Works In Progress - October 2007 - Manium Collective vs. City of Olympia: Out of Nowhere, the Bureaucracy Cries Sprinklers

The Manium, a collectively run, all-ages venue that has been in operation for the last four years at 421 Fourth Avenue in downtown Olympia, has been closed by the city of Olympia for doing an unpermitted remodel that allegedly makes the building unsafe. There are many small details that need to be addressed, but the main contention point is the need for the installation of an automatic sprinkler system. Whether or not this is actually necessary depends on how you interpret and apply the International Building Code (IBC). There are many factors dictating in which cases it is necessary to install sprinklers. It is not difficult to imagine an arrangement that satisfies the code and allows Manium to operate without spending $100,000+ on a sprinkler system. It is not easily possible to even get a bid from a sprinkler company as the necessary utilities aren’t available on site. It would be necessary to bring the line across 4th Ave, adding a huge expense to an already extremely expensive undertaking. City officials have stated that they recognize how important the Manium is to the local music scene and how important such a thing is to the city as a whole, but they have yet to even consider a plan of how to allow it to continue.

In the last four years, Manium has hosted bands from all over the world and showcased local music. Time and time again the words, “This place is our life,” “my home away from home,” “the only place I can express myself” are spoken by area youths. The Manium collective has put forth a great deal of effort to create a space that does not support racist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise bigoted ideals, to create a safe space for members of this community, to create a space that captures the magic of a vibrant underground music scene, and to create a space that will keep Olympia a haven for artists, musicians and other beautiful weirdos.

There is no life/safety issue. The building is not unsafe, just as the many buildings in Olympia that do not have sprinkler systems are not unsafe. There is no good reason for Manium to remain closed, only a bureaucratic one.

Chris Beug is a founding member of the Manium Collective.