Got business with Thurston County? These offices will close soon so they can relocate
Some Thurston County offices will temporarily close through December as they relocate to a newly renovated building on Pacific Avenue in Olympia.
General government operations now at the Courthouse Complex on Lakeridge Drive will start moving to the Atrium, a 90,000-square-foot building at 3000 Pacific Avenue, next week. As a result, some public lobbies will be closed for a few days at a time.
“We understand this may cause disruptions for those seeking county services during the move. We just ask that you please be patient with staff as we move through this process and get back to serving the public as quickly and efficiently as possible,” County Manager Ramiro Chavez said.
In October 2021, the Board of County Commissioners voted 2-1 to lease The Atrium from a private owner. Plans for the move started taking shape in early 2021 after the county abandoned plans to build a new courthouse center in downtown Olympia.
Chavez previously said he hopes the move will temporarily help the county meet its pressing space needs and improve its aging courthouse complex.
“This provides the county with an option to expand the much-needed space for the law and justice system and allows time for us to develop a more permanent solution for the Courthouse Complex,” Chavez said.
The seven-year lease of The Atrium will cost the county between $1.5 million and $1.8 million, or $17.50 per square foot, and includes the option to extend the lease for three more years, according to the county.
Offices and departments that will make the move to The Atrium include the Board of County Commissioners, Assessor’s Office, Auditor’s Office, Treasurer’s Office, Community Planning and Economic Development and Public Works Development Review.
Additionally, Public Health and Social Services Environmental Health Permit Review, Central Services Administration and Accounting, Board of Equalization, Information Technology, Geodata and Human Resources will make the move.
After moving general government offices to The Atrium, the county plans to make improvements to the buildings at its courthouse complex. Eventually, the complex will be reconfigured into a law and justice center.
Building 1 will house the Clerk’s Office, Pre-Trial Services and the Criminal and Civil Divisions of the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Building 2 will house Superior Court, and Building 3 will house District Court.
Building 4 will include Public Defense, Drug Court and a Resource Hub. Lastly, the Sheriff’s Office will be based in Building 5 and 6.
Moving dates
The upcoming move to The Atrium will be staggered. Offices and departments generally are expected to pack and move on the last two working days of a given week, unpack on a Monday and open to the public on a Tuesday.
Though some offices will close, the county says online and telephone services will remain available.
The first offices to make the move will be Information Technology, Geodata and Human Resources. Those offices will close on Tuesday, Nov. 8 and reopen to the public at the Atrium on Tuesday Nov. 15.
Offices for Central Services and the Board of County Commissioners will close on Wednesday, Nov. 16 and reopen at The Atrium on Tuesday, Nov. 22.
Notably, the county says the board will continue to hold public meetings at the Courthouse Complex, Building 1, Room 280, through the end of the year. All board meetings will be held at The Atrium in 2023.
Next, the Auditor’s and Treasurer’s courthouse complex offices will close on Monday, Nov. 21 and reopen Tuesday, Nov. 29. This move should not affect election or voter services activities conducted by the Auditor’s Office, according to the county.
The Election Ballot Processing Center is located off-campus at 2905 29th Ave. SW in Tumwater. Likewise, the Elections Voter Services office is at 2400 Evergreen Park Drive SW in Olympia.
The main courthouse complex has housed the Auditor’s licensing, recording and administration office. Meanwhile, its Financial Services office has been located nearby at 929 Lakeridge Drive SW.
On Wednesday, Nov. 30, the Assessor’s Office and Board of Equalization will close at the courthouse complex. They will reopen to the public at The Atrium on Tuesday, Dec. 6.
Lastly, the offices of Community Planning and Economic Development as well as Environmental Health will close on Wednesday, Dec. 7, and reopen at The Atrium on Tuesday, Dec. 13.
