Proctor apartment project plans April opening after contentious development process

Debbie Cockrell

New apartments in Tacoma’s Proctor District are just months away from opening, complete with a new name.

Proctor Flats, the project formerly known as Proctor III, 3725 N. 27th St., is set to be “move in ready” in April, according to its listing on Apartments.com and the property’s Facebook page.

Construction, which started in fall 2021, continued as of Wednesday (Feb. 15.) It is the third Proctor apartment project from Gig Harbor-based The Rush Companies.

The online listing for the 95-unit, six-story building shows rents ranging from, $1,585 to $2,165 with studios under 300 square feet described as “micro studios” to larger one-bedroom units.

“Each home features quartz countertops, stackable washer & dryer, soft-close cabinetry, (luxury vinyl plank) flooring throughout, high end appliances and A/C ports in every home,” according to the listing. There is underground parking and ground-floor retail.

Views of Commencement Bay are available from some of the units.

According to a post Thursday (Feb. 16) on Facebook, the property offers video tours. The post also shared some interior views in its pre-leasing promotion.

Paperwork was submitted to the city this month for construction related to a coffee shop at the site, according to the city’s online permit portal.

The project is the third mixed-use Proctor development from Gig Harbor-based The Rush Companies, following Proctor Station and Madison25, both located along North Proctor Street. Proctor Flats is a block off the main thoroughfare.

The development was approved by Tacoma City Council for an eight-year multifamily property tax exemption in October 2019. Eight-year MFTEs do not require any rent-restricted units, allowing for all units to be market rate.

A sign outside a home adjacent to the Proctor III construction site reflects the previous battle with developers over the project. Photo taken Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021.
A sign outside a home adjacent to the Proctor III construction site reflects the previous battle with developers over the project. Photo taken Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021.

While city officials emphasized the need for all types of additional housing amid a shortage, the project was not universally welcomed by neighbors. Opponents contended the size of the project was out of scale with the surrounding homes and would add more traffic to side streets, among other issues. Signs demanding “a better project” were displayed in nearby yards.

A Pierce County Superior Court judge ultimately upheld the city’s approval of the project.

Since then, Tacoma City Council has changed elements of the city’s MFTE program, which took effect last year.

Among other things, the changes included eliminating use of the eight-year MFTE by developers in parts of the city designated “very high” opportunity based on the City’s Equity Index. Those areas include Proctor and Point Ruston.

For more information on Proctor Flats: proctorflats.com Facebook: facebook.com/ProctorFlatsApts/.

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