CASE STUDY

Located on a formerly contaminated site along the Thea Foss Waterway in Tacoma, the Museum of Glass stands today as an internationally recognized museum of glass artwork that catalyzed the revitalization of the waterfront neighborhood. The 1.6-acre museum site consists of an exhibition studio, café, five outdoor installations, a gift shop, and a “hot shop” where the public can view the processes of glass blowing and cutting.

The museum sits on 1.6 acres of nearly 27 acres of the Thea Foss Waterway in Tacoma, Washington. The area, which was purchased for redevelopment by the city in 1992, has long been an industrial zone that housed numerous mill and maritime activities and served as a railroad terminal. Over the past few decades, the area lost most of its industry, leaving abandoned buildings, contaminated properties, and high unemployment, with almost half of the area residents living below the poverty line.

The leaders of the project actually didn’t have an initial vision of revitalizing the entire waterfront; they sought only to build a museum that would display and celebrate glass artists and the art of glasswork of the Pacific Northwest. During the process, the mission evolved to include remediation of the land and revitalization of the waterfront.

Process
The idea for the project emerged during a conversation between Phil Phibbs, from the University of Puget Sound, and Tacoma-born, world-renowned glass artist, Dale Chihuly, about the need for a museum that recognizes the pioneers of glass artwork and the movement that largely emerged out of the Seattle/Tacoma area. To gather support and possible funding avenues for the project, Mr. Phibbs brought the idea for the museum to an area group of business and government leaders, the Executive Council for a Greater Tacoma. Interested in the idea also as a catalyst to redevelop the Thea Foss Waterway, which was by that time an empty industrial wasteland, the Council decided to incorporate the museum into its plans for the Waterway. By the mid-1990s, the museum was planned to focus on contemporary art and the medium of glass. In September 1997, architect Arthur Erickson completed the museum design, and construction began in June 2000. The museum and the adjoining Chihuly Bridge of Glass opened in July 2002.

Leaders and Partners
The partnership of Dale Chihuly and Phil Phibbs, combined with the Executive Council’s larger vision for the Waterway, transformed a brownfield long considered a liability into a true community asset. The Foss Waterway Public Development Authority was also a key partner in the project.

Financing
The $63 million project was supported through a mix of public and private financing. The EPA Brownfields program helped the City of Tacoma purchase the land and complete a $1.3 million cleanup. The vast majority of the support for construction was private. The City of Tacoma provided $8 million for a rooftop public plaza, parking, and other features. The Federal Highway Administration provided $4.8 million for the “Chihuly Bridge of Glass,” a 500-foot-long pedestrian walkway that spans Interstate 705 to connect the museum and waterfront to downtown Tacoma. The bridge soars 70 feet into the air, showcasing exquisite glass installations that draw upon natural forms such as sea creatures and crystals, and are inspired by major periods of glass artistry from Asia to Europe, from the Renaissance to the Art Deco era.

Successes
The Museum of Glass has been a major success for the City of Tacoma. Early on, the project met with skepticism regarding whether an art museum in Tacoma (traditionally been a low-income town that sat in the shadows of Seattle) would attract enough visitors to be self-sustaining. The museum has proven these fears to be unfounded. Within the first six months of operation, more than 185,000 visitors came to the museum, contributing $17 million to the local economy. In addition, the Museum has received national and international recognition and has helped transform the Foss Waterway area. The increase in private investment has made for a $35 million, mixed-use development with commercial and residential space. Two other museums—the Washington State History Museum and the Tacoma Art Museum—have opened at the opposite side of the Bridge of Glass.

Contact
Tacoma Museum of Glass

info@museumofglass.org
(253) 284-4750

EPA Office of Brownfields
(202) 566-2777

Keywords: waterfront, Tacoma, Washington, museum, art, sculpture, industrial, mill, revitalization, Chihuly, Thea Foss Waterway, bridge