A campaign to stop the demolition of a historic Tacoma church is getting closer to hitting a major fundraising goal. The group, Save Tacoma’s Landmark Church, says it received a $1 million gift to help repair Holy Rosary Catholic Church.
Members hope the gesture will convince the Archbishop of Seattle to reverse the decision to tear it down.
The Tacoma church, which is a prominent landmark, was closed last year after a piece of sheetrock fell from the ceiling. Jonathan Carp is a board member with the group trying to save the church.
“This shows that the community cares deeply about Holy Rosary, and that the archdiocese was mistaken in its assessment of what the resources were to preserve the church,” Carp said. “We hope they’ll listen. But we have no guarantees.”
Carp says the group still needs to raise about $500,000 to reach its goal of $2 million. That’s how much it will cost to safely reopen the church. The total price tag of renovating the building is much higher. It’s unclear when the archbishop will decide whether to halt the planned demolition.
