New assisted living community and new high-end apartments debut in Tacoma
Two long-planned projects in Tacoma offering dramatic views have entered the local market, with one completed and the other close to opening.
Merrill Gardens at Wright Park is the culmination of longstanding plans for redeveloping a prominent Stadium District site for senior assisted living. Meanwhile, The Lex is set to bring more high-end market rate units to the city.
Merrill Gardens at Wright Park
Merrill Gardens at Wright Park, which opened in mid-December, was developed by Merrill Gardens and Rush Development. The seven-story property at 5 S. G St. and across from its namesake park, features 115 independent and assisted living apartments, ranging from studios to two bedroom units, and 18 memory care units.
The main floor offers 2,600 square feet for retail and includes an urgent care clinic.
According to the site’s opening announcement, Merrill Gardens manages the senior living community and Rush manages the retail space.
The project was first announced in February 2018, with construction starting a few years later. The property previously was home to the former Scottish Rite Temple, sold to Rush in June 2017 for $2.8 million. It was demolished later that year.
Among other amenities, the new senior community also has a rooftop deck and sky lounge, courtyard and movie theater, as well as parking for 66 vehicles. The developers tout the site’s unobstructed views of Commencement Bay, Mount Rainier, the Cascades and the Olympics.
“This is the way residents want to live, and we are thrilled to partner with Rush Companies to bring this community to Tacoma,” Tana Gall, Merrill Senior Living president, said in a statement.
The Lex
The new nine story, 247-unit Lex apartment site at 415 St. Helens Ave. is being developed by Merrill Gardens’ sister company Pillar Properties.
The site received an eight-year multifamily property tax exemption in 2017.
The Lex offers studio, one and two-bedroom units, with rents ranging from $1,585 for a 497 square-foot studio to $4,860 for a two-bedroom, two-bath unit at 1,601 square feet, according to its website, with introductory lease deals possible.
The site also has 289 parking spaces, controlled access garage parking with charging stations, as well as bike storage and maintenance area.
The Lex is now leasing, with its opening expected at the end of February. On-site tours begin next week, a site representative told The News Tribune on Friday.
Most of the apartments have views of Commencement Bay. The units also offer high-end finishes, tall ceilings, large kitchens and bathrooms, private patios along with resident lounges, a huge fitness center, and a rooftop pup park, according to its website.
The building’s name comes from “Lady Lex,” the nickname of the USS Lexington. The ship provided electricity to Tacoma through a power shortage in the winter of 1929.
Merrill Gardens and Pillar Properties are both part of the R.D. Merrill Company.
