transform lives. They were right,” Lange said. “What makes our vision for the future unique is that we’re not designing our campus apart from the community — we’re designing it with the community. That truly is the Tacoma way.”

This story is the final part of a five-part series on the development of UW Tacoma’s new Campus Master Plan. Visit UW Tacoma’s Campus Master Plan website to learn more.