Jerry Grow left a quieter, simpler Bainbridge Island in as a youngster in 1955.
But his memories conjure images that would be familiar to generations of islanders before and since: attending services at the Congregational Church downtown, marching in the Fourth of July parade, learning to fish from a boat his great-uncle Fred kept on Eagle Harbor.
The latter experiences have proved useful into Grow’s later years, giving him “sea legs” for his travels in retirement.
“My great-uncle would take great delight in running the boat back and forth across the wake behind the ferries, to see if he could get me seasick,” Jerry recalls. “I thank him for that now, because I do a lot of cruising and I never have any problem with seasickness.”
A direct descendent of bonafied island pioneer family, Grow returned to Bainbridge in July as an honored guest at the “Sharing Our History” reception in Grow Community’s new neighborhood hall.
The evening reunited former residents of the old Government Way housing, dignitaries from the American Legion and island’s Japanese American community, and local historians for reminiscence and reflection.
Visitors shared their memories of the berry fields and orchards that once rolled down the hillside toward the harbor, the vibrant scene at the Japanese community hall nearby, and the many families, faces and touchstones of bygone Bainbridge.
While Grow Community’s new neighborhood hall is still under construction, the evening was a chance to unveil colorful display boards that trace area history – from millennia of Native American habitation, through pioneer settlement, to post-war military housing, and into the present – that will be on permanent display inside.
Among the honored guests was Jerry Grow, whose great-grandfather Ambrose homesteaded north of Eagle Harbor in the 1880s. Along with fellow pioneer Riley Hoskinson, Ambrose Grow is credited as one of the founders of the town of Winslow and donated land for the first school.
Jerry Grow’s parents still held 20 acres on the northwest corner of today’s Wyatt Way and Grow Avenue into the 1950s, while his grandfather Walter owned the southeast corner where Grow Community is now being built. His great-uncle Fred resided farther down by the harbor.
The family moved off the island in 1955 when Jerry was 8. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1965, trained in electronics school and went on to maintain fighter jets.
After leaving the service, he parlayed his training into a career in the nascent computer industry repairing big IBM mainframes. As computers got smaller, he went back to school for certification as a network engineer, and worked for many years for the City of Seattle.
He and his family lived up on the Sammamish plateau, another community that was about to be touched by dramatic change.
“At the time we bought, it was still unincorporated King County,” he says. “Then everybody decided it was the place to be, and it really exploded up there.”
Grow retired to Long Beach on the Washington coast in 2005.
He has only been back to Bainbridge a handful of times through the years – once when his father was grand marshal of a centennial parade, again in the 1980s to show his own son the island community their Grow ancestors helped found.
The occasional visits marked a changing island – the loss of the family farmhouse and barn from the old Grow property, the incremental appearance of new homes and neighborhoods as the town his ancestors helped found stretched ever north and west.
He only learned of Grow Community this past February, quite by chance, when he met a couple from Bainbridge while on a cruise to Hawaii. He researched the new planned-solar community on the web and contacted developers Asani out of curiosity, leading to his recent visit.
“We’re so grateful Jerry reached out to us,” says Greg Lotakis, Grow Community project manager. “We’re committed to honoring the history of the land and those who’ve lived here through so many generations. Being able to bring Jerry here to share his stories adds to that continuity, helps connect more fully and vividly with the past.”
While others in the Grow clan could not attend the Sharing Our History event, Jerry Grow has kept them apprised that not only does a Bainbridge street still bear their name, but now a whole neighborhood.
“They’re pleased, and quite surprised,” he said.
We’re leading the nation in Green Power
/in Activist Development, Building The Future, Carbon Free, Grow News, News, News at Grow, One Planet Living, Our Island Community, The Homes /by Grow TeamThe US Environmental Protection Agency recently honored the City of Bainbridge Island with its Green Power of the Year Award – and Grow Community helped earn the honor.
In his report to the community, City Manager Doug Schulze cited Grow Community’s leadership.
“Adjacent to one of Bainbridge’s three neighborhood centers is Grow Community, one of the first North American communities built on the One Planet principles,” Schulze writes. “These all-electric homes have the option of installing enough PV to meet almost all of their homes’ energy demands. The homes, available for sale or rent, are populated as quickly as they are built.”
Kudos to Bainbridge Island for this great national award! Read the City Manager’s report on our national leadership in Green Power below.
Grow settling in for winter hibernation – An October Construction & Sales Update
/in Building The Future, Construction Updates, Form & Function, Grow News, News, News at Grow, One Planet Living, The Homes /by Grow TeamNow that the Lilac and Sage are done, and the Community Center is nearing completion, we plan to pause construction for the winter. This will include additional landscaping, ramps/walks to connect our path through the entire project, and stabilization of the area that will become the Trillium and Meadow Homes.
This winter “quiet time” will allow new residents to move in, let the site be still for several months – and we’ll be ready and rested to begin final completion of work in spring 2018.
As we wind down work for the year, our teams are checking off minor “punch list” items throughout the Park neighborhood. All tasks in occupied and for-sale units should be completed in the next couple of weeks.
Site grading is essentially complete, with stairs and ramps now shaped in the southeast corner of the grounds and concrete work set for next week. Landscaping in that area will follow – we are on schedule to beat the rain and tidy up the site for winter.
The big news is the imminent opening of our new Community Center – and does it look great! The 17-panel solar array went up on the center’s bike shelter this week, great news for sustainable use. We have a few minor items left to install, from drinking fountains to appliances, barn doors and some trim. We’ve applied to the city for building occupancy, and hope to have approval in the next few weeks.
And we still have room for you!
In the Lilac townhomes, 2- and 3-bedroom homes each with a generous 300-sf of private outdoor space are available. These are the only 3-bedroom units left at Grow and offer 1,600-sf of comfortable, environmentally friendly living.
Contact our sales team a get a personal tour today!
Emergency Preparedness Discussion, September 14 7-9pm
/in Events, Grow News, News, News at Grow, Our Island Community /by Grow TeamEmergency Preparedness Discussion with with Scott James, Author of
Prepared Neighborhoods
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 7-9pm
Located in the Grow Community Center
Please bring appetizers and drinks to share..
Contact for more details: 206.452.6755 live@growbainbridge.com
Sage advice — come to the Park and see the Lilacs. A Construction & Sales Update – August 2017
/in Construction Updates, Form & Function, Grow News, News, News at Grow /by Grow TeamA warm summer has brought the Park neighborhood to life, resplendent with its first round of trees, grasses, pea patches and plantings.
Nearby the Sage building is wrapping up nicely with some new residents already moved in, and more new neighbors arriving over the next several months. New neighbors in the Lilac townhomes will follow.
Toward the south end of the project, grading and other construction activity will begin in September. We’ll be focusing on path work and prep for Grow’s final buildings, the Trillium and Meadow Homes. There’s no timetable yet for building construction, but we should have an update in the coming weeks.
The Grove neighborhood has settled in, with just four 2-bedroom homes still available.
The Lilac townhomes now have six homes ready and waiting — three 3-bedrooms (the last 3-bedroom homes left in all of Grow Community) and three 2-bedroom units as well.
All homes in the Sage condominiums will be completed by September, meaning more purchase opportunities are about to come online. Nine 2-bedroom units are available, including third-floor with spectacular views. This is your last chance to live in a single-level home in Grow Community! Contact the sales office today for a personal tour.
Public Open House: Thursday July 20, 2017
/in Events, Grow News, News, News at Grow /by Grow TeamJoin us for a summer BBQ catered by Jakes Pickup.
Tour 235 Wills Lane along with other properties currently on the market.
PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE | Thursday July 20, 2017 10am-1pm
Great opportunities to purchase are still available in the Grove & Park neighborhoods at Grow Community with their mix of single-level homes, townhomes and single-family residences. With beautifully designed, ultra-efficient homes, the Grove & Park set a new standard for healthy, sustainable living. We currently have 6 beautiful condos and 5 townhomes move-in ready.
Contact our sales & leasing team for more details: 206.452.6755 live@growbainbridge.com