Proposed new boundaries would add Armory Creative Campus and more to Olympia’s Creative District

The Olympia Community Livability and Public Safety Committee voted to recommend boundary revisions to the city’s Creative District that will expand it to reflect the city's arts and culture scene. 

The committee will forward the approved recommended boundary revisions to the city council for consideration in August.

David Hoekje, Creative District project manager, said the proposed changes aim to restructure the district's boundaries to support the existing creative community in Olympia.

At the committee meeting held Wednesday, July 24, Hoekje outlined the key alterations in his proposed Creative District boundary revisions:

• Inclusion of the western and southern sections of downtown, which contain over 40 creative enterprises that were previously excluded from the district. He noted that the western end of downtown includes the Olympia Farmer's Market and the Percival Landing Sculpture Park, both creative hubs previously excluded from the Creative District.

In addition, Hoekje's proposed boundary aimed to include the southern portion of downtown Olympia. This area encompasses the Timberland Library, Rebecca Howard Park and Media Island, which he said are all important creative assets.

• Incorporation of the Armory Creative Campus, which was not part of the original Creative District. Hoekje said he felt the Armory was poised to be a crucial part of Olympia's creative community in the coming years, so he added it to his final recommended boundary map.
• Expansion of the boundaries to encompass the entire downtown area, as well as the northeast section.
• Exclusion of the southeast portion of downtown, which Hoekje noted had few small businesses or creative enterprises.
• Exclusion of the northern end of downtown, which he said was less accessible.

LOTT, Swantown Marina, and the Port of Olympia main gate were excluded from Hoekje’s initial proposed boundary. However, he noted that some community members provided feedback that there is a history of interaction between the arts and industrial areas and that as industrial areas become less used or change usage, it can provide opportunities for artists to get space.

Recognizing the community's feedback, Hoekje re-included Swantown Marina, Port of Olympia, and LOTT in the final proposal.

Committee member Mayor Dontae Payne inquired about Plum and Union Streets not being included in the final proposal boundary revisions. The Olympia mayor noted that the area could potentially see some activity and growth in the future.

In response, Hoekje explained that the main motivation for continuing to exclude that area was to try to keep the overall Creative District as small as possible. He noted that the area was largely an office park with no obvious potential for new business growth or creative activity.

Hoekje added that none of the community members he interviewed were interested in keeping that area included. 

Committee member and Councilmember Clark Gilman expressed his appreciation for re-incorporating the area towards Swantown Marina, Port of Olympia, and LOTT. He said they were hopeful about creating policies that would easily allow adaptive reuse of industrial properties for lower-tech, smaller-tech artisan work.

Inspire Olympia Program Manager Marygrace Goddu explained the reason for the recommended revisions to the Creative District boundaries. She stated that the original Creative District was certified in 2019, and that certification was good for five years. The city has just completed the recertification process in June 2024, which built heavily on the strategic planning for the district completed in 2023.

She added that the strategic plan's goals were to focus on community building, advocacy for artist space, and promotion and visibility for artists in the district. As part of the recertification, Goddu said the city has created five years' worth of planning and goals.

Goddu also noted the focus on community building, developing a visible brand and logo for the district, and revising the boundaries to re-examine where they should be.