Title
Olympia Heritage Register Nomination- Heritage Review Committee Application Review for the Evergreen Inn at 2402 Lakeridge Way SW (Permit 26-5398)
Recommended Action
Move to recommend Heritage Commission approval of the Evergreen Inn nomination to the Olympia Heritage Register
Report
Issue:
Whether to recommend approval to the full Heritage Commission to have the Evergreen Inn added to the Olympia Heritage Register based on how it meets the integrity and condition requirements as found in OMC18.12.
Staff Contact:
Brittany Gillia, Historic Preservation Officer, Community Development, 360.753.8427
Presenter(s):
Amie Gutierrez, Historic Tax Credits Manager, Ryan LLC
Background and Analysis:
The City of Olympia has received an application (Attachment 1) to place 2402 Lakeridge Way SW on the Olympia Heritage Register (herein referred to as “Register”). The applicant is Amie Gutierrez with Ryan LLC, a tax firm hired by the property owner, Olympia 196 LLC, to pursue the historic listing and a subsequent request for Special Tax Valuation with the City. The subject property has recently undergone an adaptive reuse to convert the 196-room conference hotel into 196 market-rate studio units and before and after images are provided in Attachment 2 and 3.
At this first stage of review, the Heritage Review Committee (HRC) will conduct a site visit to assess the property’s overall condition (whether it is well or poorly maintained), and integrity (whether it retains the physical character that reflects its identity or if this has changed significantly) as per OMC 18.12.080 (Attachment 4).
The meeting will not include an evaluation of the significance of the property. The HRC will determine if the property is well maintained and which element(s) of integrity the building possesses. This can be related to the location, design, setting, materials and/or artisanship. To be designated on the local Register, the HRC must find that the property possesses at least two (2) elements of integrity (Attachment 5).
Following the Committee’s recommendation, the Olympia Heritage Commission will consider the overall merit and significance of the property following a public hearing tentatively scheduled to take place on November 12, 2026.
Climate Analysis:
The greenest building is the one that is already built, and the project is an adaptive reuse which helps to reduce the waste associated with demolishing a building and with new construction. Following the NPS guidelines encourages repair of historic material as much as possible, which reduces the introduction of more waste to landfills.
Equity Analysis:
The Olympia Heritage Commission is dedicated to improving education and outreach. Every application for the Heritage Register and Special Valuation program are opportunities to engage underrepresented communities in the civic process which may lead to future involvement in the City’s historic preservation programming.
The project is an adaptive reuse of hotel units into housing units. Increasing the amount of available housing units helps to ease the pressure of rental market pricing and moves the City closer to our housing target growth rates.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
N/A
Options:
1. Recommend approval to the Olympia Heritage Commission for the Evergreen Inn nomination to the Olympia Heritage Register
2. Request additional information and recommend amendments to the Evergreen Inn nomination for reevaluation and review at a later date.
3. Do not recommend approval to the Olympia Heritage Commission for the Evergreen Inn nomination to the Olympia Heritage Register.
Financial Impact:
Listing on the Olympia Heritage Register includes the procurement and installation of a bronze plaque to be paid for by the City’s Community Development Department budget. The plaque and installation fee are estimated to cost around $1,000 together.
Attachments:
Property Owner Certification
Photos
Historic Photos
OMC18.12.080
Integrity Evaluation Guidance
Building Description
Statement of Significance
Heritage Register Checklist