Photos
Olympia building official Tom Hill said the building at 529 Fourth Ave. W., which has been broken into repeatedly, is filled with used syringes, feces, spoiling food and animal waste.
“Under the local city ordinances, this building clearly meets the definition of being a public nuisance, meets the definition of being an unsafe structure and meets the definition of a structure” that is “unfit for human occupancy,” he said.
He has drafted a letter ordering for the building to be demolished, but he said he’s waiting to send it until he can determine who holds title to the building on the downtown isthmus.
The Thurston County assessor lists the owner as Capital Shores Investments LLC, which bought the building from Capital Center LLC for $1.285 million in 2003.
Capital Shores also has been the owner of record of the old Housing Authority of Thurston County building, next door at 505 Fourth Ave. W. The developer intended to build the controversial development Larida Passage on the two properties, with twin condominium towers there as tall as 90 feet that would have 141 high-end condos, offices, retail space and parking.
It’s unclear whether Capital Shores is the legal owner. First-Citizens Bank & Trust Co. moved in December 2010 to foreclose on the two properties, saying Capital Shores owes the bank more than $2.48 million. But Capital Shores filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March, postponing a foreclosure auction.
Capital Shores Investments LLC includes Tri Vo, a local developer who owns Triway Enterprises, which had been marketing the project. Triway, which filed for bankruptcy last year, did not return a phone call seeking comment.
Occupy Olympia demonstrators moved into the building Friday morning hours before they were evicted from their camp at Heritage Park. They said they wanted to use the building as a community center to offer social services.
They left voluntarily after police cited one of the occupiers for trespassing. City Manager Steve Hall said the protesters were not responsible for the mess inside the building.
The city then boarded up the building and secured it as best it can, Hill said. Electricity to the building was cut.
“The bottom line is, please stay out,” Hill said. “It’s not a safe structure to be in.”
Matt Batcheldor: 360-704-6869
mbatcheldor@theolympian.com
