Michael's Arts & Crafts leaving Bremerton for Silverdale

Arts and crafts enthusiasts will have to come to Silverdale to get supplies.

Rumors that Michael’s Arts & Crafts — long a fixture in East Bremerton — will relocate to Silverdale have been confirmed.

A general contractor will raze most of an existing row of storefronts, south of TJ Maxx in the Kitsap Place shopping center on Silverdale Way N.W., and a new store will be built “from the ground up” to the Michaels’ “prototype” or design, said Douglas B. Sullivan, vice president of Michaels.

At 22,700 square feet, it will be an arts & crafts supermarket.

Kitsap Place, also home to Sherwin-Williams paints and Car Toys among other businesses, belongs to the The Macerich Co., which owns the Kitsap Mall and North Point shopping center. Macerich is based in Santa Monica, Calif.

“We’ve been very pleased with our Bremerton store,” said Sullivan. “But this gives us a chance to build a store” of our own, he said. “Construction should begin in 60 days.... The store will open in the spring or summer, probably June.”

Michael’s has been at its present location, 4205 Wheaton Way, since 1994. It’s part of a chain of about 790 stores across the nation. When it moves to Silverdale, it’ll be competing directly with Jo Ann’s Etc. (formerly Jo Ann Fabrics & Crafts) on N.W. Bucklin Hill Road.

Michael’s of East Bremerton occupies 18,000 square feet of a large box — sharing space with a furniture store. Michaels currently employs about 15 people. They will be transferred to the new store, and new employees may be added, he said.

Previously, the space in East Bremerton was occupied by Treasure House.

“We lease all our stores,” commented Sullivan. “A 10-year lease, with five-year renewal options.”

He declined to cite figures on the lease, or how much the store will cost to build.

Dan Engelhard, manager of Macerich properties and the mall, was ecstatic.

“It’s wonderful,” he said. “This is a long-awaited addition to Kitsap Place. It’s great to get (the project plans) fully executed and (the papers) signed.”

Engelhard was hoping for an even sooner opening.

“Hopefully we’ll get it done the first part of 2003... maybe March.”

The Macerich Co. owns and operates Kitsap Mall and owns 46 malls and four community centers in 20 states. Their properties are home to more than 200 department stores and 5,000 specialty stores. Macerich officials say 500 million people per year shop at their malls, spending more than $9 billion.

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