Luzon Building in danger of collapse

Photo by john larson

EMINENT DANGER. City officials have serious concerns that the Luzon Building will collapse, posing a threat to anyone in the vicinity should that occur. (Below) Bricks on the exterior walls show obvious signs of decay.

The Luzon Building in downtown Tacoma is in eminent danger of collapse, according to a report by engineers who assessed its condition last month. The Tacoma engineering firm Swenson Say Faget supplied the city with a report, which was provided to city staff and members of Tacoma City Council.

Employees of the firm made observations of the building from the interior and exterior on June 22 and 24. The firm has been involved with the owners of the building, Tacoma real estate developer The Gintz Group, and included information from prior inspections in the report.

The Luzon is six stories tall, with 34,000 square feet of interior space. It sits at the intersection of South 13th Street and Pacific Avenue.

The report stated the stairs from the Commerce Street entrance to the mezzanine have collapsed, and thus the engineers could not access the mezzanine.

Part of the floor at the Commerce Street level has collapsed, and floor joists have pulled away from the wall and fallen into the mezzanine.

They found extensive water damage at the roof level, from rain getting in through the skylights. They found several rotted beams.

The fourth floor is collapsing, according to the report.

At the Pacific Avenue level, much of the floor has collapsed.

On the exterior walls, the engineers discovered some of the mortar can be scraped away with a knife. Some of the bricks are chipped and broken due to exposure to the elements.

The report noted that city engineers examined the north wall and found it to be leaning toward South 13th Street.

“The Luzon Building is currently in a state of progressive collapse, in that the framing members in these areas have lost structural integrity, and are collapsing without additional external forces being applied,” the report stated.

“Another concern is the sudden collapse of the building,” it continued. “The Luzon Building, in its current condition, is a life safety hazard. We recommend that the north exterior wall of the building be braced against collapse as soon as possible.”

City Manager Eric Anderson discussed the report during the council’s study session on July 7. He mentioned efforts by The Gintz Group to renovate the building, which had an estimated cost of $8 million. The developer recently put the building up for sale. Anderson said the inspection was done based on a complaint about the building.

Anderson noted The Gintz Group also received a copy of the report. He wants the developer to come up with a plan of action to stabilize the building, or else the city will order the Luzon to be demolished.

“Public safety requires us to act,” he declared. “We are about to lose that building. And about is not in six months. About means very soon.”

Mayor Bill Baarsma asked if there is anything the city can do. Anderson said there is not much at this point. “We have gone as far as we can, as has the owner,” he replied.

Anderson said South 13th Street may need to be blocked off for safety reasons, in case the Luzon does collapse.

Councilmember Connie Ladenburg mentioned seeing pictures taken by the engineers. “I do not think there is one square inch of that building that is solid.”

The Luzon was built in 1890. It was designed by noted architects Daniel Burnham and John Root of Chicago.

It has served numerous functions, including a bank headquarters, Chinese restaurant and home to the Fun Circus amusement center. It has been vacant for many years. Its slow deterioration is perhaps best noted by the tree growing out of its northern wall, a feature that has made Councilmember Rick Talbert to refer to it jokingly as “Tacoma’s first green building” on several occasions.

Earlier this decade a developer proposed converting the Luzon into an upscale hotel, a plan that never materialized. The Gintz Group, a family business headed by CEO Dave Gintz, had hoped to renovate it as office space for the firm on one floor and additional office space that would be leased to other tenants.

Baarsma lamented the current state of what he considers a building with strong ties to Tacoma’s past. He mentioned the demolition several years ago of Municipal Dock along Thea Foss Waterway, which became necessary due to severe damage caused by an earthquake in 2001. “This would be a more tragic loss,” he remarked.

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