Title
Report on Thurston County Courthouse and Civic Center Siting Options
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Receive a report from Thurston County and its consulting team regarding siting options for a new County Courthouse and Civic Center and provide feedback.
Report
Issue:
Whether to receive a report on where to site a new County Courthouse and Civic Center
Staff Contact:
Keith Stahley, Director, Community Planning and Development Department, 360.753.8227
Presenter(s):
Rick Thomas, Thurston County, 360.791.8449
Ron Thomas, Thomas Architecture Studio
Keith Stahley, Community Planning and Development Director 360.753.8227
Background and Analysis: Thurston County government has occupied its current facilities since 1978. Many building systems are reaching the end of their life span. Major facility deficiencies are presently being experienced and are expected to worsen. The Board of County Commissioners is considering the most prudent course of action for the future and whether it is best to reconstruct and expand the existing campus and buildings or build a new Courthouse and Administration complex elsewhere within the City Limits of Olympia.
The County commissioned a Comparative Feasibility Study in 2015 to: (a) document current and future space needs and (b) develop a comparison of alternative concepts including renovation / expansion / adaptive reuse of the existing Buildings as well as new construction options.
After completing a detailed Request for Proposals application process and review (which included representatives from the City of Olympia, Thurston County Administrative Services, Thurston County District Court, Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, and others), a contract for providing these services was awarded to the selected firm Thomas Architecture Studios (TAS), who will serve as the consultant. The professional services provided by the consultant under the on-call contract may include one or more of the following services:
A. Planning, analysis, assessment, evaluation, investigation, development of recommendations, scoping, cost estimating;
B. Preparing procedures, plans, studies, reports, correspondence, and meeting notes;
C. Support public outreach including preparing and participating in briefings to staff, citizens, and elected officials, as well as organizing, coordinating, and staffing public meetings
The City of Olympia and Thurston County entered into an interlocal agreement to jointly fund this work in September 2018. This work is now complete and TAS has submitted a complete report the County for its use. Their report evaluated three sites and prepared cost estimates, preliminary site plans and building massing diagrams to help to evaluate site feasibility.
The three sites evaluated were:
1. Hilltop Campus - five options evaluated
2. Plum Street - two options evaluated
3. Harrison Avenue - two options evaluated
The program that was evaluated included approximately 335,000 square feet of “Class A” office space and 1,200 surface or structured parking stalls. The consultant used two different approaches to evaluate the options. The first approach was driven by the program (total square footage and parking desired), and the second option was driven by the budget (capping it at $300,000,000). The cost estimate for the program driven estimate ranged from $260,000,000 to $316,000,000 while cost estimates for the budget driven approach ranged from $237,000,000 to $199,000,000 at the three sites.
The City has a significant role to play in all of these options from a land use, development review and permitting perspective. All sites would require land use review where issues like traffic, access, stormwater, urban design and neighborhood impacts would be addressed. The options proposed also may require amendments to the City’s development regulations to accommodate greater heights and other inconsistencies with the City’s development regulations.
The Plum Street options have the greatest impact on the City from a fiscal perspective. The Plum Street property currently houses the City’s municipal jail and the Leigh Creighton Justice Center. The Plum Street options would require that these facilities be replaced. The Justice Center complex is nearing the end of its useful life; however, replacing the facility is not currently in the City’s Capital Facilities Plan.
The TAS estimates that it would cost between $22,000,000 and $32,000,000 to incorporate these facilities into the new Plum Street facility. An appraisal was prepared for the Plum Street property, and it estimates the value of the property at $4,200,000.
The County currently plans to have a ballot measure on the August 2019 ballot for consideration by all Thurston County voters. They are anxious to make a decision about a site and move forward with the process of informing the voters about the measure that will be placed in front of them. In order to be on the August 2019 ballot a resolution must be passed by the County Commission by May 2019.
A Draft Memorandum of Understanding is attached that is intended to establish a framework for how the City and County will work together as this project moves forward.
Neighborhood/Community Interests:
The location of a new Courthouse and Civic Center has the potential to impact surrounding neighborhoods and is of interest to the entire city and county.
Options:
1. Receive report and provide feedback and direction to the Consultant Team and City Staff.
2. Do not receive the report.
Financial Impact:
The total cost of the consultant contract was$200,000. Thurston County will pay 75 percent (not to exceed $150,000). and Olympia will pay 25 percent (not to exceed $50,000) of the final negotiated contract amount. Funds are available in to cover this expense.
Attachments:
Link to Feasibility Report
Summary of Feasibility Report
City Cost Estimate - Program and Budget Based Estimates
Memorandum of Understanding