The Willows Inn — or at least its former Lummi Island location — is back on the market.
The property of the once-famous restaurant and residence has been listed for sale again by its current owner, Bellingham’s nonprofit Lighthouse Mission Ministries.
This time, the two parcels are being offered in three different ways: a three-bedroom home and its two small cottages in one listing for $559,000, the former eight-bedroom, eight-bath Inn in another for $1,790,000, or both together (for a stated 13 bedroom total) in a third listing for $2,290,000.
If a real estate sale listing for the storied property seems familiar, well, it should.
The Willows Inn property was originally donated to Lighthouse Mission Ministries in November 2022 by the Inn’s owners, Tim and Marcia McEvoy. In April 2023, the property — at the time valued at $2.04 million — was put on the market through Saratoga Commercial Real Estate, with its sale to be used to help fund the $27 million Lighthouse Mission redevelopment project in Bellingham’s Old Town.
But a hoped-for deal fell through.
“It had a number of serious offers,” said Loran Zenonian, chief advancement officer for Lighthouse Mission Ministries. “We actually had come pretty close to signing a purchase and sale agreement at the end, but they backed out.”
So, at the end of March and nearly a year later, the property went back on the market with a new broker — Bellingham-based The Muljat Group — and a new three-listing approach for the two parcels.
“Some folks who are interested want both, and some just want a single property,” Zenonian said. “That’s kind of why we did it that way, so we could generate more interest.”
Zenonian said offers would be taken through The Muljat Group until Friday, April 12, and then evaluated by April 26. At that point, he said they’ll determine whether to accept an offer or keep one or both parcels on the market. He said as of Tuesday, April 9, they had a handful of offers.
Zenonian said the nonprofit anticipates the closing of the sale, with distribution of proceeds, could occur by the end of the summer. That would be before the new 300-bed shelter at 910 W. Holly St. is expected to open at the end of September.
“By then we would like to be completely fundraised, financed and finished,” he said.
History of turmoil
The Willows Inn on Lummi Island’s West Shore Drive has a history touched by both celebrity and turmoil. Under chef Blaine Wetzel, it was consistently recognized as one of the best restaurants in the country and became a darling of food critics across North America.
But in 2017, accusations of wage theft arose, with The Seattle Times reporting a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor, and later the settling of a class-action lawsuit filed by former employees. Four years later, in 2021, the New York Times published a report citing workers who accused Wetzel and his staff of allowing toxic workplace behavior.
When the Inn closed and the property was donated by the McEvoys in November 2022, Lighthouse Mission Ministries wrote on its website that the Bellingham couple had been supporters since 1999 and, “Tim and Marcia’s gift is grace itself.”
Zenonian said the nonprofit is interested in also having the new owners be local.
“We just think it’s a great property and we’re excited to sell it, and we hope that a couple of the offers that are very local and community minded are good offers,” he said. “That’s part of our burden and desire, to make sure that happens, so we take that seriously.”
Frank Catalano writes about business and related topics for CDN; reach him at frankcatalano@cascadiadaily.com.
