All of downtown Olympia is at risk of major flooding in the coming decades, Climate Resilience Coordinator Natalie Weiss said. The city’s Heritage Commission met on June 24 to discuss what buildings and other pieces of infrastructure could be affected by rising waters, and what could be done to mitigate the potential damage.
The commission also heard a proposal from Nora Yao, a University of Washington Master of Architecture student who pitched the preservation of the historic KGY radio station located at the northern tip of the Port of Olympia peninsula. The midcentury over-the-water building housed the 100-year-old station from 1960 until its ground lease ended in 2024.
At the time of the move, the building’s health was put into question, and there were calls to have it demolished and for the creosote pilings it stood on to be removed from the water, according to previous reporting from The Olympian…