A business boom around town

Published 7:00 pm Saturday, September 2, 2006

Retail spaces are opening up downtown, on High School Rd.

This story is the second of two parts. Wednesday’s installment, “Winslow’s about to boom,” looked at the imminent influx of 600 new residents to downtown condominiums.

Usually, new shops come into downtown at a trickle.

The coming year will be different. Almost 40,000 square feet of Winslow commercial space will open by the end of January, a tidal wave of new retailers and restauranteurs in the downtown area.

“It’s definitely a force to be reckoned with,” said Cris Beattie, executive director of the Bainbridge Island Downtown Association. “That’s a lot of retail at one time. About 6,000 (square feet) is what we’ve come to expect as an average. This is a huge jump.”

The new retail space is cropping up along Winslow Way, Madison Avenue and High School Road as part of four mixed-use developments in various stages of construction.

Some of the condos – including Harbor Square near the ferry terminal – already have their first residents, while others are eyeing the winter for the final touches. Once completed, Winslow’s slate of new condos promises upwards of 600 new downtown residents in more than 330 units.

“Residents want the island to keep the hometown feel,” said Monica Wallace of Wallace Properties, which manages the 15,000 square feet of retail space at Harbor Square. “We have 180 units. That can’t support retail services (on its own). We’ve got to draw from the entire community.”

That’s why Wallace recruited a range businesses she hopes will appeal to condo residents and other islanders and attract some of the hourly floods of ferry riders.

A health food store will likely anchor Harbor Square’s retail offerings, drawing customers with a selection of organic produce, a deli and a cafe, she said.

Other storefront offerings will include Dszign, a home furnishings and interior design business, and Eclatant de Sante, a medical spa. Wallace is negotiating the lease or sale of four more spaces, including one which may become a wine store, she said.

Susan Vandeland, who plans to open Eclatant de Sante by December, said she decided to set up shop in Harbor Square for three reasons.

“Number one: it’s a beautiful place. Number two: the proximity to the ferry, and number three: we bought a house in Poulsbo. We have a house there and in Belltown, Seattle, so this is close to home,” she said.

The Island Crossings development on High School Road was the first of the new condos to put its 1,400-square-foot retail section on the market. Maxx Nutrition opened shop in one of Island Crossings’ three spots last Saturday, offering vitamins, nutritional supplements and other items.

“This is a health conscious community,” said owner Nic Stearns at his register overlooking High School Road and the Village shopping area. “We have three gyms on the island, I always see people walking and running places and there are all the people on bikes. There are no other stores like this that offer just sports nutrition.”

Stearns, an island native, recently turned 21 – but he’s long understood some of what it takes to run a small business.

His dad, Chuck Stearns, owns Chuck’s Barber Shop on Winslow Way. By the end of the month, the senior Stearns plans to move his shop next door to his son’s business.

“The fact that I was able to buy was a big reason I decided to move,” said Chuck Stearns, who purchased a small shop space shortly after Island Crossings put it on the market. “Parking was also a reason. There should be more parking downtown.”

Island Crossings is looking for one more business to lease or buy the remaining shop.

The Madrone Village development on the far west end of Winslow Way boasts 13,500 square feet of retail space.

No one has signed on yet, but owner Chris Otorowski has a vision for the types of shops he’d like to see complement his 38 residential units.

“I like old things,” he said. “My intent is to capture an old-style feeling in the way the businesses present their decor. I envision an old-fashioned convenience store, with wood everywhere and pickle barrels.”

Otorowski would also like to see a restaurant fill a large second-story spot in a retail plaza aimed at drawing foot traffic from Winslow Way.

“It’s a great place for that,” he said. “You look south and you can see Eagle Harbor and downtown. I think (Winslow) can support another good restaurant.”

Otorowski’s real estate manager is in talks with numerous potential businesses, including a few possible coffee shop operators. Some of the spaces, which will likely lease for $22 to $26 a square foot, will be available at the end of this month.

At the new Seabreeze development, six retail units spread over 7,000 square feet are taking shape. The units are priced at $24 to $27 per square foot.

Already an art gallery and a candy store are preparing to move in by the end of the year.

“Bainbridge needs its own candy store,” said island resident Lisa Dunlop, whose Bon Bon shop will sell fine chocolates, truffles, fudge and bulk candy.

Dunlop said she was attracted to the Seabreeze because its location at the intersection of Madison Avenue and Bjune Drive doesn’t suffer the same parking ills as Winslow Way. While not on a major thoroughfare, the location is still on the path of tourists bound for Parfitt Way.

A business like Bon Bon has many of the ingredients for success in the new, fast-growing Winslow, according to Kevin Dwyer, director of the Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce.

It promises a high-end, specialty product that may appeal to both locals and visitors, he said.

“Look at the success of Mora ice cream,” he said. “People respond to quality. It’s not the least expensive ice cream, yet people are lining up out the door and are willing to pay a higher price.”

Dwyer also predicted success for Island Health Foods.

“They obviously did their market research,” he said. “Island Health Foods…reflects a demand nationally, and people are getting older here and are looking for ways to live stronger, longer lives.”

The rapid increase in commercial space will likely help downtown reach unmet demand, according to Dwyer.

“Bainbridge is generally under-retailed,” he said. “The number of spaces will give (more) opportunities for a self-sustaining retail sector here (and) help fill the gaps we have today.”

Beattie said the increased retail offerings, as well as the sizable boost in the downtown residential population, may encourage more businesses to stay open later.

She, like Dwyer, pointed to the new Mora ice cream store on Madrone Lane as a leader for other businesses to follow.

“Mora Iced Creamery is bringing more families downtown in the evening,” she said. “They’re open till 10 o’clock (and provide) a wonderful evening experience.”

Regardless of the hours they keep, Beattie said the local ownership of many new businesses taking shape downtown is a hopeful sign that change doesn’t necessarily mean reinvention.

“It’s nice to keep the island tradition of local merchants in downtown,” she said. “Obviously, we’re not interested in ‘big box’ stores. Obviously, we hope to keep our small-town feel.”

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Open soon

Many are on the way, but here’s a few businesses that have signed leases or bought space in downtown mixed-use condominium developments.

Harbor Square

• Eclatant de Sante: a medical spa offering massage, Botox skin treatments, chemical facial peels and health care options for women. Owned by nurse practitioner Susan Vandeland, the shop is set to open in winter.

• Dszign: a contemporary home furnishings and interior design business slated to open by year’s end.

• Island Health Foods: a market stocking a range of organic goods. May feature a deli and cafe. Owned by island resident Jeff Jackson.

Island Crossings

• Maxx Nutrition: a shop offering a range of vitamins and nutritional supplements. Opened last week. Owned by 21-year-old island native Nic Stearns.

• Chuck’s Barbershop: Longtime downtown barber Chuck Stearns is moving uptown by the end of the month.

Seabreeze

• A is for Artists: an art gallery expected to open this fall. Owned by former Bainbridge Island Farmers Market manager Susan Vanderwey.

• Bon Bon: a candy shop offering fudge, truffles and old-fashioned treats. Owner and island resident Lisa Dunlop plans to open in November.