By this time next year the vacant lot on the corner of Pioneer Way and Dock Street will house a dense mix of specialty services and storefront boutiques if Debbie Skinner’s plans to develop the property are successful.

Skinner purchased the lot about a year and a half ago and hired island developer Scott Hampton to draw up a conceptual design for the project, in hopes of bringing her downtown retail vision alive.

“I’d like a new, fresh energy downtown, to encourage people to park somewhere and walk around,” Skinner said of her vision to make Pioneer Way “extremely pedestrian friendly.”

During the last nine months Skinner and Hampton pieced together a modern retail plan.

“The process started with getting an idea of what was desired downtown,” Hampton said of the development project that carries a $750,000-plus price tag. Throughout the planning process, Hampton saw an overwhelming interest in smaller shop space, between 200 and 700 square feet.

The smaller-sized storefronts will allow enough space for five to six different companies in the building, Hampton said.

Due to the staggering economy, Hampton didn’t expect a landslide of interest in the mini storefronts right now, but local business owners proved him wrong.

“When we put that sign up, I was really excited because we didn’t think we’d have the demand for the smaller spaces,” Hampton said of the onslaught of calls about the small floor plans.

Within a week of posting the sign, Hampton said the building was nearly at 50 percent occupancy.

“I was really surprised, because nothing is selling,” he said of other properties in town. “The interest is there.”

Hampton said many of the inquiries are from established Oak Harbor businessmen and women looking to reorganize their shops into leaner, thriving establishments. They’re looking for smaller storefronts, he said, which translates into lower rent payments.

“The visibility at that intersection is 10 times better than anywhere else on Pioneer Way because of the slow intersecting traffic,” he said.

Hampton said the design currently includes space for a cafe or espresso shop with an “Italian feel” on the main floor to attract passers-by. The second floor will likely be one business, he said, although the plans are malleable at this point, so two shops could share the 1,260- square-foot, lofted retail space.

Hampton and Skinner envision a restaurant, wine bar or day spa in the upstair section of the building because of its balcony and view of the harbor.

“This is the start of the regeneration of the other half of Pioneer Way,” he said.

The building’s design will be a mix of old and new, with features similar to the brick style of Harbor Station along Highway 20 and with the addition of historic embellishments to blend in with the nearby store fronts, Hampton said.

The project will continue to move through the permitting process in August or September, Hampton said. After the permits are obtained, construction will take another six or seven months to complete.

It will be the first new building on the historic stretch of Pioneer Way in decades. Oldtimers tend to think The Casual House building was the last new downtown addition, constructed sometime during the 1960s.

Both Skinner and Hampton are hopeful the newest downtown structure will be open for business no later than May of next year.

“I hope to have it done as quickly as possible so we don’t create any problems downtown,” Skinner said.