City purchase of Griswold site may unlock it

No building in all of Olympia cries out more for intervention by the city than the burned-out shell that remains from the former Griswold office supply store.

A fire destroyed the business and building in 2004. All that’s developed there since is an eyesore.

It’s a good sign that the City Council moved last month to authorize steps for acquiring the property for an estimated $300,000, plus closing and other costs for testing.

Getting the site cleared and a new development underway could give spark to the entire block along East Fourth Avenue. Though we’d rather see private hands developing properties, the private sector has had ample time to act, and the city is within its rights to buy it.

The council approved a Community Renewal Area ordinance, adopted last year to deal with exactly this kind of troubled property that contributes to city blight. This burned hulk is a large part of why the city needed that law.

Cliff Lee now owns the building. He bought it in 2007 with high hopes, including for a possible performance space. He’s been unable to nail down financial backing.

The city would pay for a structural evaluation and environmental tests on the site to determine what hidden costs for the taxpayer may lurk in the form of pollution, a common problem for downtown sites.

City manager Steve Hall said the purchase could close in May or June if tests check out. He expects the city would issue a request for proposals from developers to see what kind of project ideas can be elicited.

Mayor Cheryl Selby says the city is not forcing the new owner to sell. She also said the Griswold building is the kind of low-amenity site that the CRA was intended to address in a bid to, as she put it, “unstick” troubled properties that sit unused.

This is a more-urgent target for city help than the Water Street block near the city fountain and Heritage Park, where developer Walker John and the city reached agreement recently for a redevelopment project. As Selby points out, the Water Street site has a lot going for it, including proximity to the isthmus, the city fountain, Heritage Park and views of Capitol Lake.

There is no way to know what level of interest developers may show for the Griswold site. But it makes sense to give a kick to an eyesore that has been in limbo for a decade.

If the price is right, and so far it appears to be below the assessed value, the Olympia City Council should proceed.

This story was originally published April 3, 2016 at 12:30 PM with the headline "City purchase of Griswold site may unlock it."