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Popular Tacoma beach to reopen next month after a 16-month closure for improvements

TACOMA, Wash. — With summer right around the corner, a popular Tacoma beach plans to reopen, display its new renovations and bring another source of fun to the community.

Metro Parks Tacoma has announced the reopening of Owen Beach at Point Defiance Park is set for June 4 after a 16-month closure for renovations.

The reopening will display new features made to the beach since its closure, including new roadways for vehicles, safer trails for pedestrians and ADA accessible drop-off zones that are close to the water.

As the reopening approaches, deputy director of regional parks and attractions Joe Brady expressed his happiness about reconstructing the beach while preserving the environment at Point Defiance.

“We are proud to have made such crucial practical and aesthetic improvements while protecting the forest habitat that makes Point Defiance so unique among American cities,” Brady said in a news release.

The park’s total renovations cost $6.3 million and are a part of the Destination Point Defiance plan that was established in 2015. Funding for the new features was provided by Tacoma voter-approved bonds in 2014, Metro Parks Tacoma operating funds and Tacoma Public Schools, according to the release.

The features not only make the area fun and safe for pedestrians but also are a response to the predicted effects of climate change. As projected by the Washington Coast Resiliency Project, sea levels are anticipated to rise six feet by 2090. In order to prepare for rising sea levels, various areas like pathways and the picnic lawns were moved more inland and as a result, more uphill.

As described by deputy director of planning and development Marty Stump, the goal was to revamp the beach in order to make it an area that future generations can enjoy.

“We have a responsibility as stewards of this gem within Point Defiance Park to ensure that generations to come are able to enjoy its peace and beauty, just as much as those who built it and those who have come since time immemorial. Adapting to climate change is crucial, and Metro Parks is proud that we can do this on behalf of our community,” Stump said in the news release.

Owen Beaches reopening celebration will take place on June 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a ribbon cutting, pavilion tours, and refreshments.

More information about the renovations made to Owen Beach can be found on the Metro Parks Tacoma website.

This story was originally published by The News Tribune.