Building owner seeks permit to demolish downtown Olympia’s Schoenfeld building

A redevelopment plan for the long-empty former Schoenfeld building in downtown Olympia might be around the corner now that a plan to demolish the building has emerged, according to the city.

The building at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Capitol Way was once home to two furniture businesses. Olympia Federal Savings, based at Fifth Avenue and Capitol Way, has owned the property since 2010, and now seeks to demolish it.

However, Olympia Federal on Wednesday didn’t divulge much about its ultimate goal for the property.

“We can’t design or make plans for the future until we know what we can do with the site,” spokesman Ryan Betz told The Olympian in an email. “Having a blank slate gives us more flexibility to create a building that will meet our business needs, both now and for years to come.”

The Olympian learned of the plan to demolish the property when the city’s Heritage Review Committee announced a special meeting to review the demolition permit application. That meeting is set for noon Monday at Olympia City Hall. The committee will review the permit proposal and make a recommendation to a city building official before the permit is issued, according to a news release.

If the building is demolished and a new project is pitched for the site, the project will come before the city’s Design Review Board and be subject to the state Environmental Policy Act. A new project also would be subject to review under the National Historic Preservation Act, according to city information.

The building is subject to review by the Heritage committee because the building falls within a historic district. It was built in 1950; it became home to Goldberg’s furniture store, followed by the Ken Schoenfeld furniture store. Olympia Federal bought the building in 2010, before Schoenfeld moved out and into warehouse space on Columbia Street. It has since closed.

Monday’s meeting of the Heritage Review Committee is open to the public, but public testimony will not be taken. Anyone with questions should contact Associate Planner Catherine McCoy at 360-570-3776 or cmccoy@ci.olympia.wa.us.

This story was originally published November 1, 2018 at 7:00 AM.