The Olympia Arts Commission will vote Thursday on a public art concept design for Marj Yung Park, which would be the city's first dedicated mountain bike park if its pending land-use permit is approved.

The commission meets July 9, at 6 p.m. to take up agenda item 26-0512, a formal recommendation on the park's art concept. The same session includes a report on 10 traffic box wrap designs chosen through public voting and a review of open calls for art applications.

Marj Yung Park is a 70-acre forested property at 2549 Black Lake Blvd. SW, purchased by the city for $1.1 million in September 2015 with a grant from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office.

The development plan calls for 3.5 miles of new mountain bike trails, 1.9 miles of formalized existing trails, pump tracks, skill stations, a restroom and a 25-stall parking lot. The city has budgeted $300,000 for the project, according to reporting by The Olympian.

Diane Utter, parks project engineer, has said the city bought the property specifically to bring mountain biking trails to the region, noting Olympia has many large wooded parks for walking but no dedicated mountain biking facility.

The park is named for Marj Yung, the first woman elected to the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners in 1974.

The park's conditional use permit is still pending. Hearing Examiner Mark Scheibmeir held a public hearing Monday, June 22, and indicated he would publish findings within two weeks. No decision had been confirmed as of Sunday, July 6. The art concept design process is on a separate track from the land-use permit.

The specific concept design the commission will consider Thursday has not been made public in advance. No artist name, design description or art-specific budget was available in city documents as of July 6. The agenda lists the item as a "recommendation," meaning the commission's vote would advance the concept to the next stage of approval.

The commission will also receive a report on 10 winning designs for the city's Traffic Box Wrap program, which covers utility boxes on sidewalks and street corners with artwork by local artists. The city says the wraps add color to the streetscape and help deter graffiti.

Public voting on the 2026 designs closed Tuesday, June 30, through the Engage Olympia platform. Each selected artist receives a $500 honorarium. Stephanie Johnson, the Arts Commission's staff liaison, oversees the program.

The specific artists and designs selected were not listed on public-facing city pages as of July 6.

The July 9 meeting agenda is posted on olympia.legistar.com. The commission's agenda item numbers are 26-0512 for the park art concept and 26-0511 for the traffic box wraps.