City of Tumwater expands vision for Public Works Facility building

The additions are a result of the Tumwater City Council authorizing $1.2 million of additional design costs to plan for more offices. The city  council approved the expenditure at a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 7.

The additional dollars will go toward the contract of TCF Architecture, of Tacoma, which the city first hired in 2016 to produce a master plan for the facility. The amendment to the firm's contract brings the total to $3,697,727.   

During the master planning process, the city determined the project would require about 8,000 square feet of space. In 2024, plans were shifted to increase the facility’s size to 24,400 square feet to accommodate the additional departments. The integration of the two departments had been planned, but was not anticipated to happen for years. 

“The city took a look at the staffing levels and kind of the future needs of the city and realized that more space would be needed sooner rather than later,” said Jared VerHey, the city’s capital projects manager, to the city council at the meeting.

The extra space is expected to add about $8.4 million in construction costs, raising the overall project estimate to roughly $40 million. 

Construction would have to be funded by a bond. Finance Director Troy Niemeyer said the city could choose between a 20-year bond with annual payments of just over $3 million, or a 30-year bond with payments of about $2.5 million per year. He added that interest rates could change before financing is finalized, but noted the figures he provided are baseline estimates. 

Funding for the project and future bond payments are going to come from the city’s general government and utility funds.  

Community engagement 

The council’s vote to approve the contract amendment was unanimous, but there were concerns as to how staff was communicating to the public about the changes. 

Transportation and Engineering Department Director Brandon Hicks said the redesign has been mostly communicated through the city’s Capital Facilities Plan. He said the city was planning to expand by 2030, and the redesign moves that schedule forward. 

“I think the best way to look at this is we’re just pushing into the future five years,” Hicks said. “When this was programmed, we anticipated constructing around 2020, and we knew we’d have to move office staff before about 2030 because of our rate of growth.” 

Some council members voiced concerns in response. 

“We already know that there's neighbors around this area who don't already like what the plan is, and now we're adding to it,” Council member Kelly Von Holtz said. 

Council member Joan Cathey added, “To make this kind of change without communication to the community — and that community there that we have had issues with for … at least the 10 most recent years — is a great faux pas on our part.” 

Hicks’ discussion with the council members revealed further details about the project, especially how it could impact nearby residents. 

“As soon as we open, we're going to have about 30 more staff out there. But overall, we're still going to have less than the last time we spoke to the public,” Hicks said.

He added that most of the additional employees would be office personnel, a portion of which often work remotely, and would not be operating large equipment. 

He said the expansion would be westward toward a nearby industrial area and away from residential areas. However, views from the homes south of the facility would be further obstructed to reduce visibility and noise from a heavy equipment yard. 

In terms of parking space needs, Hicks said there’s a likelihood that plans for an expanded parking area would occur sooner due to the redesign.  

He also said expanding the facility now would be the “most responsible use of city funds,” as the city could finance the project with one loan. 

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect an updated lead.