Oh!Lympia

The State Capitol Builds On Its Charm

Olympia City Hall Belay Architecture and Hoffman Construction have partnered to take on building the new Olympia City Hall. This $35.6 million project will merge several departments of the government, plus serve as a new headquarters for the Olympia Police Department. The building is expected to be LEED Gold certified and should be complete sometime in 2010. To see a rendering of the building, visit belayarchitecture.com

Bold, brave and majestic, the Washington State Capitol greets visitors and residents passing through or stopping for a visit. The Deschutes River gracefully tumbles beside the historic Olympia Brewery over beautiful Tumwater Falls — babbling and rushing to its peaceful resting place in Capitol Lake. Alongside the rugged falls is a fish ladder, escorting eager salmon and steelhead to their final destinations. Bookstores, antique shops, and historic buildings with stories to tell beckon the curious to explore. Vibrant, local art displays life, struggle, history and triumph. Welcome to Olympia.

A unique city located in the heart of Thurston County, the state capital sits at the bottom of Budd Inlet, the southernmost point of Puget Sound. Originally, the land where the city now lies was known as “Cheetwoot,” or “place of the black bear” by the Coastal Salish who inhabited the area.

Olympia’s name was chosen by early resident Isaac Ebey to acknowledge the nearby Olympic Mountains as an important characteristic of the budding city. Early settlers were attracted to the town because it was the first point of access to Puget Sound from the Columbia River on the Cowlitz Trail. The town has come a long way from those days. Olympia celebrated its 150th anniversary as an incorporated city in January 2009, and more than 42,000 people now call it home.

 “This is a wonderful community and a wonderful city,” Olympia Mayor Doug Mah said. “I enjoy being the mayor immensely.”

According to Mah, Olympia is a great place to visit and a great place to live. “We’re close to everything — the mountains, Portland, and we have great access to Puget Sound via Budd Inlet,” Mah said.

Olympia resident Tim Barlow agrees. “It’s a great place to raise kids,” he said.

Barlow enjoys fishing in Boston Harbor, and running around Capitol Lake. He also appreciates Olympia’s prime location, as it's only an hour away from the Washington coast.

“I like the fact that it’s just the right size. It’s not this huge, impersonal city,” said Michelle Mewhinney-Angel, an Olympia resident for 16 years. The state Capitol building is a big pull for visitors, but the city also has a long list of other prized secrets residents take full advantage of.

“Our city is home to numerous live theaters, like the Harlequin and Capitol Playhouse. We have an arts walk in spring and fall, and an active and eclectic music scene,” Mah said.

Rose Bates, an Olympia resident for 15 years, is especially proud of the unique parks in the city.

“I don’t know of any parks equal to the parks in Olympia,” Bates said. “They are pristine.”

According to Linda Oestrich, director of Olympia Parks and Recreation, it is the citizens that are responsible for the parks’ good reputation.

“We’re very fortunate that the citizens of Olympia voted to increase private utility taxes for parks and pathways,” Oestrich said.

According to Oestrich, the City of Olympia was recently able to acquire 14 acres of waterfront property on Westbay Drive, as well as a portion of the last freshwater swimming beach in the area on Ward Lake. Oestrich believes Olympia citizens place a high value on outdoor recreation and preservation of public lands in the area.

“Olympia voters want to leave a legacy,” she said. “They realize how important it is to have these open spaces and shoreline access. Citizens see our community growing really fast, and they don’t want these green spaces to go away.”

Olympia has a long history of preserving and protecting nature. The Coastal Salish Squaxin, Duwamish, and Nisqually were some of the native tribes to first inhabit what is now known as Olympia.

“There was a strong relationship between the settlers and the native people in Olympia,” said Susan Rohrer, manager of the State Capital Museum. “Though things weren’t always perfect, the early settlers definitely relied on the native peoples,” she added.

“We have a high respect for tribal peoples,” Rohrer said. “That, shared with the honor of being the capital city, ... the two can never be separated. It’s an honor to hold that distinction.”

Rohrer said Olympia’s status as the state capital is extremely important to residents.

“The people of Olympia are definitely proud to be the capital city,” she said. “In the 1960s, there were efforts to move some of the official regulatory functions and licensing functions to Seattle. That was challenged by the residents. They fought hard to keep the capital here, and those offices were brought back to Olympia.”
Mayor Mah is excited about the direction his city is heading in.

“There are a lot of Capitol improvements, and we continue to improve the downtown’s walkability,” Mah said. “This really is a unique spot here at the tip of Puget Sound.”

 

 

---

For the full story pick up the latest copy of South Sound magazine. Subscriptions are available by phone at 253.588.5340 or you may order your subscription online.