EnergizingEast Bay Meeting Community Goals In combination, the community benefits provided by this partnership will be much greater than the sum of the individual projects. Together, the projects help fulfill three key community goals. Education and beyond The East Bay district will create learning opportunities for all ages. New projects include expanding the regional children’s museum, establishing a new water education center, and developing new indoor and outdoor exhibits about water conservation, reclaimed water, Puget Sound cleanup, and climate change. Environment Imagine . . . Under the guidance of the Department of Ecology, the partners are ensuring the comprehensive environmental cleanup of the district. Each partner is responsible for the cleanup of their project areas. Several of the new buildings are designed to be LEED certified, creating a rare cluster of environmentally-sustainable buildings. a vibrant and inviting Economic Renewal drawing people to Working together, the partners are making a major investment in projects that will help revitalize the eastern area of downtown Olympia and stimulate economic development in the community. They are creating a dynamic core of economic activity with opportunities for learning, shopping, dining, working, and recreating. the waterfront, new East Bay area, learning opportunities, public services, and nearby downtown businesses. The Port of The Olympia, the Hands Partners in East Bay Renewal On Children’s Museum, the LOTT Clean Water Alliance, and the City of Olympia are working For more information about these projects... together to create this dynamic center of activity, connecting the East Lisa Dennis-Perez, Public Communications Manager (360) 528-5719 / [email protected] Rick Dougherty, Project Manager (360) 753-8485 / [email protected] Bay district to downtown Olympia and the surrounding communities. Patty Belmonte, Executive Director (360) 956-0818 / [email protected] Kathleen White, Communications Manager (360) 528-8012 / [email protected] July 2011 What’s In the Works? • Public Plaza – A vibrant, central Public Plaza and gathering space • Hands On Children’s Museum – A new, larger Hands On Children’s Museum • Water Education Center and Business Offices – A new Regional Services Center, housing the WET Science Center, laboratory, and offices for LOTT • Future shops, restaurants, offices, and possibly a hotel and urban housing on redeveloped Port property • City Hall – A new City Hall with convenient public services, adjacent to the East Bay district LOTT Alliance Hands On Children’s Museum Regional Services Center New Museum on East Bay The LOTT Alliance built a new Regional Services Center at its Budd Inlet Treatment Plant site near East Bay. The Center, which houses the WET Science Center, water quality laboratory, and business offices, was completed in summer 2010. Unique Learning Experiences The WET Science Center provides unique learning experiences for all ages, with interactive activities and displays, classroom space, and an outdoor water feature showcasing LOTT’s Class A Reclaimed Water. Free and open to the public, the WET Center addresses the importance of clean water, science and technology of wastewater treatment, health of Budd Inlet, and ways to protect and conserve precious water. Sustainable Building Practices The Regional Services Center is certified LEED Platinum for sustainable design. It includes a larger Board Room to improve access for a variety of public meetings, expansion of LOTT’s water quality laboratory, and sustainable building features such as on-site power generation, recycled wood from the deconstructed Port warehouse, and use of natural lighting. The construction cost was $13.5 million. Port of Olympia District Revitalization As owner of the 13.3-acre East Bay property, the Port of Olympia first engaged the community to help define a vision for the area in 2003. Since then, the Port has been working with its community partners to make that vision a reality. Waterfront Revitalization The vision for the East Bay district is a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly community with attractive public and commercial buildings, shops, restaurants, and possibly a hotel and urban housing. While the current market has meant a slow-down in building and development, the Port of Olympia is moving forward to make East Bay even more attractive for the coming market upswing. Environmental Cleanup Formerly a “brown” industrial area, the first step in redevelopment was a comprehensive environmental cleanup. The Port has led an unprecedented partnership of public entities in this cleanup effort, under the oversight of the Washington State Department of Ecology. The Port is also working on the final cleanup of the remaining parcels so they will be ready for development when the market improves. Community Investment The Port is investing more than $10 million in district infrastructure including roads, underground utilities, and environmental cleanup to jump-start further public and private investment in the East Bay area. Infrastructure construction, including new roads that connect downtown Olympia to the East Bay district, was completed in spring 2010. The award-winning Hands On Children’s Museum serves more than 162,000 children and their families each year, and has outgrown its space three times in little more than a decade. Designed to be a nationwide leader in sustainable construction, operations, and exhibits, the Children’s Museum will open in fall 2012, and will be LEED certified. Major Education Attraction The new, regional facility will grow to 28,000 square feet of indoor space, with easy on-site parking. Eight new galleries include a Tides to Trees Climber that allows children to climb 2½ floors into an eagle’s nest. A whimsical water table will allow children to toss balls into a 15 foot vortex and touch a mist bell. The facility includes an Early Learning Center, beautiful art studio, cafe, and a museum store. Room for Outdoor Discovery The new Outdoor Discovery Center – the first of its kind in the state – will inspire a love of nature with a half-acre of hands-on learning experiences. Families can explore a hike and trike loop, driftwood fort construction, giant sand and gravel dig, outdoor art, children’s garden, naturalist cabin, and more! Innovative Public/Private Partnership This $18 million project is funded by individual contributions, corporate, foundation and government grants, business sponsorships, Public Facilities District funds, and City of Olympia Tourism funds. City of Olympia New City Hall The City of Olympia’s new City Hall on 4th Avenue is just two blocks south of the East Bay district. The building, designed for LEED Gold certification, was officially opened to the public on March 26, 2011. Improved Access to Public Services Olympia’s new City Hall provides convenient, one-stop access to services that were previously located in several different buildings, including the Police Department, City and Public Works administration, and Community Planning and Development. All Four Partners Public Plaza At the heart of the East Bay district lies a new Public Plaza. LOTT owns and maintains the plaza, but all four partners contributed to its design and development. The plaza opens to the public in August 2012. New Public Amenities The plaza includes seating areas, public art, walking paths, educational elements, and a public restroom. A reclaimed water feature provides the focal point in the plaza, inviting visitors to interact with this urban “stream” and learn more about our local water resources. Dynamic, Open, Inviting Public Spaces The plaza serves as a public meeting space, drawing the public toward the East Bay waterfront for everyday visits and special events, such as the Hands On Children’s Museum annual Sand in the City event. The plaza improves public access to the waterfront and complements existing open spaces such as Percival Landing, Port Plaza, and North Point. Meeting Community Goals In combination, the community benefits provided by this partnership are much greater than the sum of the individual projects. Together, the projects help fulfill three key community goals. Education EnergizingEast Bay and beyond The East Bay district provides learning opportunities for all ages. The Hands On Children’s Museum, LOTT’s WET Science Center, and the East Bay Public Plaza feature indoor and outdoor exhibits about water conservation, reclaimed water, the health of Puget Sound, and climate change. Environment Under the guidance of the Department of Ecology, the partners are ensuring the comprehensive environmental cleanup of the district. Several of the new buildings are designed to be LEED certified, creating a rare cluster of environmentallysustainable buildings. Imagine . . . a vibrant and inviting East Bay area, Economic Renewal drawing people to Working together, the partners are making a major investment in projects that will help revitalize the eastern area of downtown Olympia and stimulate economic development in the community. They are creating a dynamic core of economic activity with opportunities for learning, shopping, dining, working, and recreating. the waterfront, new learning opportunities, public services, and nearby downtown businesses. The Port of The Olympia, the Hands Partners in East Bay Renewal On Children’s Museum, the LOTT Clean Water Alliance, and the City of Olympia are working For more information about these projects... together to create this dynamic center of activity, connecting the East Lisa Dennis-Perez, Public Communications Manager (360) 528-5719 / [email protected] Rick Dougherty, Project Manager (360) 753-8485 / [email protected] Bay district to downtown Olympia and the surrounding communities. Patty Belmonte, Executive Director (360) 956-0818 / [email protected] Kathleen White, Communications Manager (360) 528-8012 / [email protected] July 2012 What’s New? • Public Plaza – A vibrant, central public plaza and gathering space • Hands On Children’s Museum – A new, larger Hands On Children’s Museum • Water Education Center and Business Offices – A new Regional Services Center, housing the WET Science Center, laboratory, and offices for LOTT • Future shops, restaurants, offices, and possibly a hotel and urban housing on redeveloped Port property • City Hall – A new City Hall with convenient public services, adjacent to the East Bay district