Thursday, October 1, 2026
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The City of Tumwater is continuing to study the extent of environmental contamination at the old warehouse site of the former Olympia Brewery.
At a meeting on April 21, the Tumwater City Council approved a $200,000 contract with Pioneer Technologies Corporation to study environmental contamination and determine appropriate cleanup options to facilitate the redevelopment of the area.
The work follows up on an initial environmental assessment completed in 2025 that only evaluated the extent of contamination using historical research.
The city is able to pursue the effort using a $500,000 grant from a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program that supports local agencies with the redevelopment of “brownfield” sites.
Brownfield sites are properties with actual or perceived environmental contamination that prevents developers from considering the locations for redevelopment.
According to an April 15 briefing to the General Government Committee, Assistant City Administrator Kelly Adams said the EPA has provided a free consultant as part of the grant.
Adams added the city sought its own consultant to improve efficiency for the project, as the assessment will also include properties bought around the warehouse.
As part of Pioneer’s contract, the company will have to produce a number of deliverables owed to the EPA. Adams mentioned they were working with the EPA to negotiate the scope of the assessment due to the size of the property.
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fyancey
I have proposed turning this site into a homeless complex with warehouse converted to living units and extensive parking for RV’s. Certainly there is space available and this would centralize services as well as end the homeless encampment sprawl currently occurring.
Monday, May 4 Report this
TomBoucher
Good starts. Let's find out what's there: what pockets of gunk, asbestos etc, and move on little by little to figure out what is saleable, what it'll cost to develop this potential urban oasis into the gem that it it could be. I can't wait!
Monday, May 4 Report this
Tanker1982
No offense to fyancey. I don’t think we want to convert a large facility into another, taxpayer funded, sinkhole.
Surely, this has commercial potential for private investment. If we put taxpayer $$ here, what are the metrics for success and what is the end state? Endless, endless, taxpayer dollars for what?
Monday, May 4 Report this
BobJacobs
The entire area covered by the old brewery is in the middle of an area with high traffic congestion. Any redevelopment should be of a nature that does not produce much additional traffic.
My preference is to turn the entire area into a natural/park use.
Bob Jacobs
Monday, May 4 Report this
Southsoundguy
I see The Jolt is censoring comments now.
Tuesday, May 5 Report this
TheGreatAnon
As we figure out thew way forward it would behoove us to remember how this mess came to be. Two decades ago Miller Brewing bought Olympia Brewing eliminating a competitor while killing hundreds of good living wage jobs, stripped what was left for parts then practically gave away the carcass to a PO Box company who they damn well knew could not re-develop the site.
Like tweekers squatting an unoccupied house, Miller figuratively drove the neighbors away, stripped the place down to the wiring then bailed leaving a meth lab behind for us to clean up. See, it's not a crime if there's an LLC in your name.
Tuesday, May 5 Report this
Boatyarddog
I agree with Bob Jacob's. It's best Potential is a Natural restoration. Not a remediation, for re development and Industry. It's a beautiful, Historic Landmark. We need more Tourism in Oly. And Tumwater.
Tuesday, May 5 Report this
DudeGuyOly
Southsoundguy, free speech restricts government censorship, not private entities with rules for comment section conduct
Wednesday, May 6 Report this
RitaRose
None of the buildings on the Brewery property can be reused due to building code and environmental considerations. A study showed that the only thing that could be reused would be the foundations.
It's a great spot for a mixed use development.
Hopefully, this environmental assessment can lead to the cleanup of the old warehouse site.
Wednesday, May 6 Report this
Wesley
Would make a great I.C.E. detention facility. Wouldn't use much water either, as illegal aliens aren't known to often bathe.
Thursday, May 7 Report this