Seattle - Greater Tacoma Foundation Call for Forterra Resignations

A recently obtained letter reveals further fallout from the Snoqualmie Tribe’s exposing the Seattle-based land conservancy Forterra of misleading the tribe and the federal government in obtaining a grant worth up to $20 million.

Last week, 78 Forterra staff members issued a letter expressing their support for Snoqualmie Tribe risking their careers. Now, LRI has obtained by the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation that calls for the, “Replace[ment] (of) Forterra’s executive team with an experienced team that can restore trust with partners.”

The letter further states, “Communications to the Hilltop community and recent letters from the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, Forterra’s CEO, and former Forterra employees reveal misrepresentation and plans that were never intended to be delivered on to begin with. Forterra’s challenges with the Hilltop development are not an anomaly as Forterra has struggled with related challenges in your work with Africatown, the Darrington Wood Innovation Center, the Metropole building, and Wadajir, to name a few.

Given all that has unfolded and transpired in recent months, we do not have confidence in Forterra’s executive team and their ability to deliver on the commitments, timeline, budget, and other parameters that have been shared with us and the broader community. For Forterra to continue to convey otherwise is misrepresentation and even worse, is yet another set of promises to the Hilltop and Tacoma’s Black community that is going unfulfilled.

We urge Forterra’s Board of Directors to take the following actions ....

3. Place the Hilltop development into the hands of developers with proven pre-construction, mixed use experience who can deliver Housing on the Hilltop, for the Hilltop in an accelerated time frame.

4. Replace Forterra’s executive team with an experienced team that can restore trust with partners."

For more information go here