Jane Jacobs, the author of “The Death and Life of Great American Cities,” wrote, “You can’t rely on bringing people downtown; you have to put them there.”
Her observation reminded me of a recent CNN story (May 14) which focused on how San Francisco may be a failing city in the face of a rising crime rate, drug usage and a growing number of those without a home.
This caused me to wonder if, for example, the homeless who wander in Olympia’s downtown area are there because of some of the city councils' decisions. From what I saw and smelled, it would appear so; and I could relate to what the citizens of San Francisco now tolerate in their once-beautiful city.
This is not to say that the homeless are to blame for all of the urban plight in the downtown area. From what I have seen, some businesses and individuals yielding spray paint cans bear responsibility some of the blame.
Many alleys are filled with garbage and debris; sidewalks and curbing in the downtown area are cracked and broken; some of the homeless wantonly trespass and leave their garbage and drug paraphernalia behind; a noticeable number of buildings are for rent or sale; many of the remaining storefronts look drab; and graffiti on private property is omnipresent.
I again found myself recalling Jacobs’ observation and wondered how Olympia’s leaders will convince people to come into the downtown area. I know that I would not want to open a business there.
While there is no one single person to blame for the state of the downtown area, many of Olympia’s citizens are justifiably angry that the once beautiful area and the past and present businesses therein now bear the results of several poor and costly decisions made by a number of city councils. Civic leaders have failed them.
Perhaps the current city council should focus its attention on cleaning up the downtown area to draw people and businesses to the city’s center, rather than pursuing projects like minimizing parking spaces or creating a Regional Fire Authority.
To paraphrase the Greek philosopher Plato, downtown Olympia is what it is today because past and the present city councils are as they are.
JM Simpson is a veteran photojournalist who lives in Lacey.
The opinions expressed above are those of the writer and not necessarily those of The JOLT's staff or board of directors. Got something to say about a topic of interest to Thurston County residents? Send it to us and we’ll most likely publish it. See the Contribute your news button at the top of every page.
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psterry
Once again I quote Charlie Munger, Buffett's partner and sidekick, "Show me the incentives and I'll show you the outcome."
Olympia seems pleased with the way things have turned out. Perhaps that explains why it does not want to expand its borders. If it did, expanding into new neighborhoods would also expand the voter base. Think about that. New blood? Nah.
Tuesday, June 13, 2023 Report this
johnvaneenwyk
there are, of course, multiple reasons why a downtown loses its quality. one, however, that is rarely mentioned is that there are virtually no viable downtowns these days that are immediately adjacent to an industrial port. whatever the port of olympia considers its benefits to the economy of thurston county, a viable downtown economy is certainly not one. close the port and turn the penninsula into a mini stanley park and watch olympia's downtown thrive.
Tuesday, June 13, 2023 Report this
HappyOlympian
"Perhaps the current city council should focus its attention on cleaning up the downtown area to draw people and businesses to the city’s center, rather than pursuing projects like minimizing parking spaces or creating a Regional Fire Authority." Well put! I work downtown, and am there both day and night. Olympia is on the edge, and during the last decade downtown has become a dangerous place even while adding new, expensive homes. More police on foot are needed. At any time, raging, intoxicated people stagger about threatening random people, and they need to be arrested and prosecuted. Anything less and this problem will make the urban core empty of any business or services.
Tuesday, June 13, 2023 Report this
JohnPaget
I live and work in downtown Olympia, and have great hope for its future.
Garbage, grafitti, broken sidewalks are one dimension of the problem, which you could classify as "management and maintenance" issues. And then there are other forces hurting downtown, which have to do with infrastructure and design. Much of this can be fixed. What downtown does have going for it (and what so many places in America lack) is great bones: a grid of very walkable streets, short blocks, and fine grain urban fabric. And history!
These are all the elements of a successful place in the 21st century.
Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Report this
Deanima
First, that was in no way a paraphrase of Plato... Second, have you not noticed the multiple mixed use developments that have been and are being developed downtown? The downtown area is far from dying. In fact it is growing faster now than in its entire history, Of course the issue of homelessness and drug use is terrible and it has to be addressed, but the downtown is not dying.
Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Report this
Oly1963
Thank you for this piece. I grew up in Thurston County and can't adequately express the sadness and frustration I feel when I drive through (because I now avoid going there as much as possible) downtown. This is my home - a place I've always been proud of. I loved the quirks and self-expression of our citizens. But now - this woke ideology and acceptance of negative, oppressiveness for the few who choose to live as they do, without actually addressing the root causes will NEVER get us to a place where we once again living in a vibrant, beautiful and most of all safe place. Shame, shame, shame on the Olympia City Council and it's citizens who choose to live like this. Olympia is more than just a city with boundaries - it's the State Capitol and destination for Washington residents. It was once a proud city with leadership interested in making not just Olympia, but Tumwater too a real destination for people to see how our government works and to visit the beauty of our community. But that place no longer exists. Businesses cannot thrive without people willing to come into downtown. Building more apartments that sit vacant isn't going to fix the problem either. Eliminating parking won't do it. Handing out needles won't do it. Sending out bulletins about bad heroin won't do it. Allowing crime to run rampant won't do it. Wake up people! Come back to civility and reality! PLEASE before it's too late!!
Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Report this
JW
If all the services for the thieving and criminal transients were closed or at the very least moved---but I'd prefer permanently shuttered---then it would disincentivize them to hang around downtown.
Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Report this
Larry Dzieza
I thank JM Simpson for sharing thoughts and stimulating a discussion about Downtown and the City's role.
I do, however, disagree with the headline that downtown is dying.
Rather, it is becoming a micro-scale of what SF has become -- a stark and shameful study in income inequality.
The city launched a deliberate plan to building expensive to rent or buy market-rate housing downtown and it is working very well for the investors, especially since the city gifts them 8-year exemptions from having to pay their property taxes.
It is called the Multi-Family Tax Exemption (MFTE) and it is WONDERFUL for the city but not so much for everyone else who has to pay the taxes on behalf of the investors. The MFTE results in the city getting EXACTLY the same amount of property tax dollars that the buildings would have paid because the City increases the tax rate for everyone else to make up the difference. (Yes, it is legal and the WA Commerce Department calls it a "Tax Shift").
As planned, it is bringing higher income people downtown and it is becoming economically bi-modal concentrated on the high and low ends, ironically, with a missing middle.
What the City should be doing is to either end the tax shift from the wealthy investors (approximately $2m shifted each year) to the rest of us or use incenctives that require the real estate investors to include moderate and affordable units in their developments.
Without changing their course, the city is assuring income segregation via housing when it should be doing the opposite. Otherwise, Olympia risks being a little slice of San Francisco's worst aspects.
Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Report this
SecondOtter
For years it seems as if the Olympia City council cherrypicked the issues it wanted to face. Anne Buck was harassed by the council when she installed a security gate. Yes, it "ruined the ambience" or whatever the council thought what Olde Olympia should look like, but it also kept the homeless from defecating in her doorway.
The city installed parking meters. Why? Income,. The rumor was it was to keep State Employees from parking on the streets but I don't believe that for a moment. The meters made would be shoppers feel ripped off. Now I understand that the city will make it so that you have to pay more for less time.
The Tea Lady had a vibrant business on the corner of 5th and Capitol and left due to higher costs. The council harassed Ziegler's Welding because their building was "old, antiquated" and didn't fit the Look of Olympia, the same look that Buck's Fifth Avenue had..whatever THAT may be.
And lets not forget that everywhere you look now, there are the homeless who seem to feel entitled, these days, to defecate, shoot up and indulge in anti social behaviour as they're now "the disadvantaged" or the "unhoused". Yes, I know, 'it's "No Crime TO be Homeless". Isn't it a crime to defecate on the sidewalk, or drop your needles where someone can come in contact with them?
Yet the council balked at putting in a porta potty for the homeless to use near the Artesian Well. A few years ago I attended the Bon Odori drumming festival and the park's bathrooms were LOCKED. LOCKED so that the hundreds of people who attended couldn't use them. Is it any wonder that the drumming group said they weren't ever returning?
The only enforcement of law I see downtown is that of the parking. You can shoot up in broad daylight but if you forget to put an extra quarter in the meter you're going to get nailed. Oh, and many of the meters don't work right anyway.
Olympia, you want to stay vibrant? More law enforcement, moving the homeless from the streets. Clean up the city. Encourage businesses to move in by LOWERING RENTS. Get rid of the darned meters. Provide public restrooms. Hire people to keep them CLEAN.
But I'm sure you'll ignore this and other comments.
I'm waiting for the first Pawn shop and Antique store to move in. That's always the first businesses to take advantage of a dying city.
Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Report this
Terrilovesanimals
When I talk to people about going downtown their first reaction is they don't feel safe. I still go down because I love some shops down there. I do not like being approached or seeing vagrants sleeping or doing drugs down there, leaving trash and other things for people like me to go around. The problem is, they have no skin in the game. They don't have to clean up after themselves or pay for anything, just beg or steal, do their drugs, sleep, eat and urinate or defecate wherever they like. That needs fixed!
Then our downtown will be as wonderful as I know it can be again!
Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Report this
KatAshe
As bad as the downtown core can feel, as a 77 year old widow with some physical limitations, I still enjoy shopping and dining downtown. Personally, I’ve had no difficulties with the homeless or addicted. I’ve never had a problem shopping or dining on 4th, 5th or Capitol. Of course I avoid the areas along 4th later at night where there are many bars are located, but I still enjoy going about to dinner at night.
I do find it very discouraging about the number of vacant storefronts. They discourage shopping at those businesses still open.
We absolutely need a pro business city council, preferably business owners themselves.
My biggest peeve about driving downtown to attend night time events is parking. Unless you have a smartphone with Apple Pay or similar, it’s not possible to use parking lots, so that means having to arrange for a cab, not Uber or lift, as they require a smartphone too.
Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Report this
Larry Dzieza
johnvaneenwyk's comment about the role of the Port of Olympia was a good one.
I wonder which city Olympians think we should be evolving to become more like, within reach of our natural attributes.
johnvaneenwyk's point about giving up on the Port as an industrial makes a lot of sense and Vancouver B.C., though not without problems, has a lot going for it.
What other cities do JOLT readers think Olympia should think about becoming more like?
Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Report this
Callie
I recommend the book- Homelessness is a Housing Problem
https://homelessnesshousingproblem.com/
Thoughtful and referenced, and you don't have to read the whole book -the web page has a good summary.
Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Report this
TheVirtualOne
I second the suggestion that downtown is dying. I, along many of my family and friends, used to visit downtown Olympia, but now avoid it because of the deterioration and unsafe environment. It used to be a place I would take my out of town visiting friends and family. No more. We owe our city government a swift kick in the you know what when it comes to the failing policies, lack of accountability, and failure in fixing the mess, not to mention the millions of wasted taxpayer dollars spent on their experiments (the artesian well park they built then shut down, the tent city they built that destroyed downtown businesses, etc.). I don’t think we owe downtown anything more. Suggest that businesses should move out and start over in a better location that has more of an upside. Short of getting Clint Eastwood to come to Olympia and run for mayor, I think it’s over for downtown, despite the few things people have said about new building and construction there.
Thursday, June 15, 2023 Report this
Theolympians
My mom and I were downtown a couple of weeks ago and went out to lunch at Row. We originally were going towards McMenamens (sp?) however after walking past a pile of human ****, puddles of urine, and two absolutely crazy and filthy men roaming all over the sidewalk we decided to go back to the car and ended up at Row. This little snippet of Oly is much cleaner and it’s a real shame the rest of downtown can’t be more like there. Also of note for the city, all the welcome to Olympia signs on poles are dirty and faded. It really gives a tired and neglected look. Is it too much to ask to have a decent and CLEAN downtown?
Thursday, June 15, 2023 Report this
JstPlnOnry
I’d like to see the JOLT do a story on how many people are leaving Thurston County, or maybe even the whole state of Washington. Perhaps a poll or survey for readers to respond to along with an article showing how many residents were here & how many left during the years of 2013 & 2023. Ask them if they’ve moved, are they planning on moving, where they moved to or are planning on moving to & why. More & more long time residents are fleeing Thurston County & Washington. Most will tell you they wished they’d left sooner & it was the best decision they’ve made. Many others have plans to leave as soon as they’re able. Nobody feels safe here anymore or they’ve watched a once beautiful state capital disintegrate rapidly. Nobody trusts the city & county leaders to fix the horrible problems they’ve created & protected.
We left Olympia 5 years ago because of the crime, filth, businesses closing, & the complete lack of our city & county leaders doing anything about it. In fact, being homeless, a thief, &/or a drug addict, seems like it is a protected class thanks to Olympia & Thurston County city leaders, prosecutors, & judges. We didn’t feel safe and didn’t feel the city & county leaders cared for us hard working, law abiding taxpayers. We lived in Olympia 20 years and left to live out in the country in a city that does not tolerate homelessness, drugs or crime. It’s an amazing feeling to feel safe in our city! Unlike Olympia, our city, county leaders, & residents support our law enforcement officers. Our city & county has no graffiti, our parks are safe, & residents don’t fear being in danger wherever we go.
Shame on all the Olympia & Thurston County leaders, prosecutors, & judges. People say vote them out yet the same candidates keep getting (re)elected which shows being woke, broke, homeless, drug addicted & a criminal is the new norm In Thurston County.
Take your money & spend it anywhere but Thurston County! Hit their pocketbook hard! Safe your money & flee the city & county! Thurston County will take several years to recover, IF it can recover at all.
Friday, June 16, 2023 Report this