OLYMPIA, Wash. — Demolition is underway on a long-vacant office building at the Washington State Capitol campus, marking the end of an era for a mid-century structure once central to state government operations.
State officials have begun dismantling the General Administration Building, a six-story, 283,865-square-foot facility located on the northwest side of the campus in Olympia. The building, completed in 1956, has remained vacant since 2018 due to safety concerns and outdated infrastructure.
According to the state’s Department of Enterprise Services, the structure no longer meets modern building codes and contains hazardous materials, including asbestos, lead paint and fluorescent light ballasts with toxic chemicals. Officials have warned that entry into the building is “hazardous to human health.”
State leaders determined that renovating the aging facility would be more expensive than demolishing and eventually replacing it. The demolition project carries a budget of $16.5 million, down from earlier estimates of $18.5 million.
Initial demolition work has already begun, with crews removing interior components through openings in the structure and stripping exterior elements. Major demolition activity is expected to ramp up in mid-August, with completion targeted for November.
The surrounding area will also be affected during the process, with nearby parking lots scheduled to close to accommodate construction operations.
Despite the building’s demolition, efforts are underway to preserve key architectural and historical elements. The structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is recognized as an “outstanding example” of post-World War II modernist design.
“It is built in the International Style, distinctive for its horizontal cubical form and spare ornamentation,” the building’s nomination states. “There are few examples in Olympia, and this is the only one associated with the Capitol Campus.”
Designed by Tacoma architect A. Gordon Lumm, the building played a significant role in the mid-20th century expansion and centralization of Washington state government operations.
Several notable features have already been preserved. A 315-square-foot mosaic mural composed of more than 150,000 pieces of glass, marble and granite was relocated to a nearby government building in 2018. Additionally, an 11-foot-wide bronze state seal and a 500-pound bust of George Washington have been removed for storage and future use.
Other salvageable materials, including sandstone and granite exterior elements, doors and signage, are being stored or prepared for surplus distribution.
The site at 210 11th Avenue SW is expected to serve as a temporary laydown yard for construction materials and equipment once demolition is complete. The property’s long-term use will ultimately be determined by the state legislature.
At its peak, the General Administration Building symbolized a shift toward consolidating state agencies in Olympia. Its development followed a legal battle in the early 1950s that ultimately affirmed the capital as the central hub for government offices.
With demolition now in motion, the state is balancing safety, cost efficiency and historic preservation as it reimagines the future of the Capitol campus.
Originally reported by Jake Goldstein-Street in Washington State Standard.
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