The island is close to Seattle and other large Puget Sound metropolitan areas. But, Bainbridge’s chamber of commerce director Kevin Dwyer said, that proximity cannot override a civic aversion to the idea of attracting corporate retreats.

For the same reasons it might make an ideal place for companies to “get away from it all,” residents do not encourage that. In other words, it’s a getaway spot — but only for those who already have their spot.

“There’s still a lot of desire to roll up the sidewalks at 6 p.m.,” Dwyer said. “The idea is no one wants to be another Mercer Island or Bellevue. … People are very protective of what they’ve got here.”

To be sure, the idea that every man or resident deserves to be their own island is not a unanimous point of view.

“From a chamber of commerce perspective it would be nice to have a place to have corporate meetings and retreats,” Dwyer said. “There’s not a whole lot of options, really.”

There’s a list of meeting halls the chamber hands out to anyone who asks about availability. On it, alongside golf courses and the 120-person-capacity Sequoia Center, are such unconventional locales as an apartment building, school buildings, churches and retirement centers.

Though many are ideal for weddings and “ultra-casual get togethers” they’re not what companies think of when they want to conduct business, Dwyer said.

Wing Point Golf and Country Club is the destination for groups who want to hold events or get down to serious business — but they have to have a club-member sponsor.

There are ambitious plans afoot, however.

Many business owners are joining to promote a central location for the island’s independent residents.

“There’s a plan out there called Town Square, a type of village center,” Dwyer said. “It’s an idea to develop a destination spot for conventions. That’s by no means certain. The idea is still in the consultation stage.”

In a PowerPoint presentation to council members and the community (available online) the city’s planning department described one concept for the 146-acre plan as “defining two parallel universes — the auto and pedestrian/horse.”

In all different ideas for the “village center”, the plan is widespread and community altering, effecting the entire heart and character of Bainbridge Island.

The report states that growth once the plan is started would be “over two or three generations.” Last year however, the island dropped into economic doldrums.

“There are all kinds of possibilities to help this area,” Dwyer said, “but there’s nothing that’s going to come quick. We’re an ideal location for companies to come and work — whether that’s new headquarters or a retreat. We just don’t have the building.”

(Editor’s Note: The Island Center PowerPoint presentation is available at www.ci.bainbridge-isl.wa.us/documents/BIislcenter.ppt. This is a direct link to download a large 12.3 MB file.).