Less than a year after fire destroyed three downtown buildings, a new plan would add more apartments there

Less than a year ago, a fire destroyed the Market Flats mixed-use building under construction downtown, as well as its two neighboring buildings. A new plan would add more new apartments and join them together with a four-story glass-enclosed bridge.

The Olympia Site Plan Review Committee heard a proposal on Wednesday to redevelop the parcel at 314 Capitol Way North, which was destroyed on December 15, 2021  when the adjacent Market Flats building was under its original construction.

Project proposal

Ron Thomas of Thomas Architecture Studios presented a plan to redevelop of the site located immediately north of the Market Flats building, still being reconstructed. That building includes ground floor live/work units and four stories of apartments above.

Part of the proposal is to link the building with Market Flats.

According to Thomas, the parcel owner of 314 Capitol Way approached Walker John, Market Flats owner, and property developer Urban Olympia about the possibility of joining together and developing the narrow parcel.

"We are proposing the upper levels – not the first level – of this building being joined to the southern portion of the Market Flats project via a bridge," Thomas said.

He added that the lot and buildings would remain under separate ownership. The new facility will use a pedestrian bridge for one of the required means of egress.

Thomas mentioned they might pursue an alley vacation. They intend to use the alley for access to the few parking spaces.

For the ground floor, Thomas reiterated the plan to construct live/work units.

He said the new northern portion of the Market Flats would provide many standard features in development, such as solid waste, recycling and others.

Thomas added that Market Flats includes an elevator.

Planning review

Olympia associate planner Lydia  Moorehead said the project proposal would not have a zoning problem as she noted that various commercial and retail uses are allowed in the downtown business zones.

Moorehead announced that the city requires open space for multifamily housing. She said the design of linking the building very close to Market Flats "[city code] does not allow one building to use the open space that is for another building."

"This would need to provide its own open space – 100 square feet per unit or 10%, whichever is less, not including the common areas," Moorehead stated.

Thomas inquired about the process so they could use the Market Flats' open space.

Community Planning and Development deputy director Tim Smith discouraged Thomas from using the neighboring building to meet the development standard, but a hearing examiner could look at the variance.

Senior planner Nicole Floyd commented that the building might meet the open space standard on its own by counting the traditional spaces like the lobby or balcony.

According to engineering examiner Zulaika Kim, the project would not require a traffic impact analysis but needs frontage improvements.

Olympia building official Erik Jenssen expressed concern about the building's permanent egress, noting that two different owners own the two lots. "How do we maintain the egress components…if one does not like the other, it will shut the door."

Thomas suggested a legal document can be prepared that is linked to the title of both of the projects, stating providing an access easement/egress easement through Market Flats north.

He added he hopes to address the design development and scoping meeting issue when they discuss the building codes with Jensen.