Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Hands On Children’s Museum is proposing a waterfront expansion that would bring indoor and outdoor exhibits, improved public access and a more visible connection to Budd Inlet.
At a presubmission conference held by the Olympia Site Plan Review Committee on Wednesday, March 25, city staff emphasized the project must navigate shoreline regulations, contaminated soils and long-term sea level rise risks before it can move forward.
The plan includes adding an approximately 18,000-square-foot, two-story building adjacent to the existing museum, connected by an enclosed pedestrian bridge. A separate utility building would also be constructed to support operations, including waste management and service access.
The expansion builds on the museum’s maritime and marine ecology programs by strengthening visual and educational connection to Puget Sound. The design aims to create educational experiences tied to marine ecology and waterfront access, along with improved pedestrian circulation and a more public-facing plaza area.
A pedestrian pier linking the existing and new buildings, along with interior spaces oriented toward the water, is intended to reinforce that relationship while incorporating stormwater and landscape strategies to protect shoreline water quality.
The project narrative states the museum expansion “supports Olympia’s Shoreline Master Program goals by providing water-enjoyment use that enhances public awareness and appreciation of Budd Inlet by incorporating design strategies that protect water quality and shoreline ecological functions.”
City planners listed a range of regulatory and technical considerations the project will need to address.
Olympia Associate Planner Paula Smith said the site is located in the Urban Waterfront Zoning District and within shoreline jurisdiction, triggering the need for a shoreline development permit and downtown design review.
She advised the applicant to select either the Waterfront or Art/Tech design subdistrict, saying design standards differ. A visual impact assessment will likely be required if the addition exceeds 35 feet in height.
Environmental constraints are another major factor. The site sits on capped contaminated soils regulated by the Washington State Department of Ecology. Smith said Ecology approval would be required for any cap disturbance and may include public review and monitoring requirements.
Olympia Engineering Plan Examiner Tiffani King said stormwater management would rely on existing infrastructure, with upgrades to handle additional runoff before discharge into Budd Inlet.
Regarding transportation, King said existing access is generally adequate.
Olympia Principal Planner Nicole Floyd said the site is located in a sea level rise response area and could face flooding as early as 2040. While not required, she encouraged the project team to consider long-term resilience measures, such as elevating structures.
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HappyOlympian
Located on land sure to be impacted by rising sea levels. Notable in this article, no cost estimate. Another unneeded, horribly planned and expensive mess.
Tuesday, March 31 Report this
Snevets
"the site is located in a sea level rise response area and could face flooding as early as 2040. While not required, she encouraged the project team to consider long-term resilience measures, such as elevating structures."
Tuesday, March 31 Report this
JnNwmn
The City, new apartment developers, Port of Olympia, LOTT and Children's Museum all act like sea level rise either does not exist or it is somebody else's problem. As the tides get higher, storm drains flood and the sewer system works 1/2 time, we will wish that the all this expensive building was on higher ground.
Wednesday, April 1 Report this
Chappellg
Estimated cost (capital expenditure) has been listed before & I vaguely remember sources of funding have also been named.
Addressing sea level rise has been named as a requirement by the review board. One solution was listed as elevating buildings. Outdoor exhibits can be made to be water resistant.
To the complaint that it’s not needed, current overcrowding would tend to disagree. As the county grows, there’ll be more school field trips coming. Don’t you want more exposure to marine science, climate change processes, and a love of exploration and learning, or do you believe that your kids are grown so there’s no need?
Not all growth, especially if it encourages love of learning is evil unless you’re a Luddite or living off the grid!
Wednesday, April 1 Report this
hptrillium
We should not be building anything where there will be sea level rise. Also there are so many other important needs to be addressed.
Wednesday, April 1 Report this
RondaLarsonKramer
Across the region, cities are aligning sea level rise planning with fiscal reality: protect critical assets, account for groundwater, and limit new exposure unless long-term funding is secured.
Tacoma and Seattle are taking more measured approaches—pairing protection with careful decisions about where not to add new long-term liabilities. State guidance from the Washington State Department of Ecology likewise emphasizes planning for groundwater impacts and long-term sustainability.
Olympia risks becoming an outlier. The current approach appears to assume that engineering solutions alone can solve the problem, while continuing to add uses in areas that will require perpetual pumping and ongoing cost. Other cities are not eliminating risk—but they are avoiding expanding it without a clear, durable funding strategy.
Wednesday, April 1 Report this
HappyOlympian
Not all growth, especially if it encourages love of learning is evil unless you’re a Luddite or living off the grid!.........
Not off the grid, just had a levy pass for Oly schools, I get to pay for that, but do agree I am a Luddite in that I do not think classes need Chrome book carts - hey kids, spend more time looking at screens!* Field trips generally very fluffy use of school time.
Most important here is why build on the waterfront that will be inundated before long? If a building needs to built with such a consideration or mitigation efforts, why not build it in another location to start with? Is this that going to happen or is sea-rise a scam?
Wednesday, April 1 Report this
HotTractor
Looks like HappyOlympian is not only not happy, but wrong about pretty much everything they've posted. As mentioned by other, rising sea level is/can be addressed in this project, field trips aren't "fluffy", whatever that means, use of school time, and the not needing "Chrome book carts", maybe means Chrome books. Believe it or not, people use computer and screens in their jobs, so being familiar with the tools one will need to be employed. The one thing i agree with is they don't need more "screen" time and that's where field trips help, in one respect.
Saturday, April 4 Report this