Thursday, October 1, 2026
A historic and aging structure perched atop a hill on the outskirts of downtown Olympia is undergoing a broad transformation aimed at turning it into a creative campus.
The first phase of construction on the reimagining of the Olympia Armory was celebrated on Thursday, Sept. 25, as local officials, artists and members of the community gathered to mark the start of a process more than 30 years in the making.
“I do appreciate all of you showing up for this moment,” said interim Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation Director Sylvana Niehuser in opening remarks before dozens of people who attended the event. “Just so many smiles around here. … We have been waiting decades for an arts center. … Our community has been very patient with us.”
The state armory, which was built in 1939 and gifted to the City of Olympia in 2022, won’t look a whole lot different from the outside when the first phase is complete in mid-2027 because most of the work is happening on the inside.
“Our vision is for this space to be a catalyst for creativity in Olympia, which inspires creative thinking, opportunities, community bonds (and) collaboration through the arts,” Niehuser said.
She added, “So our first phase is really going to be focused on making the building accessible, safe and functional for our partners.”
The first phase, which is estimated to cost $19 million, is going to address necessary upgrades, such as making the 43,000-square-foot armory compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, before tenants can call the 43,000-square-foot armory their home.
The City of Olympia is collaborating with eight anchor partners, who have been selected for tenancy. The partners are going to have use of designated spaces for their programming and access to other space as needed, said Armory Building Manager Valerie Roberts during a media tour of the building on Thursday.
The anchor tenants are The Bridge Music Project, Capital City Pride, Community Print, Kokua Services Hummingbird Studio, Olympia Film Collective, Olympia Lamplighters, PARC Foundation of Thurston County and TC Media.
“It’s just inspiring to think about,” said Roberts on the wealth of possibilities ahead for the Olympia Armory.
Funding for the project stems from a variety of sources, including $1.5 million from the Washington State Department of Commerce, $1 million from the Washington State Historical Society and $75,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Olympia City Council also approved a more than $26 million bond package in July to help cover costs associated with the Armory renovations, as well as the long-planned Yelm Highway Community Park.
To help pay the annual debt payment of $1.72 million, the City of Olympia is going to rely on three sources — Voted Utility Tax, Olympia Metropolitan Parks District levy and a proposed extension of the one-half percent Non-Voted Utility Tax, which is set to expire in 2029, The JOLT reported earlier this year.
An official name for the armory, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in July, is going to be selected at a later date.
Staff writer Lorilyn Lirio contributed to this report.
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BobJacobs
As is often the case, this "free" building has turned out to be quite expensive.
I don't remember what the estimated costs of renovating the building were at the time it was acquired. But I think it was far less than this first phase of construction, let alone the entire estimated cost (not included here).
This article is incomplete without this information.
Bob Jacobs
Monday, September 29, 2025 Report this
Claire
I certainly hope the tenants, who I'm sure have great dreams, know how this space will work. And, I certainly hope the City keeps, and informs, the status of said tenants. Move in, move out, changes, as well as a ledger of income/out goes. Citizens want to know where their money is going and if it is a good investment. Transparency is key.
Monday, September 29, 2025 Report this
MrCommonSense
It would be great if the JOLT would do some real in depth reporting on this project to outline ALL the sources of revenue and the total projected real costs. The JOLT should also have someone at the City explain why the City is using utility tax funds when utility infrastructure is in dire need of upgrades. And have the City explain why the City is using park funds when all Olympia's parks are underfunded and most require long needed improvements and maintenance. It would be wonderful to also show a detailed report of the final projected costs which will include delays and cost over-runs, And include a realistic budget for at least the first 5 - 10 years of operation to show what type of deficits the project might face.
19 million on the first phase represents a cost of $411/sq ft. 43,000 square feet is a lot of space. And the $411 number does not represent nearly the entire expected cost. So if you're going to spend what will probably turn out to be around $30,000,000, when borrowing against future tax revenue, wouldn't a prudent City Council take a closer, more comprehensive look at less expensive alternatives?
Art is an important part of our community, and doing quite well.
Just because you get a free "historic" building doesn't mean accepting it was a good idea.
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Report this