Submitted by Port of Olympia
The Port of Olympia released its Final Draft Real Estate Master Plan for its 550-acre New Market Industrial Campus (NMIC) properties in Tumwater. The plan affects Port-owned properties principally flanked by the Olympia Regional Airport and I-5 from the east and west, and Tumwater Boulevard and 83rd Avenue SW from the north and south. The plan provides the Port and the community a 20-year planning framework for guiding infrastructure, development, open space, and economic opportunities on the single largest contiguous tract of public property within Tumwater city limits. The plan’s conceptual development scenario could add up to 2,027 new retail, office, professional service, and industrial jobs over the next two decades.
The NMIC Master Plan involved extensive public participation including a stakeholder Advisory Committee, four public meetings, and other community outreach events to gather input and assess community goals and values for the long-term use and future development of the properties. The plan identifies transportation and stormwater infrastructure needs to accommodate the proposed development scenarios.
The NMIC Master Plan is based on findings from several SCJ Alliance consultant-led studies including existing conditions, environmental suitability analysis, market analysis, and traffic analysis. “The process began with studies to evaluate the properties’ environmental conditions including soil types, depth to ground water, and critical habitat for federal listed threatened species like the Mazama Pocket Gopher,” states Thurston Regional Planning Council Senior Planner Paul Brewster who led the Port’s public participation strategy. “The Port emphasized the importance of environmental stewardship in establishing a vision for its Tumwater properties outside of the airport. Doing these studies up-front identified areas that should be set aside for their long-term environmental benefits.” Around 115-acres or 21 percent of the total area is proposed for open space – including forested areas as well as low impact development stormwater treatment facilities. The development scenario identifies 22-acres of new development over the next 20 years.
Most development and jobs are expected to occur in District One, referred to as a “Mixed-Use Hub.” This 108-acre district lies within the City of Tumwater’s Town Center planning area in the northwest quadrant of the NMIC. The building designs and the type of tenants envisioned in the planning framework would create a distinctive urban gateway at the intersection of Tumwater Boulevard and Center Street. This scenario proposes nearly 196,350 square feet of retail that will consist of a combination of pedestrian friendly shops, restaurants, personal and professional services, and offices.
The project was launched in 2015, with the bulk of the community outreach process completed in 2016. Port of Olympia Planning, Public Works and Environmental Director, Rachael Jamison notes that, “A key goal of the Real Estate Master Plan has been to complement the Tumwater Comprehensive plan.”
The next major consideration before the Port of Olympia Commission is to conduct an environmental review of the Real Estate Development Master Plan in compliance with the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). The environmental review of this plan, as a non-project action by the port, is anticipated to precede adoption of the plan by the Commission.
A copy of the plan and supporting documents is available online at www.trpc.org/PortofOlympiaProject. For further information, contact Rachael Jamison, Planning Public Works and Environmental Director, Port of Olympia, (360) 528-8020.