Friday, October 2, 2026
The Olympia City Council endorsed a resolution authorizing the city to apply for up to $1 million in grant funding to support heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) upgrades at Olympia Armory, as part of its ongoing redevelopment into a community arts center.
The council approved the measure as part of its consent calendar on May 5.
The grant application is for the 2027-29 Heritage Capital Projects program, which is administered by the Washington State Historical Society. The program supports preservation and rehabilitation projects at historic facilities that provide public access to history.
The resolution allows the Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation Department to apply for the grant anew. If awarded, the funding would help pay to replace the Armory’s aging HVAC system with a modern variable refrigerant flow HVAC system, a more energy-efficient heating and cooling technology intended to improve comfort for future tenants and community users.
City officials said the HVAC replacement is one of the next major priorities in the first phase of the Armory renovation project.
The city has already committed more than $2 million from its Parks Capital Fund toward Phase 1 improvements, which satisfies the required local match for the grant. Heritage Capital Projects grants require a 2-to-1 funding match and allow requests ranging from $10,000 to $1 million.
Olympia has previously received Heritage Capital funding for the Armory project, including $1 million during the 2023-25 biennium and an additional $500,000 during the 2025-27 cycle. Those funds supported design work, major systems planning, and addressing critical code and life-safety improvements.
Originally built in 1938 and designed by noted architect Joseph Wohleb, the Olympia Armory was transferred by the Washington Legislature to the city at no cost for redevelopment as a community asset focused on arts, education, and economic development in 2021. The state gifted the Armory to City of Olympia in 2022.
3 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
Tanker1982
You have to got to be kidding me. I want the taxpayers to pay for air conditioning in my house, I will even say please. How can a decades old, thick walled, building, need air conditioning?
Tuesday, May 12 Report this
jimlazar
This milestone is the gift that keeps on taking. Grant money is still taxpayer money.
Tuesday, May 12 Report this
Pkt3154
$1.5 million and they forgot to look at sustainability issues for the building. I am sure most of that got gobbled up by experts and self-proclaimed experts paid for the planning. I know, it is free! Not so much.
Wednesday, May 13 Report this