What you’ll see and what you won’t see when the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA) opens are equally impressive.

Architecturally, the building is as stunning as you’d expect, standing on the island’s most prominent street corner at Winslow Way and State Route 305.

Artistically, the museum’s galleries on two floors display the diversity of works that talented regional artists create in various genres.

And environmentally, features incorporated into the museum’s design and structure — whether visible or not read more »

The Bremerton Tennis and Athletic Club (BTAC) has announced that it intends to expand its tennis, swimming and fitness programs, and athletic training services for increased availability to the public. As part of the reorganization into its new role, the club has been renamed the Kitsap Tennis and Athletic Center.

Established in 1970, the club was originally organized as a nonprofit recreation and social club 501(c)(7), with limited participation by the general public — similar to a golf and country club.

However, to continue to be competitive and meet the needs of local communities throughout Kitsap County, the club is currently in the process of revising its mission and policies along with applying for a change in its existing nonprofit status to a 501(c)(3). read more »

Coffee Oasis has signed a lease for the former Bay Street Ale House building in downtown Port Orchard, where the faith-based nonprofit will run a coffee shop on the main level and use the second floor for its programs that help homeless youth.

Dave Frederick, executive director of Coffee Oasis, said the site at 807 Bay St. will be remodeled this summer with the help of volunteers from service clubs in the community such as Rotary, Kiwanis and Soroptimists. The coffee shop could be open in a few months. read more »

Milltech Marine has opened a retail store in downtown Port Orchard to augment its online business.

For over seven years Milltech Marine has been a provider of automatic identification system (AIS) marine solutions for recreational, commercial and military customers around the world. AIS is a transponder-based system for vessels of all sizes, and is designed for vessel tracking and collision avoidance. Milltech’s customers include the Coast Guard, Navy, fishing fleets, tug operators, round-the-world sailors and cruisers in every ocean.

“Since we live and boat here in Port Orchard, we decided to open a retail store in downtown Port Orchard where we hope to provide more personal service to our local customers,” said company founder Doug Miller. read more »

Custom home builder Adair Homes has opened its newest sales office in Silverdale to serve the West Puget Sound area. The office at 3500 NW Bucklin Hill Road, Suite 100, will serve Kitsap, Clallam, Jefferson, Pierce and Mason counties.

“Interest and activity in the Puget Sound area have both increased during the first quarter of 2013,” Adair Homes president Byron Van Kley said. “We felt this was an ideal time to bring the quality and value of Adair Homes to a new location.”

Vancouver, Wash.-based Adair Homes offers a unique customization process for homebuyers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Northern California.

Dave Tagert and Stacey Bronson are an affable couple, proprietors with obvious gusto for good food, good beer and good times.

Just don’t ask them when they’re going to open their new bar.

“We’re not a bar,” Tagert said last week as he and Bronson took a break from remodeling the corner space at 639 Bay St. in Port Orchard where they plan to open Devilfish Public House this summer. read more »

A new business with a British flair has opened in South Kitsap. Owner Mayassa Roach opened The Piccadilly Bakery on April 13 in one of the retail buildings on the Fred Meyer lot at the corner of Sedgwick Road and Bethel Road in Port Orchard. The bakery offers stylishly decorated cupcakes and other fresh-baked goods along with espresso service, and also will be featuring some British foods such as Cornish pasties and shepherd’s pie. read more »

A year after plans for the Port Orchard Public Market were announced, the site of businessman Don Ryan’s ambitious project had an open-air feel when he took several prospective market vendors inside recently. The long-vacant Bay Street building was missing its roof — but that was a sign of progress.

The building that’s been empty since the Slip 45 nightclub closed several years ago has been gutted, and interior work to transform the space is in progress under a new roof. Rising above the building’s flat roof is the 25-by-50-foot frame for the clear story skylight over the market’s central area. When work is completed, there will be a new façade above the Bay Street entrance, which will have wide doors that can be rolled up to make the indoor market more visible from outside and add to the ambience. read more »

The Habitat for Humanity Store will hold a grand opening in its new Bremerton location on March 30.

The new store is at 3451 Wheaton Way, in the with that was formerly the location of the Stupid Prices store. Habitat’s new larger location will have better parking and nearly 12,000 square feet of space.

The store will open at 9:30 a.m. for the grand opening, and the celebration will include hot dogs and cake for visitors throughout the day. read more »