A redevelopment plan has been crafted by a private consultant – a plan that will serve as the foundation for an action plan that should be completed by year’s end. That plan, with long-term and short-term goals, will prompt zoning changes and comprehensive plan amendments to pave the way for development of the vacant brewery property once the economy improve and investors are looking for projects again.
The lingering economic recession is both a blessing and a curse for the City of Tumwater. It’s a blessing because it gives city officials the opportunity to create a vision for the property, and get all the planning and zoning changes worked out in a thoughtful manner that involves a lot of input from the public.
The economic downturn is a curse because it means that it’s going to be some time before dirt gets moved and buildings are rehabilitated. South Sound residents may grow impatient as the time from vision to reality stretches on.
But it’s important that city officials get this right. It may take a quarter of a century to have the brewery property redeveloped and put to good use. But the recession gives the City Council the opportunity to do it right and allow council members to be precise in their work.
City officials used a $90,000 grant to hire Lorig Associates, a Seattle-based consulting firm, to do community outreach and development a conceptual plan for the 175 acres of former Olympia Brewing Co. property that straddles Capitol Boulevard and is adjacent to the Deschutes River in the heart of the city.
While the City of Tumwater does not own the property, city officials play a pivotal role because they can shape the future of the site through zoning and land-use regulations. Right now, the property is zoned for heavy industrial use, but that zoning is unrealistic and undoubtedly will be changed.
The consultants were charged with the duty to answer the question of how the property should be transformed. Key to shaping that vision was the solicitation of public opinion.
We were delighted that Lorig’s public meetings and calls for citizen input drew more than 700 comments. We salute those Tumwater residents who made the most of the opportunity and took the time to share their views on the future of the brewery property.
Not surprisingly, the recession and its impact loomed large in the consultant’s final report. The lack of investment capital is a significant financial hurdle for a mixed-use development that should include public spaces too, the consultants said. A weak market demand, availability of alternative locations, rental rates, construction costs and the fact that a portion of the property sits in a flood plain pose “significant financial impediments to future private development of the site,” according to the findings.
Even with those hurdles, a public/private partnership can be a success in transforming the vacant warehouse and brewing building into something special, the consultants said.
Members of the public said they want the city to be proactive. A majority of those commenting said they want a moderate or aggressive plan where the city offers tax incentives for development and puts tax dollars into development of the infrastructure. That makes sense.
We especially liked the consultant’s recommendation that a public task force be created to act as an advocate for the project and keep the community involved.
Now it’s up to the Tuwmater City Council to move the visioning forward by creating the action plan, setting goals and ushering zoning and planning changes through the public process.
“This is going to lay out here’s how we’re moving forward and capture some of that energy people have had during the process,” said City Administrator John Doan.
It’s a positive next step. It is Doan’s responsibility and that of the City Council to keep the momentum going and put zoning and land use plans in place so when the economy finally turns around and investors are identified, new life can be breathed into the abandoned brewery property.
