Submitted by Thurston County Board of County Commissioners
Do you have an idea of what you would like to see in a new Courthouse and Civic Center? Come to our open house and give us feedback on your experiences and perspective of the current courthouse and tell us what you would like to see in the new Courthouse and Civic Center on October 15 and 16, and November 6 and 7. The Commissioners and County leadership will use your feedback in making a final decision on one of three sites.
Open Houses on the Thurston County Courthouse and Civic Center Project: The Challenges – What are we solving?
October 15, 2018, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Yelm Community Center, 301 2nd St. SE, Yelm
October 15, 2018, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Tenino High School, 500 W 2nd Ave, Tenino
October 16, 2018 (5 sessions) 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Olympia Center, 222 Columbia St. NW, Olympia
The agenda for the October meetings will cover:
- Features of the three sites being considered
- Challenges needing to be addressed for each site
- Project schedule and process
- Funding options
- Projections of what county department needs will be 30 years from now
- Open house participant input and feedback session
The current courthouse buildings are at the end of their useful life and cost significant taxpayer dollars to maintain and operate. The current layout presents challenges when delivering services for citizens who come to the different buildings in the courthouse complex. A new or updated courthouse and civic center will improve and consolidate services, promote long-term cost savings, and enhance access for citizens looking to do business with the various County offices and departments.
This project is intended to:
- Make using county services more convenient and easier
- Keep jurors and those working in the building safer
- Reduce the cost to operate and maintain the buildings
- Be environmentally sustainable
- Reflect our pride in living in Thurston County, the Capital County of Washington State
The three sites being evaluated in the feasibility study are:
- Hill Top Site – Renovation/expansion of the Courthouse and Civic Center at its’ current Lakeridge Drive location.
- Plum Street Site – Construction of a new Courthouse and Civic Center on the existing City of Olympia, Creighton Justice Center, property on Plum Street.
- Harrison West Site – Construction of a new Courthouse and Civic Center on property located at Harrison Avenue NW and Kaiser Road SW.
Thomas Architecture Studios (TAS), the consultant group hired to perform the feasibility study, will be facilitating these public input sessions. Also, add these upcoming meetings to your calendar for our second round of stakeholder meetings and community open houses, when TAS will present design ideas for each site for feedback.
Open House on the Thurston County Courthouse and Civic Center Project: The Challenges – How can we solve the challenges?
November 6, 2018 (5 sessions) 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Lacey Community Center, 6729 Pacific Ave. SE, Olympia
November 7, 2018 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.,
City of Rainier, 102 Rochester St. W, Rainier
November 7, 2018, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Rochester High School Commons, 19800 Carper Rd. SW, Rochester
Learn more about this project and upcoming meeting dates at: https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/bocc/Pages/courthouse-civic-project.aspx
The County anticipates bringing the completed proposal to the citizens for a vote during the August 2019 election.
Disability Accommodations
To request disability accommodations, contact Whitney Pearsall at 360-786-5440 or email at pearsaw@co.thurston.wa.us at least five days prior to the meeting. Persons with speech or hearing disabilities may call via Washington Relay: 711 or 800-833-6388.
Featured photo credit: Diane Waiste
