OLYMPIA -- It appeared more likely than ever Monday that repairs to the earthquake-damaged Capitol dome will segue directly into a long-term renovation to the aging structure.
That decision could force the eviction of the state Insurance Commissioner's Office from its longtime headquarters, to make room for Gov. Gary Locke or legislative leaders who would be left homeless during the renovation.
"I think it's fair to say that people who are real familiar with the situation are moving in that direction," said Ed Penhale, spokesman for the Office of Financial Management. Penhale's boss, OFM Director Marty Brown, is Locke's point man in smoothing out the office space crunch on the Capitol Campus.
Faced with finding temporary quarters for Locke and his staff, a meeting place for the House and Senate, office space for legislative leadership, and a home for several executive branch leaders, state General Administration officials might have to evict Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler and about 60 members of his department.
Kreidler's office in the Insurance Building occupies prime real estate across the street from the domed Legislative Building, and it sustained little earthquake damage. Even before the Feb. 28 Nisqually Earthquake, General Administration had floated the idea of relocating Insurance Commission staff to make room for displaced Legislative Building occupants during renovations.
According to Chief Deputy Insurance Commissioner Mike Watson, the office had planned a feasibility study to figure out the best option for relocating during the long-planned renovation.
Now, Watson said, "The earthquake has added some urgency."
"We haven't had any long-term discussions because we thought we'd have time to do some planning," he said.
If the Legislature does decide to expedite the renovation, Kreidler and his staff could be displaced by late summer or early fall, Watson said.
The project could stretch into 2004 or later.
Steve Valandra, spokesman for General Administration, said no final decisions have been made and likely won't be until the Legislature approves funding for the Legislative Building renovation.
It's also not clear who exactly would occupy space left vacant by the Insurance Commissioner. Some members of Locke's staff already have offices in the Insurance Building, including OFM, and Locke himself has set up temporary quarters on the building's third floor.
Most of Locke's staff displaced by the earthquake are currently housed at the Department of Labor and Industry Building in Tumwater. But most legislative leaders, including the co-speakers of the House and the Senate majority and minority leaders, were also left homeless by the quake.
Word of possible office-shuffling started to circulate around Kreidler's office at the end of last week, according to Gigi Zenk, the Insurance Commissioner's spokeswoman. "There is a lot of speculation right now," she said. "People are wondering where we might end up."
General Administration has looked at leasing space in the former Sunset Life Insurance building, located near Safeway on Tumwater's Capitol Boulevard. That building has been proposed as a possible home not just for the Insurance Commissioner but for the Secretary of State, the State Auditor and the State Treasurer, who all normally reside in the Legislative Building.
The Insurance Commissioner's office also occupies three office buildings in Lacey.
Valandra said a clearer picture of options should be available Wednesday, when the Senate unveils its first draft of the 2001-2003 budget. That should include a proposal for funding Legislative Building renovations, he said.
Watson said moving the Insurance Commissioner's main office on short notice would be a complicated undertaking. Computer and phone networks and other operations would all have to transferred to the new site.
"Have you ever moved your home?" Watson said. "Well, imagine moving 60 of them all at once."
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