Photo: A passerby looks at the damage to the ornate facade that broke off from the Washington Federal Savings building at Capitol Way and 5th Avenue in Olympia after the Nisqually earthquake hit the region on February 28, 2001. Photo by Bruce Kellman, courtesy of The Olympian.

In February 2001, the Nisqually earthquake jolted Olympia at a magnitude of 6.8 and caused extensive property damage throughout western Washington, especially to unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings. URMs are beloved for their historic character but are also vulnerable during earthquakes, with the potential for falling bricks or building collapse posing a safety risk to both property and the public. Strengthening URMs through seismic retrofits offers the opportunity to preserve the unique history of these buildings and make them safer for everyone.

House Bill 1810, introduced in the 2025 Washington State legislative session, addresses the urgent need to retrofit URMs throughout the state. These buildings are essential to community infrastructure, including housing, businesses, schools, and medical facilities. The bill seeks to identify and improve the affordability of earthquake retrofits of these structures, ensuring public safety and aligning with efforts to revitalize historic structures and provide affordable housing.

Download this factsheet from the AIA Washington Council to learn more about HB 1810:

HB1810_Factsheet-AIA Washington CouncilDownload

Tell your elected officials: it’s time to #FixtheBricks and support HB 1810

House Bill 1810 can be scheduled for a hearing in the January 2026 Legislative Session.
Passing this bill supports the state’s commitment to safer, more resilient communities and
advances sustainable development through adaptive reuse of historic buildings.

Use this tool to find your state legislative district, and send a message to your representatives asking them to support HB 1810, highlighting key points from the fact sheet and the video above: https://app.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder.

For more on URMs, including a checklist for conducting a seismic inventory in your community, check out the article on URMs in Everett that we published in the Winter 2024 issue of This Place.