Uptown Gig Harbor to celebrate first anniversary this weekend

Entertainment, raffle will kick off event

Susan Schell

of the Gateway

A year has passed since the Uptown Gig Harbor shopping center wowed locals and visitors alike. The center will celebrate its first anniversary this weekend with a canine fashion show, a marching band, live music and a review of High School Musical 2 by Encore! Theater.

The first on the scene in the center’s early days were Borders Books and Music, Chico’s, Coldwater Creek, Jamba Juice and Panera Bread.

“We had a phenomenal grand opening — it blew away our expectations,” said Angie Yandel, manager of Chico’s. “When we opened, it was just us, Coldwater Creek and Panera Bread. It’s just getting better.

“More people are discovering us. It’s not necessarily just Gig Harbor; people are coming from other areas. We’ve been in the Seattle area for a long time and people know us, so we’re a destination store.”

John Hogan, managing partner of Uptown Gig Harbor, said more than 20 merchants have moved in since the shopping center opened.

“Given the state of the economy, it has met our expectations,” he said.

“We’re 90 percent occupied and 93 percent leased. The movie theater (Galaxy Theatres) has done phenomenally well. It’s been the most digitally advanced theater on the West Coast of the U.S. since the day it opened and still is today. Couple that with a good film year in the industry. The theater has helped the restaurants, and restaurants have helped the theater.”

The managers at Uptown Gig Harbor have worked to create the right mix of merchants for the center, Hogan said. He added that finding the right tenants for the remaining spaces gets more difficult over time.

“As we get more leases, it’s been like a needle in a haystack to find the right merchants,” he said. “We’ve been sensitive to what the community wants, as opposed to what our lenders want. Gig Harbor is very provincial — there’s a higher standard to be met because you’re under the spotlight much more. There’s a big target to do the right thing instead of just fill up a shopping center and collect rent.”

“There is a good variety of stores here,” Panera Bread General Manager Mary Gleason said. “The opening was a little bigger than we expected. There’s been a bit of a drop since the opening hype, but we’ve stayed steady. We’re all pretty lucky that we’re out here — everybody’s surviving.”

First anniversary

A variety of talent will entertain shoppers this Saturday beginning at noon. Events include:

Noon — Dog fashion show at the Posh Paw

1 p.m. — Peninsula High School marching band

2 p.m. — High School Musical 2 preview by Encore! Theater

3 p.m. — Performance by musician Steve Stefanowicz on acoustic guitar

5 p.m. — Performance by Paper Cut, a high school alternative rock band

Reach reporter Susan Schell at 253-853-9240 or by e-mail at susan.schell@gateline.com.