FAQs

The west side of the subarea is bordered by Cooper Point Road. It is generally bounded by Black Lake Boulevard and Division Street on the east. Cooper Point Road and Black Lake Boulevard intersect at the southern point of the subarea, giving a triangular shape to the boundary.

On the northern side of the boundary, the commercial and higher-density residential zoning districts on the north side of Harrison Avenue are included in the subarea, while zoning districts where residential density allowed is twelve units or fewer per acre are not included.

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The community vision adopted in the 2014 Comprehensive Plan identified three areas of the City that are planned to accommodate more housing by transforming into a mixed use, people oriented urban center. One of these areas is known as the Capital Mall Triangle area. As time and resources allow, the City engages with the community to develop subarea plans to establish a framework for how each area will be redeveloped and what is needed to get there. The City conducted a similar process for the Downtown a few years ago.

At the end of 2021 the City was awarded a $250,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce. Under the terms of the grant, the City will create a final draft subarea plan and environmental impact statement by June 2023. The adoption process is outside of the grant timeframe and would occur later that year.

A subarea plan is a type of long range plan for a limited geographic area within a community. Subarea plans focus on goals and policies to form the framework for the plan as well as specific goals and policies for land-use, environmental protection, and transportation. A subarea plan must be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan but can provide a more detailed framework for a specific area of the city.

Housing

Significantly more housing development is planned for this area mixed in with and designed to be compatible with new and existing commercial uses. Complexities in the development code currently create barriers that inhibit this kind of private investment. A long-term strategy is needed to lift those barriers and facilitate our vision of a transit-oriented, mixed-use urban center. Goals include:

• Achieving more mixed use/housing development. 
• Providing for housing that is affordable for a range of incomes. 
• Improving equity through greater housing/job access for low-income residents, who are disproportionately people of color and working-class residents facing a shortage of workforce housing. 
• Strengthening local sense of place and district character through design and engagement. 

Transportation

A gridded street network will make it easier for people to use transit, to walk or to bike, and transform the subarea into a vibrant urban center where many more residents can conveniently access jobs, school, services and recreation without a car. Goals include:

• Leveraging existing and future transit investments. 
• Improving access and circulation for all modes of travel, especially transit, walking, biking and driving.

Business & property owners

A subarea plan will increase certainty for those who make long-term investments while also providing predictability to the public concerning area growth and change over time. Goals include:

• Stimulating interest in business development, both local and regional in scale, that grows the area economy and increases job opportunities for Olympia residents.
• Identifying redevelopment opportunities stemming from changes in retail and commercial sectors.
• Harnessing new economic opportunities and leverage them to help realize housing development goals.

Environment

Transit oriented development is a major solution to the growing problems of climate change and energy consumption by creating dense, walkable communities that greatly reduce the need for driving. Goals include:

• Advancing regional climate change adaptation strategies.
• Reducing dependence on the automobile by providing viable alternatives to driving and shorter distances between home, work and play.
• Focusing growth in already developed areas to reduce pressure on the natural environment.
• Expanding the supply of high-density housing, which typically consumes less energy.
• Incorporating green infrastructure (trees and other vegetation) to promote cleaner air and water, minimize flooding, reduce ‘urban heat islands,’ and promote overall environmental health.

An EIS is a tool for identifying and analyzing probable adverse environmental impacts, reasonable alternatives, and possible mitigation. An EIS can be prepared for a “project” or “nonproject” type of process. A project EIS could be required for certain types of development projects. A “nonproject” EIS can be prepared for planning decisions that provide the basis for later project review. Nonproject actions are the adoption of plans, policies, programs, or regulations that contain standards controlling the use of the environment or that will regulate a series of connected actions. Examples include comprehensive plans, subarea plans, and development regulations.

A nonproject EIS can be used to compare alternatives, identify likely impacts of a preferred alternative, and to determine the appropriate mitigation measures of those impacts. Those measures can be required of future development projects.

To follow up on subarea plans and EIS work, cities can adopt development regulations that make the applicable mitigation measures requirements for all future development in the subarea. This means those measures apply to all future development, even those that would otherwise be exempt from review under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).

The City and the community went through an extensive Comprehensive Planning process between 2009 and 2014. There were a significant number of public meetings and input was received from a wide variety of community members. The Future Land Use Map in the Comprehensive Plan shows where the City expects certain land uses to occur and at what levels of intensity. For example, the majority of the City and its urban growth area is set aside for low density residential neighborhoods.  Three commercial areas (the Downtown, and an area on the east side of town and one on the west side of town) were identified as areas that would transform into vibrant, mixed use, high density neighborhoods. The Land Use and Urban Design chapter of the Plan described the Capital Mall Triangle area as follows:

“The Capital Mall area is a regional shopping center, which also includes one of the area’s best balances of jobs within walking distance of medium-density housing. This area should continue to be economically viable and contribute to the community’s goals with infill, redevelopment, and connections to adjacent areas for all modes of travel. It is to evolve into a complete urban neighborhood with a mix of jobs, housing, and services. Redevelopment and incremental expansion consistent with community goals will allow the mall to flexibly adapt to retail trends. Design standards will encourage continued infill and redevelopment in the vicinity of 4th Avenue and Kenyon Street so that the potential of the mall and its surrounding properties can be fully realized.”

By planning in advance, we’re able to help inform our transportation planning efforts to best align with the anticipated land uses.  Ultimately, we want access throughout the area to be better served by street connections, transportation options for all modes of travel, and to improve the opportunity to live with less vehicle dependence.  A street grid can break up the large block sizes and create shorter trips to encourage more walking and bicycling. Through the subarea planning process we will work with Intercity Transit to identify actions we can take to promote transit in the area.

Transit-oriented communities typically offer compact, mixed-use communities near transit where people enjoy easy access to jobs and services.

A specific targeted number of new residences has not yet been identified. It may be that up to 3,000 new residences are added over the next 20-30 years. Most housing units will probably be apartments and condominiums. The City expects to accommodate housing for a variety of income levels here, including affordable, work force, and market rate housing.

It will take a year or two to complete the subarea planning process and work through the adoption process. Changes to zoning codes and development standards may occur at the same time or lag slightly behind the planning process.  But on the ground changes can take several years to occur. The City anticipates the transformation to a more urban, mixed use neighborhood where people can live, work, play, shop, dine, and find entertainment in close proximity will occur over the next 20 – 30 years.

There will be public investments in infrastructure, amenities, and services. Additionally, most of the land within the subarea is privately owned. Each property owner may have decisions to make about their own investment and redevelopment options and timelines.

After many years of planning the City and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) have recommended new highway on and off ramps be constructed to US 101 at Kaiser Rd and Yauger Way. The project is needed to improve access to businesses, the Capital Medical Center, and other destinations on Olympia’s westside, and alleviate congestion at Black Lake Boulevard and Cooper Point Road.

An Interchange Justification Report was completed in 2016. This report documents the need and predesign elements of the project. WSDOT approved the report, allowing the project to proceed. The City’s next step is to seek funding for design, right of way acquisition, and environmental permit and mitigation work for the project. This stage is estimated to cost $6 million, and the City is seeking State funding for this work. Future construction is estimated to cost $35 million and will largely need to be paid for with grants. Construction is anticipated in approximately 10+ years.

Learn more about the interchange project here.