The Thurston County Board of Commissioners approved a major step forward by entering into a purchase and sale agreement Wednesday for multiple buildings on a seven-acre, five-building site in downtown Olympia for its regional center for justice and public services.
The $34.9 million purchase of the site, located at 805 SE Plum St., comes after years of assessing facility needs, listening to input from the community and employees and exploring cost-effective options. This action starts the clock on a due diligence process before finalizing the sale and honors community feedback to improve courthouse security and integrate county services, according to a county news release.
County Manager Leonard Hernandez said during a Wednesday commissioners work session that the board is “initiating an agreement to cue up the sale” and that it is not purchasing any buildings yet. Formal board action will take place in late September.
The acquisition follows the board’s January 2025 decision to scale back renovation plans for the aging courthouse campus at 2000 Lakeridge Drive SE in Olympia as an interim, fiscally responsible approach to the security and service challenges experienced by the courts.
At the same time, staff continued exploring long-term solutions to fully address the courts’ space and security needs. As part of this effort, the county issued a Request of Expression of Interest — a competitive process that invited proposals from property owners. Through this process, a motivated seller presented a downtown site that met the county’s specific criteria. Real estate investment experts were consulted to evaluate long-term costs, confirming that acting now provides substantial savings to taxpayers over time.
“Today’s announcement marks a major milestone, but it’s just the beginning of a new chapter,” Board of Commissioners Chair Tye Menser said in a news release. “This property gives us the space and flexibility to grow with our community. As we move forward, we’re committed to a thoughtful, transparent planning process that includes our residents, employees and partners every step of the way.”
The purchase will allow for a phased move of law and justice services to downtown Olympia and the potential sale of the county’s courthouse campus properties.
“Thurston County is an amazing community that continues to grow. The courts serve an important role here,” Thurston County Superior Court Judge John Skinder said in the release. “The Superior Court judges are committed to partnering with the Board of County Commissioners to ensure that every person who comes through our doors — including jurors, litigants, community members and staff — find a safe and accessible courthouse that can serve all the needs of our community.”
Additional plans would include moving county administrative services, currently being provided at The Atrium at 3000 Pacific Ave., to the new county-owned location to maximize service delivery for the community.
County officials plan to use remaining funds from a previous $50 million bond issued in 2022 to make the purchase and expressed appreciation for the board’s foresight, noting that this early investment has positioned the county to act on Wednesday’s opportunity.
“Our existing courthouse campus was originally designed for a county population half our current size, with fewer services and a far simpler mandate. Times have changed,” Vice Chair Wayne Fournier said in the release. “Our population has grown, and county government now provides more support and programming to a much larger, more diverse community. We’re working hard to invest in a new facility that’s affordable to acquire, cost-effective to maintain and accessible to all residents.”
Fournier said during Wednesday’s meeting that the county showed financial responsibility after not having to ask taxpayers for additional funds.
“In 2018, just a few years ago, the previous commissioners were looking at trying to ask the taxpayers for a $200 million bond to build a new courthouse. Now we’re looking at using funds that we have essentially in the bank that were going to be used for an almost fruitless renovation,” he said. “To go from looking down and asking for $200 million to now we’re not having to ask for anything and we’re able to meet all our needs, that’s pretty incredible.”
Fellow county commissioners and leaders offered their thoughts on the purchase in the news release.
“Keeping old buildings that weren’t built for how we work today doesn’t make sense for taxpayers,” Commissioner Carolina Mejia said. “This is a chance to bring services together under one roof, make things easier for the public and save money in the long run. It’s not just about having a new space; it’s about doing our jobs better and making government work for the people.”
“We are responsible for operating community and residential services for the sixth-largest county in the state. We understand the critical need for a cost-conscious, sustainable and community-accessible site plan,” Commissioner Rachel Grant added.
“This campus approach is a people-first investment: it streamlines how residents access services, strengthens safety and Americans with Disabilities Act services, and preserves flexibility as we secure a new courthouse space,” Commissioner Emily Clouse said. “I look forward to hearing input from the community as we shape each step with our stakeholders in an open, collaborative process.”
As the county looks to centralize services at its new location, leaders are already turning their attention to the next steps, including comprehensive space planning and community input processes to support continued transparency and to ensure the new space supports court operations, public services and the people visiting and working there.
The process includes:
• Additional due diligence on the property before closing
• Engagement with internal departments, elected offices and the judiciary
• Public updates and input opportunities
• Phased transition plans
The opportunity to purchase downtown property and buildings will ultimately move the courts into a more secure, service-oriented location and reduce a major lease cost for administrative services, ensuring that the justice system and county services operate in a manner that is accessible, efficient and reflective of the values of all Thurston County residents.
Services included in the move are the prosecutor’s office, public defense, district court, superior court, and pretrial services.
To learn more, visit https://tinyurl.com/stzhakys.
