The Puget Sound Blood Center is building a new blood center at Bakerview Square in order to meet an increasing need for blood donations, according to an article by Kie Relyea of the Bellingham Herald. The 3,300 square foot project is scheduled to be completed in early 2014.
Read the entire article online
David Gallagher of the Bellingham Herald reported today that 120,000 square-f0ot Bakerview Square is close to full capacity. With the recent addition of several new tenants such as Trader’s Depot, Spice India and Sweets, and a Puget Sound Blood Center the Square should be full by December.
Read the full article online at the Bellingham Herald.
Happy Holidays! As the end of 2012 nears, we at RPM want to congratulate you on a great year!
Read the full Winter 2012/13 Newsletter.
Forecast is Great at “The Square”! Business continues to heat up at The Square. Plum Chic’s business is growing rapidly, and their enthusiasm is contagious. Kucumber Skin Lounge has also proven to be a huge success. The ladies at Kucumber have fantastic attitudes, and their client base is growing daily. It does not surprise me that they are growing like they are. They work very hard at providing great service to their clients!
New Businesses Joining The Square – Red Tag Furniture Consignment (November 2012). The owners are very optimistic about the business climate in Bakerview Square.
Read the full October newsletter.
Laura Lee Bosman says she’s a high-energy type of person, and she’s putting it to good use in business.
Bosman and her husband, Doug, have been busy expanding the number of stores they have in the local children’s clothing industry. Earlier this year, the Bosmans purchased Wild Blueberries in Fairhaven and are now getting ready to open The Little Red Wagon in Bellingham’s Bakerview Square retail center.
It will be the second Little Red Wagon for the Bosmans; they’ve operated the first Little Red Wagon for nearly eight years in Lynden. They also own Along Comes A Baby in Bakerview Square.
Tenant improvement work is taking place for The Little Red Wagon in Bellingham; it’s expected to open in early July. The store will offer consignment clothing and gear for boys and girls from birth to children’s size 14.
Laura Lee said having four stores in Whatcom County is a challenge, but one she’s looking forward to. While The Little Red Wagon stores offer consignment products, Wild Blueberries and Along Comes A Baby sell new items, providing two good pairings.
“Along Comes A Baby has products up to age 2, while Wild Blueberries goes through kindergarten. There’s some cross-over, but not a lot,” Bosman said. “Being on both sides of town, they end up helping each other.”
The key to having four storefronts is having solid managers to run each one, she said. Alyssa Beld is the newest manager, operating the Bakerview Square Little Red Wagon when it opens.
Laura Lee previously managed a surgery center, but became interested in children’s products after her two sons were born. She saw an opportunity for a children’s consignment store and opened the first Little Red Wagon in 2003. While she handles the operation of the businesses, Doug Bosman handles the warehouse aspects of the company.
She said the key to running a successful consignment store is to keep it clean and well-organized. The fact that she was getting a strong group of Bellingham customers at her Lynden store prompted her to make plans to open a Bellingham store.
Once open, The Little Red Wagon’s hours in Bellingham will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. For details about the business, call the Lynden store, 360-354-7955.
Read the full article by Dave Gallagher at the Bellingham Herald.
J.D. and Rebecca Merris recently acquired The Fireside Martini & Wine Bar in Bakerview Square. In a press release, the Bellingham couple said they want to cultivate a friendly and cozy atmosphere at the bar.
“This is a great meeting place for couples, friends and social groups,” said J.D. Merris, who will cut back on his real-estate activities to manage The Fireside. “In addition to a wide selection of martinis, wine and spirits, we offer five beers on tap.”
Merris said The Fireside Martini & Wine Bar will start offering lunch later this summer. Its menu will be expanded gradually and will emphasize local and organic food.
“We’ll draw upon our passion for food and phase into a new menu that will please foodies,” Merris said. “We’ll also be training our staff so our new gluten-free options stay that way during preparation and serving.”
The Fireside Martini & Wine Bar, which opened May 1, 2010, is at 416 W. Bakerview Road. It retains the same operating hours, 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, until lunch is added. Jazz will be offered Friday and Saturday nights. For details, call 360-738-1000 or see firesidemartini.com.
Read the full article by Dave Gallagher at the Bellingham Herald.
As Whatcom County tries to shake off this cold winter weather, it’s time for commercial remodeling season.
Spring tends to be a busy time for businesses to move into new spaces or fix up the ones they currently have. One area going through a variety of changes is Bakerview Square. It has two new tenants, a tenant expansion and a tenant move, according to Randy Sears, property manager at Bakerview Square.
Friske said the shopping center is an appealing place for several reasons, including its central location and it has nearby breakfast places such as IHOP and The Woods Coffee for the congregation to visit after services.
The new chiropractic office is called IN8 Family Chiropractic and is scheduled to open April 1, Sears said.
Read the full article by Dave Gallagher at the Bellingham Herald.
By David Gallagher, Bellingham Herald
November 2, 2010
Urban Boutique will be having a grand opening 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6.
The boutique is in Bakerview Square, in the storefront of Urban Sol Tanning. According to a company press release, Urban Boutique offers a fresh, chic venue for women to shop for trendy accessories which nourish individuality and style. Urban Boutique owners Nicole Weiss and Kimber Ryan have put together a variety of products featuring Northwest artists.
Urban Boutique offers a collection of accessories, hand bags and pampering products. Along with Josh and Cortney Covert of Urban Sol Tanning, the two businesses will offer tanning, beauty salon services and the boutique.
Urban Boutique, along with Urban Sol, is open six days a week, Monday through Saturday.
Read more the entire article online at the BellinghamHerald.com
DAVE GALLAGHER – THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
POSTED: Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2010
Despite the sluggish economy, Bakerview Square continues to add tenants.
The retail center near Whatcom Community College and Bellis Fair has two businesses that have opened and two more nearly ready to open.
Miracle Ear and Urban Sol are the most recent businesses to open in the retail center.
Miracle Ear, which specializes in hearing aids and related services, was formerly in the Sears store at Bellis Fair before making the move. It’s operated by Monte Mahan and Heather Rainey.
Meanwhile, the former Beach N Brew tanning salon was taken over by Cortney and Josh Covert and is now doing business as Urban Sol. It will continue offering tanning services and they plan a grand opening celebration Saturday, Nov. 6, with discounts and prices.
The businesses nearly ready to open in the center are Bratz in Vogue and Hobbytown USA.
Bratz in Vogue is expected to open later this week and is owned by Ken and Bianca Newbatt. The store offers trendy clothes from newborns up to teenagers, with such brand names as DKNY and Diesel. Once open, store hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
A grand opening for Bratz in Vogue is set for Monday, Nov. 1. Details are at bratzinvogue.com.
Ken Newbatt said they were attracted to Bakerview because of the mix of tenants already there.
“We want to have a hip, trendy look to our store and this plaza has the kind of buildings to offer that,” he said.
Hobbytown USA is expected to open in its new space near Charter College in early November, much earlier than the original move date of April, according to the store’s Facebook page. The store is moving from its current spot at 4151 Meridian St., near the Meridian Cost Cutter, into the larger space. The store sells a variety of toys, including models and puzzles.
Read more
My latest attempt at finding a bona fide wine bar in Bellingham included a visit to the Fireside Martini and Wine Bar in Bakerview Square.
Although locally owned, the bar’s location in the middle of a strip-mall parking lot initially gives the place a bit of a “franchise” feel. But inside, the contemporary decor, replete with a granite bar and a seating area with cushy sofas and comfortable chairs, provides a homey atmosphere that invites you to linger over a beverage or two.
The current selection of about 20 wines is adequate, with a small variety of Washington and California wines and at least one choice from France, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina. Four sparkling wines and a Champagne are also on the menu.
All of the wines are available for tasting by the glass (from $6 to $12 a pour) or by the bottle (reasonably priced at $22 to $30 for whites, $25 to $40 for reds).
During my visit I tried an Acordeon 2009 Torrontes ($6 a glass/$24 a bottle), a lovely, light-bodied Argentinean white that was very nice, with jasmine aromas, lime zest and pear flavors, and a bit of an herbaceous finish.
Another notable feature is the 4 to 7 p.m. happy hour special that runs daily and includes several varietals from California’s Coastal Vines Winery for only $3 each. I didn’t try any of those wines, but my server assured me they were quite good, especially at that price.
The server also indicated that management is considering expanding the wine list to include wine flights, and to offer weekly specials highlighting local wineries.
Make no mistake; the martini is first and foremost at the Fireside. But the addition of a few more wine-friendly options could allow wine enthusiasts to co-exist with the cocktails drinkers in its warm, relaxed atmosphere.
Read the entire article online at the BellinghamHerald.com