Thee companies, Haub Brothers Enterprises Trust, Nearon Enterprises/Waterway Properties and Williams and Dame, have been selected to compete to construct a mixed-use development that utilizes all or parts of Sites 4 and 5 along the waterway. Site 4 has about 65,000 sf available. Public utilities and street improvements are stubbed out to the west side of the property. Public construction of the waterfront esplanade is complete on the east side. The site is a 500-foot walk to the Chihuly Bridge of Glass, which connects the waterfront to Downtown Tacoma. The west side of the pedestrian bridge is across the street from the University of Washington Tacoma campus and one of the light rail stations (opening 2003) along Pacific Avenue.

Site 5 also boasts about 65,000 sf of developable space. Don Meyer, executive director of the Thea Foss Waterway Development Authority tells GlobeSt.com it is a signature site along the waterway with convenient access to the Tacoma Convention Center (opening 2004), the new Tacoma Art Museum (opening 2003) and the downtown business core.

"We're coming from the observation that great cities have great waterfronts," Meyer says. "These sites that are being offered for development are part of a master-planned community, with the anchor tenant for the community being the Museum of Glass. Public infrastructure is in place. These sites are being offered during an exciting time."