Thursday, October 1, 2026
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At recent Port of Olympia meetings, the conversation has focused on how to make the waterfront “pay for itself.” Commissioners have talked about ensuring that redevelopment is “profit-based” and that land must be put to its “highest and best use.”
Those phrases sound responsible. But if we look around the state — and the nation — the communities that have truly prospered did so by thinking bigger. They invested in people, place, and public life.
Every successful waterfront redevelopment in Washington has combined public investment with civic purpose. Seattle’s new waterfront park and promenade transformed a noisy viaduct into a magnet for people, business, and tourism. Spokane reclaimed its riverfront and turned a once-industrial landscape into one of the most beloved civic spaces in the Pacific Northwest.
Neither of those cities demanded that the projects “turn a profit.” They saw them as engines of economic vitality — places that would attract new businesses, events, and visitors while improving quality of life for residents.
That is real economic development: creating value that multiplies through the community.
Oklahoma City offers perhaps the most inspiring example. In the 1990s, the city faced stagnation and decline. Residents voted to invest in themselves through a 1-cent temporary sales tax dedicated to capital improvements — the “MAPS” program (Metropolitan Area Projects). Its third phase, MAPS 3, funded eight major projects with roughly $777 million raised between 2010 and 2017, all debt-free.
The crown jewel is Scissortail Park: 70 acres of public space linking downtown to the Oklahoma River. The park features ornamental gardens, a lake, a playground, sports courts, fountains, a seasonal roller rink, a restaurant, and a performance lawn. It opened in 2019 with a three-day celebration and is now managed by a local foundation.
Scissortail Park didn’t just beautify downtown — it transformed the city’s economy. Surrounding neighborhoods have filled with new housing and small businesses. The convention center and arena next door now anchor a thriving entertainment district. Visitors and residents alike call it the city’s “front yard.”
What’s remarkable is that this wasn’t a speculative development or a private-sector windfall. It was a community’s decision to invest in shared space — and it worked.
Olympia’s waterfront could be our Scissortail Park. The land is already ours. The question is not whether it can make money, but what kind of prosperity we want to create.
Imagine a shoreline where families stroll from downtown to the Farmers Market and beyond; where children play beside restored tidal wetlands; where local musicians perform on summer evenings; where residents gather for markets, festivals, and civic events.
A waterfront park and cultural district could anchor new local businesses and year-round activity. It would expand the downtown economy and provide space for everyone, not just a few tenants behind fences or paywalls.
Some people may claim that a port isn’t allowed to build parks or public spaces — but state law says otherwise.
In other words: Washington law explicitly empowers ports to help create great waterfronts.
Our port already has the legal tools to remake the peninsula into a public asset that draws people, activity, and investment.
Climate change adds urgency to this vision. Large parts of the port peninsula are projected to be vulnerable to sea-level rise within two decades. Instead of doubling down on heavy infrastructure or speculative buildings that will later require expensive protection, Olympia could lead by design: integrating shoreline restoration, floodable open space, and nature-based resilience into a public waterfront plan.
This approach is not anti-economic — it’s future-proof. Parks, trails, and wetlands absorb water and draw people; they increase nearby property values and create sustainable, low-maintenance economic activity.
Port leaders often speak of promoting economic development and environmental stewardship. These are not opposing goals. They converge in projects like Scissortail Park, which demonstrate that thoughtful design can generate prosperity while protecting ecological systems.
A well-designed public waterfront can attract new investment, expand the tax base, and enhance quality of life — all while advancing climate resilience and social equity. That’s far more effective–and far more enduring–than a handful of short-term leases for warehouses or condos.
A waterfront that reflects Olympia
Olympia’s identity has always been rooted in its setting — the South Sound, the forests, and the creative spirit of its people. The waterfront should reflect that character: accessible, green, artistic, and welcoming.
The Port of Olympia has the chance to lead a transformation that matches our values and our moment. The same public vision that gave us the Farmers Market, Percival Landing, and the Hands On Children’s Museum could now give us a world-class waterfront park — a civic space that pays dividends for generations.
The lesson from Oklahoma City is simple: when a community invests in itself, prosperity follows. When it limits its imagination to what can turn a quick profit, opportunity slips away.
Olympia’s future prosperity will not come from the “highest and best use” of real estate — it will come from the highest and best use of imagination.
Ronda Larson Kramer is a local attorney with a master's degree in urban planning.
A version of this guest opinion first appeared in Works in Progress.
Editor's note: Ronda Larson Kramer and other individuals are currently engaged in a lawsuit involving the Port of Olympia's plans for the Olympia Airport.
The opinions expressed above are those of the writers and not necessarily those of The JOLT's staff or board of directors. Got something to say about a topic of interest to Thurston County residents? Send it to us and we’ll most likely publish it. Click here to email to us.
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JnNwmn
Wonderful vision for the residents of Thurston County, and visitors. Taxpayers would be alot happier if their money went to this vision. Our new commissioners enjoined the electorate with suggestions of the Port working for the residents of Thurston County.
Friday, December 5, 2025 Report this
chrispc2u
A 1960s Monterey Pop California vibe level to attract major talent performers with the beauty of downtown Olympia as a backdrop. Lots of surrounding natural beauty here to showcase and capitalize on. As long as the local government keeps up with the maintenance, traffic design demands to accommodate it.
Friday, December 5, 2025 Report this
Tanker1982
A magnificent idea! But, change current tax priorities to make this happen. No new tax.
Friday, December 5, 2025 Report this
JulesJames
I Google-Mapped Scissortail Park. The Oklahoma City Convention Center, multiple hotels, the arena where the OKC Thunder play and the historic train depot are all across the street. Oklahoma City is almost the same size as Seattle. The Port of Olympia's peninsula isn't comparable to Scissortail Park. My values want Port facilities to encourage commerce, industry and transportation, not tourism. Your values are your values, not our values. An amphitheater competing for acts with Marymoor Park, Climate Pledge Arena, White River Amphitheater and the Emerald Queen? If the Port is losing pennies now, under this plan it soon will be losing Benjamins.
Friday, December 5, 2025 Report this
johnvaneenwyk
Excellent! Very well articulated. For years we have been pleading with the Port to consider its location in downtown Olympia, primarily that creating a park on the peninsula would enhance the local business district by attracting people, as well as providing a beautiful, natural environment for all to enjoy.
However, the Port seems blinded to those possibilities. Fortunately, it does sometimes recognize the folly of its ideas. Remember their plan to build a “boutique hotel” in between the lumberyard and the sewage treatment plant? That about sums up the Port’s vision.
So, let’s keep at it. The momentum is shifting, as can be seen from the recent Port Commissioner elections. The public simply does not support the Port’s grandiose plans.
Saturday, December 6, 2025 Report this
LaceyQueen
Yup. Always good judgement: https://newstalkkit.com/key-player-in-prisoners-early-release-resigns-state-post/
Saturday, December 6, 2025 Report this
RondaLarsonKramer
Scissortail Park in Oklahoma City is just one example of these types of redevelopments of formerly industrial waterfronts. Bringing people back to the waterfront has been a trend for decades.
Other examples:
--Jurong Lake Gardens in Singapore, featuring a large nature-inspired playground (rope courses, climbing logs, balancing challenges), manmade water play area where kids can enjoy a “water-beach” experience, a substantial skatepark, a bouldering wall/parkour wall, outdoor fitness options, water-based recreation (kayaking, dragon-boating, pedal-boating, canoeing), wheelchair-accessible scenic nature paths, therapeutic garden (designed for people with special needs, featuring sensory paths, accessible playgrounds, wheelchair-friendly areas, scented plants, and interactive features that encourage engagement with nature), grasslands, wetlands, swamp forest (many native and migratory birds find refuge here), cafes;
--Kungstradgarden in Stockholm, featuring a stage, fountains, sculptures, statues, outdoor cafes, ice-skating rink in winter, promenades lined with trees, open lawns;
--River Rhine Promenade in Duesseldorf--a paved path along the Rhine that provides access to boat tours on the Rhine, beer gardens, walking/jogging routes, festival space;
--Harborpark in Kenosha, WI, featuring a “Sculpture Walk” public art trail for walking/biking, boating, promenades, festival space.
--Spokane’s Riverfront Park, featuring bridges with views of the river and falls, an antique carousel, and downtown skyline, "Ice Age Floods Playground" (~40,000 sq ft, with waterfall, a fossil-dig “mammoth bone”, and rock-climbing boulder), the Numerica Skate Ribbon (a 700-foot-plus ribbon that’s used for rollerskating/scootering/skateboarding in warmer months and for ice skating in winter and includes fire pits for warming up), connections to regional trails, sculpture walks, and festival space;
--Seattle’s Waterfront Park, featuring a long park promenade/boardwalk, bike lanes, a playground with a 25-foot “jellyfish” climbing sculpture and tube slide, open lawns and flexible green spaces for picnics/events;
--NYC’s Little Island Park, featuring an amphitheater, multiple lawns, gardens, scenic overlooks, panoramic vantage points, food & drink concessions, seating areas;
--Chicago’s Lakefront Path, featuring an 18-mile walk/jog/bike path, access to public beaches, playgrounds, open lawns, and recreation zones;
--Tom Lee Park in Memphis, featuring shaded courts for basketball/other recreational activities, a large nature-inspired playground, lawns, paths, sculptures, and concert/festival space;
--Tampa Riverwalk, featuring a 2.6-mile open-space and pedestrian trail (connecting a network of parks/cultural institutions/restaurants/hotels), plazas, dog park, public boat dock, food trucks, play areas, and gardens;
--Amphitheater Park Marina in Dillon, CO, featuring boat launch, kayak/paddleboard/sailboat/pontoon rentals, 3,600-seat amphitheater for concerts/"movies on the water"/yoga classes, playground, nature trails, Tiki bar, and pavilion for outdoor events.
Saturday, December 6, 2025 Report this
RondaLarsonKramer
@JulesJames: Thanks for the thoughtful comment. Scissortail Park was created because Oklahoma City needed to attract people and new economic activity — much like Olympia does today. The Port Peninsula currently loses money every year on low-volume cargo. That’s not “commerce,” it’s taxpayer subsidy.
A waterfront park with events isn’t meant to compete with major arenas — it activates the waterfront daily with local arts, recreation, and foot traffic that supports nearby businesses. Many successful port cities have learned that public access and cultural space are economic drivers.
We may disagree on priorities, but I want the Port to invest in something that actually earns revenue long-term — a waterfront people want to visit. Happy to keep the conversation going.
Saturday, December 6, 2025 Report this
BobJacobs
I've been following the Port of Olympia for decades. The Marine Terminal is its most poorly performing business, losing money every year and requiring significant tax subsidies from Thurston County taxpayers and the federal government.
Olympia is simply a very bad location for international shipping -- too far from trading partners and naturally shallow. It can't compete effectively for cargo. And it has a history of significant water pollution.
It's time for a change to something that serves our community in a different way, and I think Ronda Kramer's vision would be a move in the right direction.
Bob Jacobs
Saturday, December 6, 2025 Report this
JW
If it puts the Port/community in the black, then I'm all for a park of some kinds. But absolutely no to a park for the sake of adding another park around here. It's got to be generating revenue.
Saturday, December 6, 2025 Report this
TheGreatAnon
SO sick of Liberals eager to turn everything that offends their bourgeoise esthetic into a playground for themselves & their snot nosed rug rats.
Saturday, December 6, 2025 Report this
Snevets
Thank you Ronda for a great vision & sound ideas in making that land more accessible to everyone. As for traffic, I'd much rather see people traffic than logging trucks that require restructuring of the roads after a certain amount of time.
Saturday, December 6, 2025 Report this
Earthworm3
I lived in Wenatchee area for many years and the city re-developed the land along the Columbia River with biking and walking trail and other multiuse purposes. It is a wonderful drawing card for both residents and visitors and it is has high use...plus being beautiful.
The vision presented is terrific.
Saturday, December 6, 2025 Report this
terry
“A Better Vision.” Well, perhaps. The visuals here are indeed compelling. However, they bring to mind a warning from a landscape architect friend who reminded me of what he called “visual swindle.” He knew as I did that parks/open space planning is complex and never adequately expressed in artistic renderings. The Port is principally an economic engine to produce jobs and revenues that advance the community’s broad interests - it is not principally a parks & recreation endeavor. That said, these two endeavors are not mutually exclusive but Port success lies in knowing the difference.
Saturday, December 6, 2025 Report this
northbeachcomm
DEC 6
This picture of the amphitheater and park and waterfront, look a lot like OLympia. This is what tourists want to see. This is what locals want to see. Not millions of dollars on a new building that will be flooded out by sea level rise, by rain events that continue to flood our town so regularly. Not an expensive hotel that will expect to be protected from flooding events. This picture demonstrates jobs; with food carts, with the nearby marina, with outdoor recreation, with event planning, bike rentals, boat rentals; everyone loves the outdoors! Everyone loves events coming to Olympia; we need more public venues where we can have events, right next to Puget Sound; Budd Inlet. This is the kind of project that the City of Olympia wants and needs: about 1/2 mile from downtown so that people can easily shop and eat and support our many businesses downtown (which currently SIT EMPTY!)
Saturday, December 6, 2025 Report this
CarlaWul
I applaud Ms Kramer for her vision of how the Port could better serve the community by providing open space on the Port Peninsula. The natural setting - surrounded by water with views of the Olympics - and it's proximity to downtown Olympia is the perfect location for the public to enjoy.
I encourage Port Commissioners to think beyond making the peninsula "pay for itself" and instead invest in creating a welcoming public open space on the entire Port Peninsula much the same way past Port Commissioners invested in creating the Port Plaza.
Open space makes more sense than development on the Port Peninsula because it will allow for a greater public use of the land with more possibilities for adaptation to sea level rise.
Carla Wulfsberg
Saturday, December 6, 2025 Report this
jimlazar
I like it. Help us Ronda, help, help us Ronda.
I resent paying $8 million/year in taxes to the Port of Olympia when all they do with the money is subsidize Weyerhaeuser's job (raw log) export facility, airplane owners, and yacht owners. Far better to put the Port Peninsula to a public use -- ideally one designed to absorb some sea level rise flooding at high tide.
Wenatchee is a great example -- the entire riverfront is a series of parks and trails. We travel there every few years just to ride the 30 miles of riverfront bicycle paths, spending a few hundred dollars in the local economy each trip.
The Port tries to hide its losses by carefully excluding bond debt service from the costs apportioned to each of their business operations -- marine terminal, airport, marina. When those costs are included properly, they lose money on everything they do.
The Port sits on over $500 million of public assets, mostly land. Any other landlord with $500 million of real estate would generate $20 - $50 million/year in profits. They could reinvest part, and pay us dividends (we are the shareholders of the Port, after all) every year. Instead they burden us with property taxes to subsidize select businesses.
Good work, Ronda. Thank you for your vision.
Saturday, December 6, 2025 Report this
terry
“A Better Vision.” Well, perhaps. The visuals here are indeed compelling. However, they bring to mind a warning from a landscape architect friend who reminded me of what he called “visual swindle.” He knew as I did that parks/open space planning is complex and never adequately expressed in artistic renderings. The Port is principally an economic engine to produce jobs and revenues that advance the community’s broad interests - it is not principally a parks & recreation endeavor. That said, these two endeavors are not mutually exclusive but Port success lies in knowing the difference.
Saturday, December 6, 2025 Report this
waltjorgensen
To Ronda: Thank you, Ronda. That something like your vision has been articulated many times before does not detract from your doing so today. It keeps it current... and alive.
Now we need a business plan. How about assigning it to Port staff? They should be pretty good at that.
One observation your proposal elicited was "Your values are your values, not our values." Let me add that your values are indeed my values. All we need are 3 Port Commissioners who understand their job, translating their perception of what the majority of the public wants into appropriate action. We just elected two.
Let's get on with it!
waltjorgensen@comcast.net
Saturday, December 6, 2025 Report this
waltjorgensen
to terry- With a comment like "The Port is principally an economic engine to produce jobs and revenues that advance the community’s broad interests." methinks you've been reading the Port's pathetic promotional stuff. Whenever I hear this assertion, I think of the Little Engine That "Couldn't." Tell me what the earnings are on the originally $5 million (now about $8 million) that the Port is gifted in property taxes from us (Thurston County) to them (the Port) every year. The Port leading the economic parade is beyond laughable.
Saturday, December 6, 2025 Report this
Wesley
Sea levels aren't rising one foot. If they were, B. Hussein O'Bama wouldn't be buying real estate at sea level. The community doesn't want to exchange year-round activity for summer-only activity. Get your heads right. Honestly . . . .
Saturday, December 6, 2025 Report this
RondaLarsonKramer
@Wesley: Science shows that Olympia’s tide levels will likely rise 12–34 inches this century. For a working industrial port with fixed docks and warehouses, that’s a financial and safety risk. But for a thoughtfully designed waterfront park — with marsh-buffers, raised promenades, flexible public-space use — it’s an opportunity. We can turn a liability into a strength: a resilient, publicly accessible waterfront that works with rising seas, not against them. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-study-rising-sea-level-could-exceed-estimates-for-us-coasts/
Sunday, December 7, 2025 Report this
TheVirtualOne
Thanks for your detailed and informative article. This is the kind of visionary advice we need to move forward. My only question now is when do we get started?
Sunday, December 7, 2025 Report this
JonAndrew1964
Yeah all of that sounds great how about adding a public pool that was supposed to happen decades ago and never came to fruition & if this does actually happen how much is it going to cost the taxpayer's of Olympia sounds like a nice dream I for one have absolutely zero trust in city,state or government officials the proof is right in our face just look at what BOB FERGUSON has done to Washington
Sunday, December 7, 2025 Report this
Jamama
Creating a real destination like a concert venue and beautiful natural features would bring SO much economic development!
A vast improvement over the current sweetheart deals for corporate Weyerhaeuser and Suzano...where we actually PAY our taxes to prop up cargo which would obviously still find its export at a true export terminal which ACTUALLY supports full-time Longshore work....not at the hard to reach, undredgeable, end of the line Budd Bay. We are not suited for large ships, and the People of our region want ACCESS to our waterfront, things to do there, a place to take visitors, places to have fun, bring families together, create outdoor space for healthy living :-)
Visitors would arrive by boat, bus, car and train. It would be easy to extend some charming passenger rail on already existing tracks from the station to downtown. They would stay in hotels and b&b's, eat at locally-owned restaurants, buy local goods, taste local wines/beers/spirits, rent kayaks and other rec equipment....the possibilities are endless.
It would have trails and greenspaces--imagine a mini-Stanley Park, Vancouver trail going around the entire peninsula--thru gardens, a teahouse, all along the waterfront, connecting with Percival landing.
We could involve the tribes with a beautiful indigenous museum (the Makah museum up in Neah Bay, comes to mind) honoring the history and origins of the First Peoples here.
Purchase an old ferry, yacht, sailship, or tour ship (the perfect one was sitting AT OUR PORT DOCK for two years, basically already owned by the Port for non-payment of rent, but they unbelievably let it slip thru their fingers)...and make a floating party boat. Either stationary or cruising, it could be a lodging, a restaurant (or 3), a wedding venue, a history museum, etc.
Its all right there....I can picture it perfectly.
And I'm not alone. It's what the public has repeatedly said THEY wanted in the extensive (and expensive!) Vision 2050 plan the Port commissioned, as well as the more recent Destination Waterfront plan. (If you doubt, go look it up).
This place could really soar
Monday, December 8, 2025 Report this
ClownPenis88
what about the homeless people in that area ??
Monday, December 8, 2025 Report this
RiriSD
This is great, Ronda
Monday, December 8, 2025 Report this
Waterman76
I hope the deciders consider that waterfront should be used for things that require water access. Hand launched small boats have very little public access in the southern puget sound. While just an illustration, and perhaps not our use case, a pickle ball court (that could be built literally anywhere) feet from the shoreline seems like a missed opportunity in my opinion.
Monday, December 8, 2025 Report this
SecondOtter
I like this idea...the current Port of Olympia has proven time and again to be a money losing organization.
I like the idea..but I think of several aspects that might make it undoable. Sea level rise being the first. A few years ago, a King Tide occurring with heavy rain and high winds created a flood. The roundabout in front of the Farmer's Market was completely covered and the water not only flooded the Port's main office, it reached almost to Budd Bay Cafe. It's not going to get any better.
The MAGgots out there are still spouting that climate change is a myth even as their house burns down or it floods. The Port Peninsula Park would have to deal with the water.
I would NOT want it called Port anything. They don't deserve the posterity.
Most of that area is built on fill from when the harbor was dredged. Fifth Avenue is the froad that is built on bedrock rather than fill.
I would NOT want to see the Farmer's Market closed down. Ever. The City managers have always despised the Farmer's Market and yet on weekends, it's crawling with customers, tourists, and locals buying fresh local produce and enjoying the entire experience.
Monday, December 8, 2025 Report this
Wesley
If "sea level rise" is such a concern, why is The State removing the flood control functions of Capitol Lake? They must not be very concerned . . . .
Thursday, December 11, 2025 Report this
RondaLarsonKramer
@Wesley: That’s a good question, and it seems counter-intuitive at first. But the State isn’t removing flood control — it’s replacing an outdated system that doesn’t work for sea-level rise with one that does.
Capitol Lake was created mid-century by the 5th Avenue Dam. The problem is that a dam only blocks water on one side. It doesn’t keep out higher high tides, storm surges, or rising sea levels coming up from Budd Inlet. As sea level rises, the lake actually becomes harder and more expensive to manage for flooding.
An estuary, by contrast, is much more resilient. Restoring natural tidal flow:
--creates more room for water to spread out, reducing pressure on downtown
--allows sediment to move and settle naturally, instead of piling up behind a dam
--supports wetlands and mudflats that absorb floodwater like a sponge
--reduces long-term dredging and infrastructure costs
--adapts more flexibly to sea-level rise than a fixed concrete wall ever can
In short: a lake behind a dam is rigid and vulnerable, while an estuary is dynamic and self-adjusting. That’s why coastal cities around the world are removing aging flood-control structures and restoring natural systems — they handle sea-level rise better than engineered barriers built in the 1950s.
So the State’s decision isn’t ignoring sea-level rise; it’s actually preparing for it in the only way that remains effective long-term.
Friday, December 12, 2025 Report this
KimDobson
Thank You Ronda Larson Kramer for sharing this vision of a Port that goes beyond the current model which views international trade dominating the status quo vision of exporting raw logs to the Pacific rim where saw mill labor is being exploited for cheap labor costs . The latest scheme of building a giant warehouse to store mono culture Eucalyptus tree farms wood pulp for West coast paper mills destroying Amazon rain forests while ignoring already plentiful locally produced NW paper pulp sources . The vision which Ronda has shared is a beautiful use of the Port's publicly owned property into a community space which could become a local recreation attraction ! Hopefully our new commissioners Krag Unsoeld and Jerry Toompas can help direct the Port planners to move away from resource extractive enterprises to a sustainable future !
Friday, December 12, 2025 Report this
Person of Interest
Eucalyptus Trees are grown in a number of countries including Chile and Brazil but also in Australia, South Africa amongst others. They are grown on plantations and are a fast growing tree. The Amazon rain forest is not being cut down to supply the world with Eucalyptus pulp. Even a cursory evaluation of how Eucalyptus is farmed would prove this. This basically is an agricultural venture like corn but with a much longer time line.
Please review the following:
https://www.eucalyptus.com.br/artigos/outros/2005_Preferred_Short_fiber_Pulp.pdf
There are many other sources to review.
Basically the Eucalyptus plantations are similar to sustainable forests in Washington and prevent damage or harvesting of trees from old growth forests including the Amazon. Facts matter.
Saturday, December 13, 2025 Report this
Jamama
True QPhillips, facts DO matter.
Here's some facts on eucalyptus monoculture farming in the Amazon and the realities at the Port of Olympia....
Our Port of Olympia makes poor cargo decisions just to try to keep in the game, tho we are really an inadequate location for major shipping.
Sweetheart deals for Weyerhaeuser shipping raw logs to Asia has proved to be a major financial loss, as well as a polluting and unsightly vision of our waterfront potential. Now the Port wants to spend $6M more of our taxes to build a "temporary" warehouse for a multi-global eucalyptus shipper, Suzano, which they have NO SIGNED CONTRACT with.
Besides the fact the Port can't operate in the black or support full-time Longshore jobs, some facts on eucalyptus cargo:
*Eucalyptus is a non-native "crop" replacing complex and carbon-mitigating Amazonian rainforest.
*Eucalyptus plantations are a significant factor in deforestation in Brazil, often replacing native forests (like the Cerrado, near the Amazon) for pulp, paper, and charcoal, displacing communities and harming biodiversity.
While large-scale conversion for agriculture (soy, cattle) is a primary driver, eucalyptus expansion contributes to forest loss, impacting water, land, and local people, according to sources like DW media, Amazon Conservation, the National Farmers Union, and others.
*Multi-global major corporations drive eucalyptus expansion for industrial needs, creating large monocultures, and displacing crucial complex and carbon-mitigating native forests.
*Impact on Native Forests: Eucalyptus farms have converted significant areas of native Cerrado forest, bordering the Amazon.
Eucalyptus has been noted as an alternative for charcoal in the steel industry (replacing fossil fuels), but its cultivation often comes at the expense of native ecosystems.
*Displacement & Water Issues: Plantations disrupt local communities (like Quilombos) and deplete water sources.
While eucalyptus itself isn't the sole cause of Amazon deforestation, its expansion is a major deforestation driver in Brazil, often in adjacent biomes like the Cerrado, and poses serious environmental and social concerns.
We have a better vision for this world and for our Port of Olympia.
Why wouldn't we all WANT to provide a vibrant, multiplicitous, healthy and accessible waterfront with jobs and profits for our region, and stop negatively impacting native communities and crucial rainforest lands elsewhere?
Wednesday, December 17, 2025 Report this
Yeti1981
There is nothing wrong with imagining a beautiful waterfront. Olympia already has several great public spaces along Budd Inlet. Percival Landing, the Farmers Market, West Bay Park and the trail system are all examples of how public access and shoreline recreation can work well here. Expanding public access where it makes sense is a conversation worth having.
But the Port peninsula is not simply vacant redevelopment land. It is part of a working marine facility that serves economic, transportation, and resilience functions for the region. That reality tends to get lost when the conversation shifts to renderings of amphitheaters and festival lawns.
The Port of Olympia operates a break bulk marine terminal, fuel dock infrastructure, and maritime logistics capacity. That type of facility handles cargo that does not move easily through container ports. Equipment, forest products, specialized materials and project cargo all move through ports like this. Container ports like Tacoma and Seattle serve a different role in the system. Smaller break bulk facilities fill an important niche in regional supply chains.
It is also worth remembering that working waterfront land is extremely rare in Puget Sound. Once marine industrial land is converted to residential, tourism, or recreational uses it is almost impossible to recover. That is why planning policy across the country tends to protect working waterfronts rather than eliminate them.
There is also a resilience component that rarely gets discussed. In a major disaster scenario such as a Cascadia earthquake or volcanic event, maritime access may become one of the only ways to move heavy equipment, fuel, and supplies into Thurston County if highways are disrupted. Olympia’s airport is not large enough to handle large scale logistics operations. The marine terminal provides one of the few potential staging areas in the southern Puget Sound if that kind of response is ever needed.
The navigation channel and marine terminal also exist within a federally regulated waterway system involving the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This is not simply a parcel of land that can be treated like a city park site. It sits within a broader maritime infrastructure system that serves regional transportation and economic functions.
The economic comparison to Scissortail Park in Oklahoma City also deserves some context. That park sits in the middle of a metro area of more than a million people and was built next to an NBA arena, convention center, hotels, and a large downtown business district. It was funded through a citywide capital improvement sales tax program approved by voters. Olympia is a much smaller city with a very different economic base and funding structure. Parks can certainly add value to a community, but assuming the same economic multiplier will occur here ignores the differences in scale and context.
Washington law does allow ports to develop parks and recreational facilities, and that authority exists for a reason. Many ports integrate public access into their waterfronts. But ports were created to support trade, transportation, and economic development. Public access improvements can complement that mission. Replacing marine infrastructure entirely would be a very different decision with long term consequences.
The real question for Olympia is not whether parks are attractive. Of course they are. The real question is how to balance public access, environmental stewardship, and the preservation of one of the few remaining working marine facilities in the southern Puget Sound. Communities that succeed on the waterfront usually find ways to do both. That is the conversation worth having.
Monday, March 16 Report this
Yeti1981
Reading through the comments here, I also want to say there are a few statements being repeated that deserve some clarification so the conversation stays grounded in how ports and waterfronts actually work.
First, the claim that the Port “loses money every year” and therefore has no economic value. Public ports are not structured like private companies whose only metric is profit from a single facility. Ports are infrastructure. Marine terminals, rail access, dredging, and navigation facilities often operate close to break even because their purpose is to support regional economic activity. The value shows up in jobs, cargo movement, marine services, and supply chain activity across the region, not just on a single balance sheet line.
Second, the idea that Olympia is “a bad location for shipping.” Olympia was never designed to compete with large container ports like Tacoma or Seattle. It operates as a break bulk facility, which handles cargo that does not move through container terminals efficiently. Equipment, forest products, project cargo, and specialized materials are typical examples. Smaller break bulk ports fill a niche role in maritime logistics systems.
Third, the claim that the marine terminal only exists to subsidize a single company or industry. Cargo activity changes over time depending on global markets. Break bulk ports regularly shift between different cargo types as markets evolve. Reducing the discussion to one cargo category ignores how these facilities actually operate.
Fourth, some comments suggest the peninsula should simply be converted because other cities turned industrial waterfronts into parks. The missing piece in that comparison is the difference between surplus industrial land and active marine infrastructure. Most of the waterfront parks people cite were built after shipping operations had already moved elsewhere. Olympia’s marine terminal is still an active facility.
Monday, March 16 Report this
RondaLarsonKramer
@Yeti1981, Interestingly, the recent World Cup Fan Zone at Port Plaza seems to reinforce the point I made last year. Despite an admission fee, limited seating, a relatively small viewing screen, and numerous reports that the venue was overcrowded, the first match drew a large crowd.
The shortcomings of that first event also likely came with an opportunity cost. Some people reported waiting more than an hour to get in, while others left without entering or said they would not attend another game. That almost certainly reduced attendance at later matches and, in turn, reduced income for business for downtown Olympia.
The takeaway isn't simply that people wanted to watch soccer. It's that there is substantial demand for places where people can gather on Olympia's waterfront. If anything, the event demonstrated the limitations of trying to host large public gatherings on a peninsula that has never been designed around people.
Imagine what could be accomplished if the Port dedicated a much larger portion of the peninsula to permanent public space designed for concerts, festivals, outdoor viewing events, recreation, and everyday waterfront use, much like Bellingham has done on its waterfront. The Fan Zone demonstrated that the demand exists. Now it's up to the Port to decide whether it wants to meet that demand.
Wednesday, June 24 Report this