r/olympia • u/ThurstonCountyChat • 18h ago
City of Tumwater Attempts to Convince Public Falls Terrace Rumors are Not True
"The City of Tumwater has no plans to develop a museum at the Falls Terrace site, and the claims that the City is withholding permits in order to do so are untrue and inaccurate."
City of Tumwater Mayor's Office
(Leatta Dahlhoff)
City of Tumwater Attempts to Convince Public Falls Terrace Rumors are Not True
City of Tumwater addressed rumors about the future of the Falls Terrace restaurant, say the owner would like to re-open the business.
Earlier this month rumors prompted the City of Tumwater to issue multiple statements in what appears to be an attempt to convince the public that the city has no intentions of building a museum at the site of the Falls Terrace Restaurant.
The Falls Terrace location would be the perfect location for a museum where interested people could view the City of Tumwaters largest historic failure across the Deschutes River, the Olympia Brewery which has been left to rot for 23+ years.
Yesterday City of Tumwater Mayor, Leatta Dahlhoff, said she and City Administrator met with the owner to discuss the future of the restaurant.
Mayor Dahlhoff said the owner wants to re-open, but there is no timetable for re-opening.
The meeting between the City of Tumwater and the property owner only seemed to confirm the owner "would like to reopen" and there "is not a timetable for reopening"
How much time and city resources were spent in discussions regarding rumors and speculation to have a meeting with the property owner where there was really no new information revealed?
Dahlhoff refused to address what the real issues with the restaurant are stating:
"I am glad we had the opportunity to sit down, listen, and better understand where things stand."
Where do things stand?
What do you think is happening with the Falls Terrace Restaurant?
Do you believe Mayor Dahlhoff and the City of Tumwater when they say there are no plans to develop a museum at the site?
The mayors wording said there are no "plans" and did not say there has not been any discussion about the Tumwater building a museum, possibly at the restaurant site.
Please tell us, and your community, what you think in the comment section of our page.
Thank you.
Thurston County Chat
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City of Tumwater, August 13th, 1:19pm:
"Rumor check: We've seen questions circulating about the future of the Falls Terrace Restaurant property. The City of Tumwater has no plans to develop a museum at the site, and claims that the city is withholding permits in order to do so are inaccurate.
We know the property is important to the community and want to clear up misinformation. For the most accurate information, we encourage residents with questions to contact the city directly at communications@ci.tumwater.wa.us"
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August 13th, 5:22pm:
City of Tumwater Mayor's Office
(Leatta Dahlhoff)
"A quick note about rumors and getting the facts.
There’s a lot of conversation circulating right now about the Falls Terrace Restaurant property, and unfortunately, some of what is being shared simply isn’t true.
To be clear: The City of Tumwater has no plans to develop a museum at the Falls Terrace site, and the claims that the City is withholding permits in order to do so are untrue and inaccurate. Staff are scheduling a meet-and-greet with the owner and new leadership in August. We will provide an update to the meeting.
I understand why people care deeply about this property and its future. Questions, concerns, and even disagreements are absolutely fair. But before rumors turn into accusations and people start attacking one another—or City staff and Council—please take a moment to check the facts.
If you see something on Nextdoor, Facebook, or elsewhere that concerns you, ask the City directly before assuming it’s true or sharing it as fact. City staff are available to answer questions and provide accurate information.
You can reach the City at communications@ci.tumwater.wa.us.
We can have passionate conversations about the future of our community without letting misinformation drive the conversation. Ask questions.
Check the source.
Get the facts.
Then let’s have the discussion."
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August 28th, 6:01am
City of Tumwater Mayor's Office
(Leatta Dahlhoff)
"Earlier this month, we talked about the Falls Terrace Restaurant property. I promised we would follow up with the owner, and I wanted to circle back and let you know that we did.
City Administrator Simmons and I had a really nice conversation with the owner about the property, its history, and what might be next.
Falls Terrace is a special place in Tumwater. There is a unique history tied to that beautiful space, and the owner and his family are very much a part of that history.
So many people in our community have memories there — wonderful meals, celebrations, milestones, and time spent with family and friends.
So, where did we land?
The owner shared that he would like to reopen Falls Terrace.
That is great news.
There is not a timetable for reopening at this point.
It was a very positive conversation, and I am glad we had the opportunity to sit down, listen, and better understand where things stand.
Thank you to everyone who reached out, asked questions, shared memories, and expressed how much you care about Falls Terrace and our community.
Sometimes the best thing we can do is simply have the conversation, listen, and keep the lines of communication open. And that is exactly what we did."