New Wilson reopens

Word on the street is that it wouldn’t have “penciled” as a strictly private venture, but a private-public partnership resulted in the renovation and reopening Thursday, September 21 of the New Wilson Hotel on Commercial Avenue in downtown Anacortes. A crowd of more than 100 gathered to hear details about the partnership that ultimately leaves the Anacortes Housing Authority with a new one- and two-bedroom facility for subsidized housing. Among those gathered for the event were Wallie Funk and Stan Jewell (right, second photo), both with family history in the building. Funk’s family once owned and operated the hotel and Jewell later ran a restaurant/lounge on the street level. Also on hand was Wallie’s brother Jim (right, third photo), whose work at the hotel included a stint as manager. He talks here with Buehl Berentson in the hallway of the second floor. Leaving the community for his next project is Nat Nguyen, who served as project engineer for Marpac Construction LLC. Nat’s next assignment takes him to downtown Seattle.