The retail campus, called Uptown Gig Harbor, will be about one-third of the size of University Village in Seattle, and include about 35 businesses, said John Hogan with Gateway Capital LLC, which owns and is developing the property.

A state-of-the-art, stadium-seating theater, a “destination bookstore,” three to four restaurants, and a host of local, regional and national retailers are planned for the site, which is being billed as a “lifestyle center.” Hogan said the tenants are expected to make their announcements this spring. The design will keep a downtown feel, with water features, pedestrian walkways and architectural lighting.

“It’s not convenience driven,” Hogan said, which means Uptown will not be a typical shopping center where people come to do their grocery shopping during rush hour. “We’re not trying to compete against existing uses,” he said. “We’re also trying to create an experience for people…so they can come and feel a sense of place.”

Gateway LLC has owned the property for nine years, during which time Fred Meyer tried to build a shopping center there but eventually pulled out. During a previous ownership, the parcel was also eyed by Wal-Mart, but Gig Harbor residents mounted an aggressive campaign to keep the world’s largest retailer out — which brought national attention to the area.

Uptown shares the site plan with the outpatient MultiCare facility, which broke ground recently. Following the denial by the state of a Certificate of Need for an outpatient surgery center, MultiCare officials announced they would still build the surgery facility but only for MultiCare surgeons, after obtaining an exemption from the state on the condition that the surgery facility be used exclusive by MultiCare. The 80,000-square-foot medical facility will also include other services, such as a sleep center and a women’s clinic.

The Uptown project, which will have a total of 150,000 square feet of space between its 12 buildings, will break ground around Labor Day, Hogan said. The complex will have four times the pedestrian gathering space of the Harbor Plaza on Point Fosdick (which has the QFC store) that was built by Gateway LLC 23 years ago.

Hogan had lived in Gig Harbor for 20 years and his mother, who is a partner in Gateway LLC, still lives there. He said they understand the environment of the area and are trying to offer something local residents are ready for, especially as the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge will alter their shopping habits.

“We’re not trying to cannibalize any of the existing retail on the peninsula,” he said. “We’re trying to offer something new and unique that people cannot get somewhere else.”

He said the company is into the project for the long-haul, as they don’t intend to ever sell the property.