In the city of Langley, businesses move in and out of the downtown core as the years go by, following the ebb and flow of openings and closings. There are some buildings, however, that have remained empty storefronts for far longer than others, leaving some to wonder if they will ever reopen their doors again.

In recent months, the Langley City Council has taken a renewed interest in encouraging property owners to activate their dormant buildings, with plans to send a letter to at least one of them.

Councilmember Rhonda Salerno, who is helping to lead this charge, pointed out that sales tax is an important source of revenue for Langley.

“It’s hurting our downtown to have empty buildings,” she said.

In 2023, Councilmember Craig Cyr suggested it might be a good idea to adopt an ordinance similar to the city of Everett’s, which regulates vacant commercial spaces.

“It is not okay for someone to buy one of our iconic properties in the downtown business core and let it sit vacant for 10 years,” Cyr said. “And that’s happened.”

For Fred Lundahl, owner of Music for the Eyes, there’s really only one storefront that is of concern, and it’s the site of the former Mike’s Place on the corner of First Street.

In 2014, new owners Bill and Karen Allen purchased 219 First Street. Lundahl recalled seeing Bill fixing a leak in the roof at one point. Lundahl and other shopkeepers asked the owner if he would ever consider renting or selling the building, to which he allegedly responded he would for the right price.

“As a merchant, they’re not so much an eyesore as a sort of symbol of nothing going on,” Lundahl said of empty storefronts. “And there’s actually a lot going on here.”

Rumors abound about the property being the site of underground storage tanks. The address for the building could not be found on the state Department of Ecology’s list of regulated underground storage tanks.

“I used to get questions about the old Clyde Motors/Mike’s Place, but I think many folks have just given up hope that anyone will be willing or able to work around the rumored clean-up costs from when it was a garage,” said Brook Willeford, who owns the next door movie theater, The Clyde, with his dad Blake Willeford.

Bill Allen, the owner of a communications company based in Whittier, California, could not be reached for comment by press time.

According to data from the Island County Assessor’s Office, the commercial property appears to have dropped in value over the years after rising slightly initially.

Lundahl said he sees more action happening at the Dog House, which has long been a work in progress since owners Janice and Charlie Kleiner purchased it in 2010. The owners have faced many hurdles, including a denied request for access to a garage on the back of the building. Lundahl said he had offered to give up a parking space belonging to his business in order for the Dog House to fulfill its parking requirements.

Charlie Kleiner declined to disclose the couple’s plans for the building at 230 First Street.

According to Meredith Penny, Langley’s planning director, the Dog House received final inspection approval on Nov. 14, 2024. This approval pertains to Phase 1, which focused on making the building structurally sound, replacing the siding and installing new windows. The proposed uses for the interior of the building will need to be addressed in a subsequent Phase 2.

Meanwhile, Langley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Nicole Whittington-Johnson said she continues to field requests from many interested business owners looking for commercial space to rent in the Village by the Sea.

She hopes to develop a new program, a small business incubator where chamber members and non-members will be invited to host pop-ups at the Visitor Center in Langley and the Highway 525 tourism kiosk.

On the other hand, there are some vacant buildings that are beginning to show signs of new life.

Tamara Petersen, owner of Mutiny Bay Antiques and Vintage Mercantile in Freeland, confirmed that she plans to open a second location in the upstairs space above Whidbey Island Bank on Langley’s First Street. The building needs some work, however, and she said it will be several months before the new shop is ready to open.

Nathan Davis, owner of the former U.S. Bank building on Anthes Avenue, verified that another bank is slated to fill the space. It’s currently leased out to SaviBank, which is in the process of being acquired by Harborstone Credit Union. Lauren Hawley, the manager of the Freeland SaviBank, said the goal is to open a Langley branch once the acquisition is complete.

“We are hoping to have the regulatory agencies sign offs by the end of the first quarter,” she said. “We are being told it could take 45 to 60 days to close after that.”

Deanna Nollette and Marcos Diaz, the owners of a property on Cascade Avenue that was the site of the former Edgecliff Restaurant, approached the city’s citizen-led Design Review Board in 2022 about demolishing the existing structure and constructing a two-suite bed and breakfast. In 2024, the city council voted to extinguish a sewer easement on the property that would allow the owners to move forward with their plans. Nollette and Diaz did not respond to a request for comment by press time.