Thurston commissioners continue to debate major property expansion
Progress on two potential property expansions may be furthered along by the Thurston County board of commissioners on Tuesday.
After a June 22 public hearing, the board decided 2-1 on Thursday to move forward with considering amendments to the budget and capital improvement program.
The amendments include preparations for leasing the 90,000-square-foot Atrium building at 3000 Pacific Ave. in Olympia and purchasing the Mottman Complex at the intersection of Ferguson Street Southwest and 29th Ave. in Tumwater. These two properties could go a long way towards meeting the county’s persistence space needs.
Though the county has yet to decide whether to lease the Atrium, the budget amendment may set aside $7 million for tenant improvements. If approved, the lease would last seven years.
With this lease, the county may set in motion a plan to reorganize its offices. County Manager Ramiro Chavez previously told the Olympian that general government offices would move to the Atrium while the main campus would turn into a law and justice center under this plan.
The county is also preparing to purchase the Mottman Complex at the intersection of Ferguson Street Southwest and 29th Ave. in Tumwater. The budget amendment will set aside $5.6 million for this purchase.
Auditor Mary Hall has advocated for this purchase as it would allow her to meet urgent space needs, consolidate some of her staff and secure the facility ahead of the next presidential election cycle.
Action on a letter of intent for the owner of the Atrium project has repeatedly stalled in recent weeks. The board may consider the matter again on Tuesday, according to a draft of their meeting agenda.
However, simply approving the amendment to the capital improvement program will not commit the county to leasing the property, said assistant county manager Robin Campbell.
“Should the board take that out or even if you were to leave it in, we would not spend the money until you gave a greenlight to do so,” Campbell said to the board on Thursday.
The purchase of the Mottman Complex is more likely to happen as the board has previously approved it. Campbell said the county is already in a contract to purchase the complex.
“That is planned to close on June 30,” Campbell said to the board. “So, unless the board directs me to pull out of that real estate agreement, we will be spending the $5.6 million.”
On Thursday, commissioners Tye Menser and Carolina Mejia said they are inclined to support for the Atrium project if they can be assured the county can afford it.
Menser said he felt comfortable adding the Atrium project to the capital improvement program because it will allow them to continue considering it.
“I still have to be convinced that the necessary tenant improvements to make our offices and departments work well fit within the financial means that we have,” Menser said. “We’re hopeful we can get there.”
However, commissioner Gary Edwards once again expressed his opposition to the project on Thursday. He said he thinks the emergence of telework has created uncertainty around the county’s space needs.
“I believe that the whole Atrium project is premature activity that we should not be going down the road at this point in time,” Edwards said.
Mejia said she thinks the Atrium project will help the county meet its long overdue space needs while also allowing for the improvement of the main campus.
“Since 1997, we have not accomplished anything and things have just gotten more expensive,” Mejia said. “It doesn’t matter what the situation brings, it doesn’t matter if there’s a recession, still the need for space is there.”
The budget amendment will also include funding for pandemic grants and costs associated with the State V. Blake Supreme Court ruling, the Olympian previously reported.
This story was originally published June 28, 2021 at 5:45 AM.
