ID: AXO-TAC-702 DATE: 2026-01-30 LOCATION: Old City Hall District, 702 Broadway, Tacoma, WA ZONING_ZONE: DCC (Downtown Commercial Core) / Historic Special Review District
> QUERY: "Mixed live-work conversion for 702 Broadway; asbestos abatement and addition of vertical floors to 1914 historic structure."
1. REGULATORY SCAN (THE MUNDANE)
Agent performed a deep-dive on Tacoma Municipal Code (TMC) 13.06A (Downtown) and TMC 13.07 (Historic Preservation).
Constraint Identified: Under TMC 13.06.570, "Live/Work" units are permitted, but vertical additions to historic landmarks require Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) approval to ensure the "Secretary of the Interior's Standards" for rehabilitation are met.
The Conflict: Adding floors to a 1914 masonry building often triggers Unreinforced Masonry (URM) seismic retrofitting mandates under the International Existing Building Code (IEBC).
The Agentic Fix: Utilize the "Live/Work Development Flexibility" clause which allows up to 10% of new floor area to be added externally while being exempt from prescriptive design standards, provided it maintains the historic character. Proposed a "Lightweight Steel/CLT Penthouse" addition to minimize seismic load increase.
2. PHYSICAL & ENVIRONMENTAL
> HAZMAT DATA: Building age (1914) indicates high probability of Friable Asbestos in pipe insulation and floor mastic. A Good Faith Inspection (GFI) by an AHERA-certified inspector is legally required per WAC 296-62-07721 before any disturbance. > STRUCTURAL LOAD: Existing 3-story assembly. Addition of floors requires a "Substantial Alteration" seismic upgrade. Calculated purely for Mass Timber (CLT) to stay under the 10% weight-increase threshold that triggers full foundation replacement.