[Fiat Lux]

A seperate thread from the Lacey center thread.

Here is some pics of downtown Olympia. Next time I am downtown, which will probably later today, I will snap some pics of the Vine Street group's new buildings and renovations. The big attractions of downtown Olympia is the Farmer's Market (2nd largest in state behind Pike Place), the waterfront, restaurants, bars, and local independant shops. They recently opened a 2nd Anthony's reataurant and McMenamins has taken over the Spar. The state Capitol is a few blocks south of downtown up on a hill. The old state Capitol, now OSPI, is located downtown across the street from Sylvester Park, Olympia's townsquare, home to many hippy rallies and jams. On the other side of the park is downtown's largest hotel, which is for sale and may be converted into condos.

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Google maps (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=47.044013,-122.898731&spn=0.013569,0.029182&t=k&z=15&om=1)

[WESTSEATTLEGUY]

Good thread idea.

-Are there any developments going on in Olympia????
-What is the height limit downtown?????

[Fiat Lux]

Q1 - yes, there is some development. Vine street group just built a large building for state offices. They are also massively renovating their complex on Plum Street, home to the Attorney General and other state agencies. There are also various proposals on the table for condos, but nothing has actually happened yet.

Q2 - If a residential building is within 200 feet of the lake or bay, height is limited to 35 feet. If outside the shoreline boundary, height can be up to 75 feet. There are exceptions allowing taller buildings.

Aslo, the tallest building downtown's days may be numbered since Corrections has vacated it.

[WESTSEATTLEGUY]

^^^

Ohh..........

-Sad Olympia is dying :wah:

[Fiat Lux]

It isn't dying, it is just not growing downtown. Restaurants, bars, and independant shops are doing all right. It has the greatest commercial ownership diversity in the county so it will always be alive, plus with the capitol campus and many state agencies nearby, there are jobs.

The growth is happening elsewhere. They just built a mega cinemas and lifestyle center with Borders, Coldwater Creek, Bed Bath & Beyond, Chicos, Eddie Bauer, etc. on to the mall, about a mile west of downtown. Mega housing projects galore in West Olympia, Tumwater, South Olympia (including an urban village), Lacey, and Hawks Prairie.

Downtown also has events like Lakefair (this week!), Arts Walk twice a year, Pet Parade, Procession of the Hippies, uh I mean Species, Harbor Days, Sand in the City, and many more that attract people downtown. The parks, boardwalk, and Farmer's Market are always lively on nice days. Capitol Lake's circular upper bowl is Olympia's answer to Seattle's Green Lake. Views of Mt. Rainier and Olympia's namesake Olympic Mountains looking up Puget Sound from its southern terminus. Plenty of potential in downtown Olympia.

[Fiat Lux]

Downtown Olympia looking west towards Capital Mall and West Olympia


http://www.aerolistphoto.com/images/wa/olympia/2006/WAOLh060831D_014.jpg


Downtown looking east. The big white building below the 'o' is the new Vine street group's building which I believe is now home to the dept. of Corrections. Capitol Campus is above downtown to the right, Sylvester Park (town square) is in the middle, Farmer's market is on the far left (blue roof), and the Boardwalk traces the waterfront from the port terminal (far left of pic) all the way to the 4th ave, bridge (bottom of pic).

http://www.aerolistphoto.com/images/wa/olympia/2006/WAOLh060831D_024.jpg

Looking north. Capitol Lake and its popular path is to the left. The new Anthony's Hearthfire Grill is on the tip of the point above the port, the Anthony's Homeport is located along the boardwalk near other restaurants. The eye looking building on the far right is City Hall, to its left is where the Vine Street Group's renovations are taking place on their Plum Street complex. A big nightlife and restaurant area is just to the right of central downtown. Capitol Campus on the bottom.

http://www.aerolistphoto.com/images/wa/olympia/2006/WAOLh060831D_025.jpg


West Olympia. Capital Mall is the area's largest retail center. People who live in the historic Westside neighborhood can easily walk to downtown and the mall. The city's largest parks are also visable in this pic. Priest Point park is the large forest along the water up and to the left of the port peninsula . Watershed Park is the large clump of trees to the right of the freeway in the middle right of the picture. Yauger Park is under the word 'list' and also provides as a massive water retention pond for the mall. The retention part of the park is also the athletic fields, most the rest of the park is nature preserve with trails. To the left of it is Grass Lake Preserve (lower middle left pf picture).

http://www.aerolistphoto.com/images/wa/olympia/2007/WAOLh070508D_017.jpg


View from Tumwater. Lots of growth on Tumwater Hill left side of pic. The big clearing on the right side of the pic will be an urban village.

http://www.aerolistphoto.com/images/wa/tumwater/2006/WATMh061010D_030.jpg


This pic is from south of Tumwater and shows most of the urbanized sotuh sound and 4 of its 5 centers: Tumwater (above airport), West Olympia (left), downtown (middle), and Lacey (right). Hawks Prairie, where those skyscrapers may go is just out of the pic to the right. The buildings just above the airport is where most of the new state offices are being built and more are on the way. (tell your legislator to keep state jobs in downtown!)

http://www.aerolistphoto.com/images/wa/tumwater/2006/WATMh061010D_095.jpg


The view from South Lacey, an emerging commerical center and home to thousands of new homes. The Amtrak station is barely cut off the pic to the right. The train tracks (bottom right) are the UGB line, as you can tell by the picture.

http://www.aerolistphoto.com/images/wa/lacey/2006/WALCh060831D_141.jpg

[WESTSEATTLEGUY]

I wish some airlines would start service to the Olympia Airport.

[Fiat Lux]

I wish some airlines would start service to the Olympia Airport.

Big Sky did fly to Spokane for a few years, but the service wasn't profitable. Olympia is only 50 or so miles from SeaTac and 105 miles from PDX, two world class airports. What Olympia and this region needs is a highspeed rail line linking the linear urban centers from Vancouver, BC through the Willamette Valley.

[WESTSEATTLEGUY]

^^^

Yea, i knew Big Sky flew to Olympia for awhile, but having just Horizon fly there or have Delta fly there would do wonders for Olympia and put them on the map as a real city.

[Symi81]

"What Olympia and this region needs is a highspeed rail line linking the linear urban centers from Vancouver, BC through the Willamette Valley."

Right on, I agree 100%.

Olympia is a great small city. There is more sprawl style dvlmt than I'd like to see in our capitol, but Olympia is still a great area.

[Ex-Ithacan]

Wonderful pics. I haven't seen too much of Olympia's downtown before, so this was a treat. Thanks.

[NW Mike]

Nice thread, I always enjoy going to Olympia. Western Washington really needs high speed transit to Vancouver BC, and to Portland would be nice.

[sequoias]

Olympia will be always their own character of it's kind in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. :) There's no need to change with what they have now. It's a self substainable small city with their own state government employment.

[Fiat Lux]

Small city? Almost 200,000 people in the Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater area, and growing. That growth can either go in the core, in the periphery, or the next affordable town away.

[sequoias]

I'm talking about Olympia itself, not the metro. :-P

[jam5]

What Olympia and this region needs is a highspeed rail line linking the linear urban centers from Vancouver, BC through the Willamette Valley.

Agree completely.

I think Thurston County (I presume Olympia is in it) should join the Sound Transit taxing district to extend Sounder Commuter Rail (presumably along I-5) to downtown Olympia, thereby creating continuous Sound Transit rail service from Everett to Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia.

[Black Box]

I too wish for a high speed rail line. Oh well, but I still love Olympia and miss the old Thekla.

[SpongeG]

cool to see it - i have only ever driven past it on the I5 - always wondered what it might be like

[Nutterbug]

Nice thread, I always enjoy going to Olympia. Western Washington really needs high speed transit to Vancouver BC, and to Portland would be nice.

Portland rates lower in importance to a city in another country? :D

[mSeattle]

I think Olympia Photos should be in the top level of the Northwest section.

[SEA-TOWN]

Nice thread, I always enjoy going to Olympia. Western Washington really needs high speed transit to Vancouver BC, and to Portland would be nice.

I agree 100%. While the Cascades service is nice, it is very delay prone, and now the they are having trouble with the Talgo sets. Something that resembles a true high-speed corridor (Northeast Corridor) is unfortunately just a pipe dream right now...