Olympia 2045: Economy
What’s happening?
Every 10 years, the City is required by State law to review and update its Comprehensive Plan. This update will look out to year 2045 to show, among other things, how the City will accommodate new population and employment growth. It is also an opportunity to make sure the Plan and Development Regulations meet current state requirements that may have changed since the last major update of the Plan.
Each chapter of the Comprehensive Plan will be updated individually, with its own public participation process and opportunities to provide feedback.
This page is for the Economy chapter update. To learn more about the general update process or other chapters, visit our Comprehensive Plan Update home page.
What does the Economy chapter address?
This chapter is our roadmap to a healthy, inclusive and sustainable economy. Its goals and policies will guide City programs, partnerships and investments that will foster positive economic conditions and provide long-term support for our city, its employers, and the people who call Olympia home. Topics include inclusive education and workforce pathways, business and entrepreneurial support, the creative economy, tourism and other conditions that foster community pride and investment.
What recent plans/work influence this update?
Since July of 2022 the City has been engaging the public around development of long-term strategies and actions for building a stronger, more inclusive economy. This effort is called Olympia Strong. One outcome will be an update to the goals and policies in the Economy chapter of the Comprehensive Plan.
How to get involved
Two public open houses were held to share what the City is already doing to strengthen our economy and advance affordable housing, and for members of the public to provide feedback used to help shape Olympia Strong actions.
Public input received throughout the Olympia Strong process has been used to draft revisions to the Economy chapter of the Comprehensive Plan. You can review and comment on the draft chapter. Two versions are available to review: A “clean” copy, which includes the full text as proposed, or a “track changes” copy, which shows new proposed text in underline and text proposed to be deleted in strikethrough.
Comprehensive Plan
Updates to the 20-year economic goals and policies in the Comprehensive Plan are expected to be reviewed by the Planning Commission in early 2024. This will include a public hearing that is yet to be scheduled.