By LYNN PORTER
Journal Staff Reporter
Journal Staff Reporter
Construction will start next April on the 15,000-square-foot Bainbridge Art Museum, part of the Island Gateway commercial complex next to the ferry dock at the corner of Winslow Way East and state Route 305.
The two-story museum will display contemporary fine art and crafts, and have traveling exhibits. There also will be a museum store and cafe on the first floor, and about 3,000 square feet of art storage in the basement.
The two-story museum will display contemporary fine art and crafts, and have traveling exhibits. There also will be a museum store and cafe on the first floor, and about 3,000 square feet of art storage in the basement.
The museum will also own and operate about 4,000 square feet in a connected commercial building in Island Gateway. That space will house a 100-seat auditorium and space for art classes and community events.
That space is slated to open March 1, 2011. The main museum will open in the spring of 2012.
About $12 million has been raised to build the main building and the museum's space in the commercial complex, said museum Executive Director Greg Robinson.
This is Bainbridge Art Museum's first building. It now operates out of temporary offices.
Robinson said Island Gateway — which has shops, office space, restaurants and the Kids Discovery Museum — will draw people to the art museum.
“It's a great location,” he said. “It really is the portal to Bainbridge Island. We really feel like we're helping to anchor the arts here on Bainbridge Island.”
That space is slated to open March 1, 2011. The main museum will open in the spring of 2012.
About $12 million has been raised to build the main building and the museum's space in the commercial complex, said museum Executive Director Greg Robinson.
This is Bainbridge Art Museum's first building. It now operates out of temporary offices.
Robinson said Island Gateway — which has shops, office space, restaurants and the Kids Discovery Museum — will draw people to the art museum.
“It's a great location,” he said. “It really is the portal to Bainbridge Island. We really feel like we're helping to anchor the arts here on Bainbridge Island.”
The two-story, 5,200-square-foot Kids Discovery Museum opened June 5. Attendance in the first three months was 8,400 — double what it has been in leased space previously occupied by the museum, said Executive Director Susan Sivitz.
The new building is closer to the ferry and more accesible from other parts of Kitsap County, she said.
Museum officials are happy to own high quality space near the future Bainbridge Art Museum, she said. “We could not be happier.”
Island Gateway is deing developed by Asani, headed by Bill Carruthers and Andrew Lonseth, and developer Kelly Samson, who is affiliated with Samson Family Land Co., according to Asani project manager Marja Preston.
The steel and concrete buildings were designed to meet LEED standards by architect Coates Design. PHC Construction is the contractor and Outdoor Studio is the landscape architect.
The rest of the complex is made up of five buildings with a total of 17,700 square feet of office space and 14,400 of retail, including an upstairs restaurant and roof deck. Four of the buildings will open March 1, and the other on June 1, according to Kelly Muldrow, a Windermere Commercial broker who is the leasing agent for Island Gateway.
The new building is closer to the ferry and more accesible from other parts of Kitsap County, she said.
Museum officials are happy to own high quality space near the future Bainbridge Art Museum, she said. “We could not be happier.”
Island Gateway is deing developed by Asani, headed by Bill Carruthers and Andrew Lonseth, and developer Kelly Samson, who is affiliated with Samson Family Land Co., according to Asani project manager Marja Preston.
The steel and concrete buildings were designed to meet LEED standards by architect Coates Design. PHC Construction is the contractor and Outdoor Studio is the landscape architect.
The rest of the complex is made up of five buildings with a total of 17,700 square feet of office space and 14,400 of retail, including an upstairs restaurant and roof deck. Four of the buildings will open March 1, and the other on June 1, according to Kelly Muldrow, a Windermere Commercial broker who is the leasing agent for Island Gateway.
The developers had considered selling some of the non-museum commercial space, but kept it to better control the tenant mix, Muldrow said. They want tenants that appeal to the community, do well year-round and complement other businesses nearby, he said.
There's lots of interest — including from entrepreneurs — and some negotiations are under way, Muldrow said.
In 2009, the developers bought the 5.28-acre site, which was used for parking and a towing business, Preston said.
She said they are building the museums at cost.
“Our development group only does projects that contribute to the community, and the arts and education are very important to us,” she said. “That's why we're here.”
Carruthers and Lonseth also headed up the development team for Vineyard Lane condos on the island. That project has 45 clustered units, and won the 2008 Livable Communities Award from AARP and the National Association of Home Builders.
Samson is a longtime island developer, Preston said.
.............................
Copyright ©2010 Seattle Daily Journal and djc.com.
There's lots of interest — including from entrepreneurs — and some negotiations are under way, Muldrow said.
In 2009, the developers bought the 5.28-acre site, which was used for parking and a towing business, Preston said.
She said they are building the museums at cost.
“Our development group only does projects that contribute to the community, and the arts and education are very important to us,” she said. “That's why we're here.”
Carruthers and Lonseth also headed up the development team for Vineyard Lane condos on the island. That project has 45 clustered units, and won the 2008 Livable Communities Award from AARP and the National Association of Home Builders.
Samson is a longtime island developer, Preston said.
.............................
Copyright ©2010 Seattle Daily Journal and djc.com.
