Birch Bay Commercial Real Estate
Homestead improves the Birch Bay Commercial real estate market by remolding local facilities while keeping the historical atmosphere.
Homestead Focused on Upgrades
DAVE GALLAGHER
When the summer months arrive and the weather takes a turn for the better, many Whatcom County residents will spend some time on the beaches in Birch Bay. This summer they’ll see some new things there.
Homestead Northwest is working on upgrading some facilities that it purchased last year in Birch Bay. Currently under way is the remodel of the former Stephani’s Restaurant By the Bay building. The building remodel will result in CJ’s Beach House Restaurant, to open this summer. The restaurant will be a Homestead Northwest restaurant, joining CJ’s Farmhouse Dining Room and CJ’s Barnyard Bistro in Lynden. “CJ” stands for Homestead owners Carolyn and Jim Wynstra.
Lisa Guthrie, director of resort development for Homestead, said the restaurant will be a combination of the former Stephani’s and the current CJ’s restaurants. Some of the employees from the old restaurant will be back, and Homestead has been gathering historical photos and memorabilia to display in the building. Some menu items will be similar to what Stephani’s offered to go along with CJ’s food.
"We decided to go with a major structural remodel of the building rather than start over with a new building,” Guthrie said. “We wanted to keep as much of the original character of the building as possible while adding some features, such as more windows across the front of the building and a rebuilt kitchen.”
Also scheduled to open this summer, possibly by mid-June, is the Sea Links golf course. The golf course has sat vacant the past few years. It used to be an 18-hole short course, but Homestead has changed to a nine-hole facility, with more par-four holes. Local golfer Chris Jorgensen has been hired as the golf pro. Eventually, a public plaza and some residential units will be added to the area around the golf course.
One facility that won’t see many new changes this summer is the Birch Bay Water slides. "Homestead did some minor improvements to the facility," Guthrie said, but the bigger changes to the area will start taking place in the fall. Homestead plans to begin the first phase of construction of a hotel this fall, while construction of an indoor water park will begin in the fall of 2008. The water slides will remain as other amenities are added to the property, including retail and residential units.
It’s a process that Homestead has tried to do with the approval of the community, said Guthrie. As a Birch Bay resident and a member of the Birch Bay Steering Committee, Guthrie has been getting plenty of feedback from residents. |