The Olympic View project included the acquisition by the City of Tacoma of 0.7 acres of upland and intertidal property bordering the 11.7 acres of state-owned adjacent aquatic lands lease site. The lease precludes use of the eelgrass areas by incompatible commercial or industrial activities. A portion of one of the buildings owned by the defunct Puget Sound Plywood Company, extending over private and state-owned intertidal lands, was removed to allow the re-establishment of a productive community of tidal species. In June through September 2002, concrete and wood pilings were removed, and contaminated sediments were excavated before backfilling with clean materials. The project goal is to protect and enhance nearshore eelgrass and intertidal habitat for an assemblage of aquatic species, in a manner consistent with low-impact public use and enjoyment of a shoreline and water areas.
Through the remedial process, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency managed the in-water work, which included the removal of dioxin-contaminated sediments and backfilling with clean sediments. The pilings were removed and the site prepared for the implementation of restoration activities, including softening the shoreline to enhance the intertidal habitat and to create a riparian buffer.