Thurston County to develop $35M buildings in downtown Olympia. Here’s the latest
Thurston County officials hope to move the Superior and District courts to downtown Olympia by the end of 2028.
The courts are expected to move into two buildings located at 621 Eighth Ave. SE. The buildings are part of a 7-acre campus the county bought in October for $34.9 million.
If all goes according to plan, the courts will leave behind the dilapidated courthouse campus at 2000 Lakeridge Dr. SW. Such a move would mark a major milestone in the county’s years-long effort to meet its growing space needs and provide a better working environment for the people who staff its offices and departments. About six months after closing on the downtown property, The Olympian asked the county to share its timeline for the campus.
County spokesperson Susan Melnyk said the county expects to complete a design phase for the two buildings, referred to as buildings 1 and 2, in 2027. Construction work is slated to be completed by fall 2028, and the courts are expected to move in by the end of 2028, she added.
“To honor both Superior and District Courts, consideration for use of the other buildings was on hold until the Board approved moving forward with using buildings one and two for the courts. Planning for the other buildings will begin soon,” Melnyk said in an emailed statement.
In addition to the courts, county officials plan to move the county clerk, the Sheriff’s Office and potentially more “justice-related services” to buildings one and two, Melnyk said.
Eventually, county officials intend to centralize offices and departments at the downtown property. That means the county will someday vacate The Atrium, its administrative headquarters at 3000 Pacific Ave. SE in east Olympia.
“Planning for office space is less intensive than adaptive reuse for courtrooms, which could mean some offices or departments move into the other buildings concurrently or before the courts in buildings one and two are complete,” Melnyk said.
On March 31, the Board of County Commissioners directed Central Services to conclude a feasibility study period for the so-called “Thurston County Regional Justice Center.”
The board then directed Central Services to issue a request for qualifications for professional consulting services related to the “design, space planning and adaptive reuse” of the Justice Center and the associated campus.
“The majority of the work will be focused on buildings one and two, with the flexibility to engage the selected consulting services on items related to the other buildings on the campus as needed,” Melnyk said.
County officials estimate the “adaptive reuse” of buildings one and two will cost around $15 million, Melnyk said.
“The design phase will provide more detail on actual costs,” Melnyk said. “The County will be diligent in monitoring the design work to ensure it stays within available resources.”
So far, the county has spent $34.9 million to buy the downtown property and $50,000 on the feasibility study.
A large portion of the project is being funded by a $50 million bond the county issued in 2022, Melnyk said. County officials also hope to use money generated from the future sale of the county-owned properties at its Lakeridge Drive campus, she said.
The county is also relying on money from the Washington state Legislature and actively seeking “more funding opportunities,” she added.
On March 31, the county officials announced the state Legislature earmarked $500,000 for the county’s new Justice Center.
“We’re pursuing every state and federal dollar available to support our community,” County Commissioner Carolina Mejia said in a news release. “By sharing Thurston County’s story across the state, we’re building a strong network of partnerships — from labor and the Attorney General’s Office to the State Bar Association and our legislative delegation.”
The Justice Center project is moving forward during a challenging financial period for the county. The board approved a 2026-2027 budget in December that included cuts across offices and departments. The cuts came in response to a $36 million deficit in the county’s general fund for 2026.
“Counties are in a unique position – our state and federal government require us to implement certain regulations locally – so we’re responsible for providing services that do not necessarily come with the funding needed to support them,” County Manager Leonard Hernandez said in the release.
The board plans to preserve the general fund by relying on grants to help fund various projects, including the Justice Center, the release states. So far, the general fund has not been tapped to pursue the Justice Center.
