Lummi Nation set to open what they believe will be a retail hub near the ferry
The Lummi Island ferry terminal is getting a new store building, but a classic is also coming back.
The Fisherman’s Cove Store will have a grand opening celebration at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 19. It’s part of the Lummi Bay Markets and is across the street from the mainland terminal on Lummi View Drive. Once it is open, regular hours will be 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. The store will also have gas pumps for cars as well as for the nearby fishing fleet.
Along with typical convenience store items, the market will offer fishing boat supplies, including basic gear. The store is also bringing back the boathouse burger, something that longtime residents might remember when there was a restaurant in the area, said Lummi Nation Chairman Jay Julius. He remembers eating those burgers with his grandfather on the dock about 30 years ago.
“This is much more than a store,” Julius said. “This is one of the pillars within the community.”
The market was in a smaller building next to the terminal since 2007. It closed on April 14 for the move.
This new store building is one of several economic projects in the works, said Tim Ballew II, CEO of Lummi Commercial Company. The Lummi Nation is also in the process of converting the recently purchased Loomis Trail Golf Course to a public course, which includes adding a sports bar later this summer. The Lummi are also in the permitting stage to put in a travel center at its future Salish Village site near Interstate 5 and Slater Road.
The Fisherman’s Cove store is expected to become a hub for the nearby community and the fishing fleet while also serving those using the Lummi Island ferry, Ballew said. He’s noticed community enthusiasm even before the opening, as a steady stream of residents has dropped by this week to check on the progress, he said.
This story was originally published April 18, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
