Olympia arts community thrilled at possibilities offered by city acquisition of Armory

The city of Olympia has received a big present: the Olympia Armory.

The Washington state budget, which Gov. Jay Inslee signed May 18, directs the state Military Department to transfer ownership of the building to the city for use as an arts center.

“For 30 years, the community has been raising the idea of an arts center,” said Stephanie Johnson of the city’s Parks, Arts & Recreation Department. “For the first time, we have the opportunity to make that happen.”

Artists and art organizations are greeting the news with jubilation. Among those who’ve expressed interest in the space are the Olympia Symphony Orchestra, Harlequin Productions, Arbutus Folk School, The Bridge Music Project and Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia.

“We’re so excited about the Armory,” said Helen Harvester of Harlequin Productions. “There is a need for both rehearsal and live performance spaces in Olympia, and this new option will be a boon to everyone in the arts community.”

Visual artists also are abuzz about the possibilities, envisioning a gallery as well as studio space and classrooms.

“Olympia has a national reputation for the arts — visual, performance, music, poetry, film — that is all but hidden from view,” said Doyle Fanning, an artist who’s been involved for many years in efforts to create space for art. “Olympia has all this talent just waiting to be tapped.”

If the planned acquisition is a milestone, though, it’s also one more step in a long and multilayered process.

The Washington Military Department has until May 30, 2023, to give Olympia the armory at 515 Eastside St. SE, although the transfer could happen much sooner, said Paul Simmons, director of Olympia’s Parks, Arts & Recreation Department.

Meanwhile, the city needs to decide how to use the space to advance the arts, build community, offer arts education and support economic development. Simmons expects to have a firm under contract by early July to begin work on a design and business plan for the property, which the city is calling a creative campus.

Input from everyone in the community is welcome at Engage Olympia, which also has information about past studies and proposals for the future.

“We want to make sure the doors are open for everyone to share their ideas and share the possibilities,” Simmons told The Olympian. “That way, we can all dream together.”

Already, far more ideas have been suggested than could fit in the 41,160-square-foot armory and the 9,700-square-foot outbuilding.

The space could hold studios and workshops with equipment for anything from woodworking to digital media, classrooms, or offices for nonprofits. The campus could include housing for people with low incomes and/or work-live space for artists. The 10,000-square-foot gym could host concerts, festivals and art fairs. It could also serve as an incubator for arts-related startups.

“At this point, all options are on the table,” Simmons said.

Deciding how to use the space is just one piece of the planning process. The city also needs to decide how to manage the building and consider how to balance accessibility with the aim to generate enough revenue to cover ongoing costs of running and maintaining the center.

And while work on a long-term plan is underway, the city also will be looking at ways to use the space in the short term, perhaps for classes or community meetings.

“There’s a group that plays basketball in the gym during the lunch hour,” Simmons said. “We would probably be open to allowing that group to stay in there until we redevelop.”

This story was originally published May 31, 2021 at 5:00 AM.