Stroll the grounds of the Washington state Capitol and it’s hard to miss the boxy, white building squatting on the campus’ northern edge, its four floors of linear window banks staring back at the manicured lawns and paths across the way.
For some, the 283,865-square-foot General Administration Building, vacant since 2018, stands as a reminder of a bygone era of architecture and government in Olympia. For others, it’s an eyesore occupying a large city lot.
Either way, its days are numbered. The Legislature last year approved $4.3 million to plan for demolition of the structure and the state’s Department of Enterprise Services is seeking comments through Sept. 11 on a draft environmental review for the teardown.
A spokesman for the agency said that the total cost of demolition itself is forecast to be an additional $14.2 million, for a total project cost of $18.5 million.
Completed in 1956, the building was designed in a minimalist, post-World War II style that became common for institutional structures around the U.S. in the second half of the 20th century.
Its poured concrete shell is painted off-white. A vertical, sandstone “pylon” serves as something of a decorative element, stretching from ground to roof, with the state seal affixed near its top.
“The General Administration Building is an outstanding example of Modern architecture in Olympia,” notes a form the Washington State Historic Preservation Office filed in 2007 to have the building added to the National Register of Historic Places.
“It is built in the International Style, distinctive for its horizontal cubical form and spare ornamentation. There are few examples in Olympia, and this is the only one associated with the Capitol Campus,” the filing added.
Despite this architectural significance, the Department of Enterprise Services says the building is at the end of its usable lifespan with structural, electrical and plumbing systems that are outdated and unsafe. The planned demolition project includes capping all utilities, performing an asbestos survey, and stabilizing a hillside at the site.
“Entry is hazardous to human health,” the department said in a statement about the building on Monday. “Renovating the building would be more costly than replacing it.”
In its place, a temporary 293-stall parking lot is planned, along with, potentially, a new restroom building. The parking lot will cover about 120,000 square feet.
As early as the 1890s, until around the time the building was constructed, many state agencies had located their main offices in Seattle.
But, as the National Register of Historic Places filing recounts, four businessmen with ties to Olympia, helped by former Attorney General Smith Troy, an Olympia native, filed a lawsuit arguing the agencies were constitutionally required to be located in the state capital.
The state Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of the businessmen in 1954. The court decision led to heightened demand for government office space in Olympia, including an expansion in the design for the General Administration Building.
More on the draft environmental review can be found here.
Comments can be submitted by email to DESSEPA@des.wa.gov or mailed to: Department of Enterprise Services, General Administration Building SEPA Checklist, Attn: John Lyons, 1500 Jefferson St. SE, Suite 3050, Olympia, WA 98504
