March 19, 2024

Suquamish Tribe starts new market, plans more off-reservation stores

RFM image from Suquamish Tribe [enlarge]

The first Clearwater Market will be 5,000 square feet at the corner of Bond and Gunderson roads in Poulsbo.

The Suquamish Tribe recently begun construction in Poulsbo on the first store in a new chain called Clearwater Market. This first store is going in at the intersection of Bond and Gunderson roads.

A news release from the tribe says the initial development will consist of a 5,000-square-foot convenience store with a nine-pump gas station under a canopy, as well as a 2,700-square-foot cannabis store called Agate Dreams. The release states this is the first business venture by the tribe outside of the Port Madison Reservation, and other Clearwater Market stores are planned in Silverdale and Bremerton. The schedule for the future stores was not disclosed.

“This is an important milestone for our tribe,” says Suquamish Tribe Chairman Leonard Forsman in the release. “We've come a long way to get to this point, dating from when we overcame many challenges just to get our first bingo hall open on the reservation. We've worked hard over the years to create businesses offering quality services, good value, and a warm hospitality that reflects the spirit of our people. Now, we are bringing all that to the wider community across our ancestral territory.”

The Poulsbo store is expected to open by year end. The project team includes architect Rice Fergus Miller, general contractor BNBuilders and the tribe's PME Construction Corp. In a Facebook post, Rice Fergus Miller says it is designing the new market to support Port Madison Enterprises, which is dedicated to promoting the economic and social welfare of the tribe through commercial activities, and will run the stores. PME Construction is a subsidiary of Port Madison Enterprises.

The news release says the new chain will have outlets throughout Kitsap County. It didn't specify if there would be more than those planned for Poulsbo, Silverdale and Bremerton.

Port Madison Enterprises also operates the Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort, White Horse Golf Club, Kiana Lodge, and a few other gas stations/convenience stores.