The Mariah Arts School officially left its home of more than five years Friday, after evacuating twice due to earthquake damage.
Soon after the earthquake, the school's two-story brick building at 410 Jefferson St. S.E. in Olympia was red-tagged by inspectors, prompting the first evacuation. Three days later, students and staff moved back in after the building was upgraded.
Then, continual shifting since has caused noticeable cracks in the wall, some half an inch wide, said Kim Logan, the school's marketing coordinator. On Wednesday, inspectors once again declared the building unsafe, and the school was evacuated.
Repairs could take a few months, but school owner and founder Diane Gaile said she's not taking any more chances with the old school.
"I'm not coming back here," she said Friday, after moving the last of her materials to the old Madison Elementary School, where the school has been offered space by the tenants, the organizers of the annual spring Procession of the Species celebration.
Gaile and the students are now looking for a permanent home.
"The parents were starting to be very nervous about it, and I lost my confidence in the building," Gaile said.
About 100 families take paint and ceramics classes at the school, which has been opened for 15 years.
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