This project will complete the initial phase of the Thea Foss Waterway Public Esplanade which serves thousands of visitors annually on Tacoma's waterfront. It provides a 2.5 acres of much needed waterfront park space at the Southern end of the 1 1/2 mile waterway, providing esplanade walkways, benches, picnic areas, water access, small boat access, green space, landscaping, parking, etc. It is a part of the restoration of Tacoma's downtown waterfront. The esplanade, which provides continuous public access to the waterway fulfills the primary project objective of the Thea Foss Waterway Design and Development Plan as a part of the Shoreline Masterplan for Tacoma. The project serves the 10,000 people living within 1 mile of the project and thousands of more daily users who include workers, students, tourists and other visitors to the area attractions, with more than 3,000,000 attendance in the three nearby museums, the Washington State History Museum, Museum of Glass, the new Tacoma Art Museum, the 2000 students of the University of Washington Tacoma Campus, the Tacoma Dome, the Union Station, the Tacoma Dome Station Regional Transit Center, Link Light Rail, the proposed LeMay Car Museum, the new Tacoma Convention Center and the Thea Foss Waterway marinas. Significant residential growth in the area is projected at 2000 new units by 2010 in downtown Tacoma area.