TACOMA, WA (February 6, 2026) – Many U.S. cities have a legacy National Guard armory, but not every city has made such a building work in modern times.

That report notes that some of the buildings, quite grand in scale, have become among the world’s most endangered sites, alongside “Egypt’s Valley of the Kings and the Teotihuacan Pyramid in Mexico.”

It also notes that some of “yesterday’s armories have been successfully converted into school buildings, apartments, libraries, museums, and community centers around the country.”

The Tacoma Armory, 1001 S. Yakima Ave., faces an unknown future later this year, just a few years after a careful handoff meant to ensure its place in perpetuity.

It takes a special kind of person to take on the struggle and debt that come with redeveloping old sites.

Harrison Laird is principal of Lee & Associates Commercial Real Estate Services in Tacoma. He noted the various adaptive reuse projects in the city, including The Rhodes Center and the former Washington Building (now The Astor apartments), as well as the former DaVita office building converting to Sandberg on the Ave apartments and the still-to-come Old City Hall.

He noted that each project “shares common threads which have made them resonate with the local community,” he said via email. “(A) passion for the community and the building’s history, together with modern amenities and appointments.”

With vision and investment, he added, the armory “could join these as a landmark adaptive reuse success — perhaps blending community, art, and event space; creative office; or other experiential uses that catalyze Hilltop and downtown Tacoma for decades to come.”

Tacoma’s Rhodes Center, 950 Broadway, in 2023 became home to UrbanWork coworking, of which Reid Fetters is owner and founder.

Harrison Laird of Lee & Associates noted that the moment “opens the door to new possibilities that honor its unique character and historic significance.” He wrote that “historic armories have been thoughtfully repurposed into mixed-use destinations — from residential, retail, and event spaces to nonprofit hubs and community centers — preserving heritage while meeting contemporary market demand.”

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