BIJAEM Visitor Center construction on schedule

Published 1:30 am Monday, July 6, 2026

Construction for the new Visitor Center at the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial is making progress, with completion still slated for this fall.

An official groundbreaking took place last October at the site, with about 45 people in attendance, including six survivors of state-sanctioned removal during World War II, along with their families.

Now, almost nine months after construction began, the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Association is looking towards the opening of the center. The new structure is designed by award-winning architect Johnpaul Jones of Seattle.

Construction of the Visitor Center remains on schedule, with substantial completion anticipated by the end of August, shared BIJAEMA executive director Ellen Sato Faust.

“Following construction, we expect to spend approximately one month installing core exhibits and preparing the space for visitors,” said Faust. “While an exact date has not yet been finalized, we are planning for a grand opening in the first half of October.”

A significant permitting delay resulted in a $2 million budget gap when costs became clear in October 2025. “Since then, the community has responded in remarkable fashion,” shared Faust. “We are now less than $500,000 from our construction goal and actively fundraising to reach the finish line.” The original budget for the project was $4.5 million and was increased to $6.5 million after permitting.

The 1,545 square-foot center and gathering space is funded by major private foundations and federal and state grants. New city requirements from water service to the memorial required a new water main along Eagle Harbor Drive.

The Visitor Center adds an indoor component, with opportunity for exhibits, guest lectures, film screenings and programs. Many artifacts that the BIJAEMA has collected over the years will also make home in the new center.

Eagledale Ferry Dock, where the Visitor Center and memorial are located, is where 227 Japanese and Japanese Americans were forcibly removed by U.S. service members on March 30, 1942. This group was the first on the West Coast to be exiled to concentration camps under Executive Order 9066. They rode the Kehloken to Seattle, starting their path to Manzanar confinement in California.

The memorial has been a staple of Bainbridge Island, featuring a 276-foot-long winding wall made of old-growth red cedar, granite and basalt that displays the names and ages of each of the island’s 276 Japanese American residents in 1942.

The memorial parking lot has been closed during construction of the Visitor Center and will remain closed until September. Guests are still encouraged to visit the memorial, with other parking available alongside signage on how to access the memorial at Pritchard Park.

“We are excited to be nearing this milestone after more than 20 years of community effort and look forward to sharing the completed space with the public this fall,” said Faust.