Business

Gig Harbor Now reporters provide information about where people can eat, shop and seek professional services, which businesses are opening or closing, and explain local trends and their relation to the national economy.

Gig Harbor Real Estate | Prices pick up ahead of spring buying and selling season

Feb 13, 2024 | By: Alison Paoli

The Gig Harbor real estate market continued to pick up momentum in January despite a significant shortage of available homes to buy.

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Gig Harbor Now founder Pat Lantz retires from board of directors

Feb 05, 2024 | By:

Pat Lantz, the founding president of Gig Harbor Now’s Board of Directors, stepped down from the board at the end of 2023. Lantz — whose resumé includes working as an attorney, six terms in the state Legislature and a 10-year stint on the Washington Parks and Recreation Commission — is going to give retirement a

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Pierce County weighs stripping urban growth designation from Purdy

Jan 29, 2024 | By:

If Purdy ever truly dreamed of an urban future, that possibility may be slipping away. The tiny agglomeration of businesses, schools, homes and utility company maintenance yards at the head of Henderson Bay, just over Gig Harbor’s northern border, has long been designated an urban growth area (UGA) under the Pierce County Comprehensive Plan. That’s

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Timeline for grocery merger pushed back as Washington attorney general sues

Jan 18, 2024 | By:

Kroger, owner of Fred Meyer and other grocery chains, announced this week that its proposed merger with Albertsons will take longer than it previously thought.  Meanwhile, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that his office is suing to stop the merger. The Democratic attorney general, who is running for governor this fall, argued that the

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Two In Tow & On The Go | Gig Harbor’s top venues for kids’ birthday parties

Jan 12, 2024 | By:

If you’ve ever Googled “birthday places near me”and become totally overwhelmed by the choices — I’ve got you. Here’s a list of all the places, prices and packages for your kiddo’s next party! For the second time* in my life, I can officially declare I’ve spent 76 hours compiling a list of more birthday party

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Gig Harbor Real Estate | Where have the homes gone?

Jan 11, 2024 | By: Alison Paoli

After bottoming out in September 2023 at $827,792, the median price for a single-family home between the Purdy and Narrows bridges rose for the third consecutive month to $850,000 in December, an increase of 2.7%. Prices are now just 1.9% below their peak of $866,835 in October 2022. Spurring the increase in prices is a

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Jim and Lynne Mackle built a business and a legacy in Gig Harbor

Jan 04, 2024 | By:

Some knew him as “Mr. Kelly,” though his surname was Mackle.  Others knew him as Jim the Chicken Coop Guy. Or Jim the Plumber.  Many people in Gig Harbor knew Jim Mackle, under one handle or another. The former owner of Kelly’s toy store and cafe in downtown Gig Harbor — a plumber by trade

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In the Margins | New Year tastes bittersweet without Fredda’s deli sandwiches

Jan 03, 2024 | By:

With each new year, many of us awake with renewed ambitions involving fitness, food, family or finances. The calendar jump-starts our intentions for another year in which the garage — or maybe our arteries — will get cleaned up for a better or longer life ahead. Or, if you’re like me, you spend the midnight

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Business Spotlight | Cougarwear isn’t just for Cougs anymore

Dec 31, 2023 | By:

Gig Harbor’s Cougarwear store specializes in apparel from its namesake school, but you’ll find plenty of Huskies, Zags and other gear there.

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Real Estate Q&A: Home inspections spot more than just underground grow rooms and bunkers

Dec 26, 2023 | By: Alison Paoli

When purchasing a home, it is common practice to get a home inspection shortly after the offer is accepted. The findings of the inspection help buyers decide whether or not to move forward with the purchase of the property or back out of the deal entirely. Aside from finding out what may or may not

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