Plan filed for brewery parcels

A self-storage business, possibly with a car wash, has been proposed for two former Olympia brewery parcels off Cleveland Avenue in Tumwater, according to a feasibility application on file with Tumwater Development Services.

The development proposal is the first to be filed for any of the nine brewery parcels that were put up for sale this year, Tumwater Development Services planning manager Chris Carlson said.

The development plan has been proposed by John O'Connell of Shamrock Storage LLC of Olympia, who met with city officials, including Carlson, on Thursday to discuss his proposal.

O'Connell is considering two ideas. One is to build seven, two-story self-storage buildings on the property; the other is to build four, two-story self-storage buildings with a drive-through car wash. After the one-hour meeting with city officials, O'Connell said he has the brewery parcels under contract, which allows him to explore development ideas for the property. He has not bought the land and still is negotiating a purchase price, he said.

O'Connell said he is considering a self-storage facility because he feels it would be a good fit for the area. His development options are limited because the land is zoned for light industrial use, he said.

Troy Dana, senior vice president and managing director of the Olympia office of Colliers International, could not be reached Thursday.

Colliers has been marketing the 130-acre brewery property for owner Barney Ng since May and offered the property for sale in two phases.

A buyout phase ran from Aug. 15 to Sept. 24, followed by a bid process that concluded Oct. 10.

One unidentified buyer offered nearly $1 million for two parking lots north of Custer Way during the buyout phase, but that deal unraveled after the buyer was unable to secure financing, Dana told The Olympian this month. The brewery property also received a number of bids from prospective buyers, but many withdrew their bids because of the slower economy, he said.

This is not the first time that O'Connell has shown interest in brewery property.

O'Connell is the past owner of the RS&T Cellars/Cooling tower, a five-story warehouse that was used by the former brewery at 240 Custer Way S.W. Thurston County assessor records show that O'Connell sold the building last year to a company called 240 Custer Way LLC. O'Connell said Thursday that the RS&T building wouldn't accommodate a planned self-storage business there.

Rolf Boone is a business reporter for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5403 or rboone@theolympian.com.