| Some Kitsap area commercial lenders note that while commercial real estate loans continue strong demand, one type of project becoming popular is the mixed-use concept. A scan of current construction activity confirms that, at least in some areas, this relatively new approach has been gaining momentum.
Mixed-use development has been encouraged by zoning regulation changes in recent years. The idea, often called “new urbanism,” challenges traditional zoning’s exact use, density and other aspects. Instead, it uses the concept of providing pedestrian-friendly living with various amenities right in the neighborhood — creating communities within communities.
On Bainbridge Island especially, one approach is to build condominiums that feature retail and office space on the first level, with residential units above. Several recently built or under construction projects incorporate mixed use.
Madrone Village, downtown, is a five-building development that includes nine townhomes with commercial on the first floor, and 29 “stacked flats.” Four penthouses are also included in the development, along with 10,000 square feet of retail space.
Island Crossings, another condominium community with stacked units, has smaller retail space but includes a hotel. Harbor Square, one of the island’s largest ever private commercial projects, integrates 180 residential units with 15,000 square feet of retail on a 4.3-acre site. Vineyard Lane, on the property where the winery was formerly located, includes flats, penthouses and cottages, along with a “community center” that offers hotel rooms and a café. Seabreeze, about 60 percent completed, will have 11 luxury condo units and street-level retail space, to be completed in late October.
A new vision for downtown calls for more mixed-used projects on Bainbridge. Winslow Tomorrow, a concept developed over more than a year by a group of volunteer participants, envisions residents living closer together, with condominium developments that include ground-level retail spaces and offices in buildings three to four stories tall. The group sees a denser and more pedestrian-friendly downtown as a solution to projected population growth. The Puget Sound Regional Council even recognized the project as part of its VISION 2020 Awards.
The idea is catching on beyond the island, although there are a limited number of parcels that would allow it. In Gig Harbor, for example, at least one developer has proposed a retail/residential building near downtown in the past, but failed to obtain the required zoning change. One city planner notes that at least one mixed-use project is currently being proposed. In Port Orchard, discussions are also under way about downtown redevelopment, which would create a primarily mixed use district. |
