The proposed Island Gateway project, the largest Winslow development in years, cleared its last major hurdle this week. The green-designed 75,000 square foot complex (including an art museum, new home for KiDiMu and 60,000 square feet of commercial space) needs only the city planning director’s signature (and that’s an almost certainty).
Read more about the city Planning Commission’s approval of the development here.
A bit more information, including the city Design Review Board’s initial take on Island Gateway, here.
You can see a few updated architectural renderings of the project below.
This view shows a commercial building near the center of the development. The building features a “living wall” with plants seemingly defying gravity. The project’s architect believes the wall we be one of Gateway’s main attractions. The new home of the Kids Discovery Museum can be seen in the left rear of the image.
See the discussion following the Gateway article on today’s Kitsap Sun site. There are some interesting observations and list of characters involved in the project.
Another interesting ownership point on the Gateway property is the building that is at the highway/Winslow Way intersection. This building, I believe, is a joint venture and one of the owners is Bruce Weiland. BW has been a regular man-about-town and frequent attendee at COBI meetings. No crime there. He also has been a staunch supporter of the much-derided Winslow Never extravaganza project. It is important to know the Gateway players and their relationship, real or perceived, to City Hall and other powerful insiders.
this totally bums me out. so big, so non-island-ish. harbor square gets in and now everything gets to be like that?
“…real or perceived…” Interesting choice of words.
I think it will be the perfect building for an outlet mall. Underground parking, plus shoppers could walk off the ferry to shop here. They could drop off their kids at the museum and shop for a few hours.
Bellevue West, Outlet Mall of Bainbridge Island.
this looks awful
who is importing the eastside “anywhere USA suburban edition” to Bainbridge Island?
Bainbridge can only be a successful tourist attraction as a SMALL AMERICAN TOWN not as a shopping destination. Our Japanese Memorial is part of our history. So are mom and pop stores, small scale buildings and casual/northwest approach to life.
Our funky small townism is our best resource. Realtors and developers cannot see that.Destroying our historic buildings and trees and general small scale life style with gigantic commercialism and outlets etc. will hurt us irrevocably.
How can we stop this. An ugly wall covered in ivy is not a green-idea, it is the only antidote to ugy architecture.
This is so ugly and non-Bainbridge. Sad.
I agree with Glenna and Mr. Bainbridge. The Gateway to Bainbridge has already been taken care of by the ferry ride in to Eagle Harbor.
How terribly sad this is. My husband and I have been looking forward to relocating our family to the island for several years now because of the feel of the place – only to find out that it’s losing so much of its inherent charm in the mean time.
This is the FUTURE, people. You will love it. It’s “sustainably green” — and that’s all you need to know or care about. Architects and the government are your friends. They are here to help you. Don’t you feel better already?
Note to Young Architects: Flat roofs do not work in the Pacific Northwest.
Flat roofs leak in the Pacific Northwest.
Flat roofs are look cheap and ugly everywhere, no matter how many plants you put on top of them.
Note to ‘Older Resident’ – properly designed, built, and maintained flat roofs work just in the Pacific Northwest. (Hit up Google Earth and note just how many of them there are here in Kitsap County.) Flat roofs don’t work anywhere (except the desert) if they aren’t properly designed, built, and maintained.
Are you going to be the one to tell Boeing, owners of one of the largest buildings in the world over in Everett that it’s flat roof “doesn’t work”.
Glenna, tourists don’t come to place to hang around, even if it is a ‘small town’. Tourists come to places to look at things and to spend money. There not being much natural beauty (I.E. engaging views like gorges or mountains and such) that will enrapture the tourist… That leaves spending money.
Okay, that leaves us with “looks cheap and ugly”.
I hate the looks of this slick, “everyday corporate building.” But what does it matter what I (or for that matter- what anyone else) thinks. It is probably a done deal knowing all the connections & the parties involved. Guess I’ll get used to it like everything else.
I agree that this defies everything that people who live here and visit here value about this island. If this is what you’re after take the new light rail to Tukwila, not the ferry to Bainbridge. Is this really a done deal?
Now I understand why so many BI properties are for sale. I’ve never seen so many available at one time.
Bainbridge Island is on its way to becoming ordinary – just another island – nothing special.
This development will destroy the look and casual feel of BI.
I wonder what it will do for BI economically? BI property is the most desired in KC – based on high property value. The education system’s success outstrips any other school district in KC and most in the state of Washington.
BI offers something for everyone – safe walking and cycling paths, active senior programs and is at the top of the best gym and swimming facilities list in the county.
Is it possible this development will make a wonderful, quality place to live even better with the added traffic and noise?
Where is the water coming from? Doesn’t the island have a water shortage?
I know seniors who looked toward Bainbridge as a quality place to retire. They enjoyed the active lifestyle e BI offers. I wonder if they’ve changed their minds?
Best wishes… Sharon O’Hara