Olympia wants someone to turn its oldest building into historical space
Olympia planning officials want to find someone to turn the old City Hall and Fire building, the oldest building in the city’s portfolio, into a historical space.
Built in 1912, the structure is located at 108 State Ave. NW. And it’s fairly big, sitting at nearly 15,000 square feet. It was most recently home to the Family Support Center under city ownership, before the organization moved to a larger campus.
The site has a long-standing history, having served as the City Hall and Fire Department for more than 50 years. Before that, it was the site of a livery stable, and possibly a form of housing, according to the Olympia Historical Society. And before that, the site was likely used or inhabited by Indigenous people.
The Olympia City Council met Feb. 28 and approved plans to move forward on drafting a Request for Proposal in hopes of partnering with someone or an organization to highlight the history and more. Economic Development Director Mike Reid said he’d like to have a partner chosen by the council before the end of the year.
The building is currently vacant and used now and then during extreme weather events as a warming or cooling center. It’s not really being used to its full potential. The idea is that “reactivating” this building would liven up the downtown intersection and bring more people to the area.
“We don’t want to see something go into that building that could just be in any old strip mall anywhere in the USA,” Reid said.
But the city can’t take on the project on its own because it’s too expensive.
The property and lease valuation in 2019 was $2.2 million, and it has grown to $4.3 million since then. On top of that, the building needs a good amount of updates. It was estimated in 2019 there’s $1.5 million in maintenance needed, including to the HVAC system, plumbing, interior and exterior finishes, as well as the possibility of switching from natural gas to all-electric power.
Reid said he imagines that the price tag for maintenance has gone up since 2019.
Reid said this information will be provided to those interested in getting involved in the project, along with much more. The city will also include the historical information of the building and the parameters for what can be done with it.
“You can add historically accurate elements to the building but we wouldn’t be adding a bunch of neon signs and modern finishes to the exterior of the building,” he said.
The council can choose to sell the property with a contingency that it’s used as a historic and active space. If it isn’t, the property would go back to the city, Reid said.
Council member Jim Cooper said he wanted to make it clear the city can’t afford to own the building and maintain it long term alone. A partnership is needed, even if it means creating a 100-year lease to ensure the partner holds true to the purpose of the building, he said.
The information packet will also include tenant expenses such as rent, average utility fees, parking locations and rates, taxes and more. There currently isn’t any dedicated parking for the building.
Lastly, the background information will include the city’s Downtown Strategy to building community partnerships and economic vitality, as well as the importance of building partnerships with other local businesses and nonprofits. Reid said he’s already heard from several local community groups, such as the Arts and Heritage Alliance and the Olympia Historical Society, who are interested in the future use of the building.
The Request for Proposal will include four criteria for submission, Reid said. They are proposed use of the space, their plan for operating the space, their qualifications and ability to pay for things as needed, and proposed transaction. That includes how long of a lease they’re looking for or whether they’re looking to own.
Mayor Selby said she’s been talking for years about how the city doesn’t really have an accessible history museum. There’s the Bigelow House, but it isn’t in the downtown core where more traffic is and could be. She joked that even the city of Lacey has a history museum, and she’s older than the city. Lacey became an incorporated community in 1966.
.jpg)