Professional center coming to Freeland

"Businesses looking for office space on South Whidbey will soon have a much wider selection from which to choose.The Freeland Professional Center is on the drawing boards, and features three buildings of approximately 4,000 square feet each. They will be located on a two-acre parcel next to Teddy’s restaurant.The developer is Freeland Associates, a partnership of two builders, Ed Gemkow of South Whidbey and Bill Massey of Oak Harbor.“We did what market study you can do in Freeland,” Gemkow said. “We expect Freeland to develop very rapidly in the next few years, and we just want to be part of that.”Freeland’s image is also undergoing a change. “As a local person I wanted to see something upscale,” said Gemkow. “Freeland is going through a new identity. There’s a trend toward people wanting better space in Freeland.” He cited the new Pay-Less development, Porter/Johnson building, and Whidbey Island Bank as examples of that new identity.People can expect a park-like setting around the buildings, Gemkow said. “We’ll leave as many trees as possible. I’m excited, it’s going to be a neat project.”The buildings were designed by John Shevenell’s Passage Architects, Inc., in Langley.Space inside the buildings will be designed to accommodate the desires of the tenants. For businesses needing high-tech computer and communication wiring, that should be a simple matter. Gemkow said the building are designed with a roomy crawl space and full attic, so “it’s easy to run wiring from up above or down below.”Construction is scheduled to begin soon, with the first building completed sometime in May. For more information call 425-239-2705."

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