New apartments, new stores are the latest in Tacoma Mall area plans in the works
Story has been updated with an April 13 statement from Starbucks.
Big changes are proposed at the site of an office/retail building near the Tacoma Mall that had been home to Kantor Diamond, adding to the continuing evolution of that area.
The property at 4218 S. Steele St. is proposed for Avanti Apartments, being developed by the site’s new owner.
According to plans filed March 31 by Pahlisch Commercial, the proposed residential development calls for 171 market-rate units and eight work/live units at ground level along with 130 parking stalls on the first two levels.
Initial demolition paperwork was filed April 7 with the city. As of Tuesday, the city’s permit portal listed the filing as missing required documents.
An LLC representing Pahlisch Asset Management, based in Bend, Oregon, purchased the property in December for $6.5 million. Previous owner 42 Park Mall Holdings, representing Forbes Development Group of Tacoma, also had sought to develop apartments there before selling to Pahlisch.
The proposed new building would include a leasing center, “podium courtyard, podium level amenities space, structured parking and bike storage, along with related landscape and hardscape elements,” according to the application filed with the city.
An earlier pre-app proposed a start date for the project in July with an estimated cost of $40 million. No updates on timeline or cost were immediately available.
The building would have five levels for units on top of the first two levels and would be more than double the size of the current building, which is just over 21,000 square feet.
The News Tribune has submitted a records request for more information on the project. An email to the development team was not answered Tuesday.
Kantor Diamond relocated earlier this year to the fifth floor of the Tacoma Mall Office Building, 4301 S. Pine St.
Apartment plan latest addition to evolving retail area
Other development in the area, according to permit documents filed with the city, includes a proposed new Starbucks at the former Adriatic Grill location, 4201 S. Steele St., across from the proposed apartments.
The restaurant reopened at the Oakbrook Golf Club in Lakewood in November 2019.
A permit was issued in early March at the site to “install new ground mounted signage for Starbucks,” according to city records on file.
Starbucks, in a statement emailed to The News Tribune on April 13 in response to questions, said, “At this time, we remain focused on serving customers in Tacoma at our existing stores and have no store-opening and no store-closure plans to announce.”
The nearby Boulevard Center also is undergoing transformation.
In January, Petco, 4028 Tacoma Mall Blvd., submitted plans to the city for a store remodel that includes an expanded full-service veterinary clinic.
Mor Furniture for Less is set to join the shopping center’s roster in the long-vacant former OfficeMax space.
The Boulevard Center is near the Tacoma Mall retail strip expansion site, made possible after the closure and later demolition of the Tacoma Mall Sears store.
The expansion includes Nordstrom Rack, Ulta Beauty and Total Wine & More, which opened in fall 2021.
A small format Kohl’s was introduced in October, and chicken chain Jollibee is coming to the main mall itself later this year or early next year.
White Barn Candle Co. also is listed on the mall’s store roster as coming soon. The retailer is affiliated with Bath & Body Works.
No further information was immediately available.
The former Pier 1 site, next to the new mall expansion strip center, is now home to three businesses. Chipotle opened last month, while Jersey Mike’s Subs, opened in March 2022, while the Xfinity Store by Comcast opened in mid-December.
