After Years of Waiting, Tacoma’s Old City Hall Is Coming Back to Life

For years, Tacoma’s Old City Hall has been a restoration project most residents could only watch from the outside. Now, people are working inside the 133-year-old landmark again—and its newest tenant is giving the public an early look at what the building could become.

SheWorks has officially opened a coworking and childcare center on the fourth floor of Old City Hall at 625 Commerce Street. Created around the needs of women, parents and families, the business offers shared and private workspaces, conference facilities, privacy pods, workshops and virtual-office services. Its on-site childcare includes half-day and drop-in options, allowing parents to work elsewhere in the building while their children are cared for nearby.

The opening represents a tangible milestone for one of Tacoma’s longest-running redevelopment projects. Built in 1893, the 80,000-square-foot building served as the center of Tacoma’s government for more than six decades. Its last tenant departed in 2008, leaving the prominent downtown landmark vacant and deteriorating.

Restoring it has involved far more than cosmetic work. The project’s first phase includes a seismic retrofit, a new elevator and replacement mechanical, electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling systems. Crews have also been preparing the second through fourth floors for offices, coworking businesses, restaurants and retail tenants.

The rest of Old City Hall is not reopening all at once. Renovation and tenant work remain underway, and the project’s next phase is planned for 2027. Current plans call for residential units, public event space, additional first-floor uses and rooftop access. The Tacoma Historical Society is also expected to offer exhibits and tours that include the building’s clock tower.

That makes the SheWorks opening less of a grand finale than the first convincing evidence that Old City Hall’s long-promised revival is becoming real. After years of shifting timelines and construction updates, one of Tacoma’s most recognizable buildings is once again being used—not simply preserved.

Read more about the project here.