If plans are fulfilled, several new buildings will be popping up near downtown Coupeville by the end of the year.

The buildings will be constructed on a vacant lot on the corner of Grace and Alexander streets.

Plans call for two small retail buildings, a home with a guest house and a detached garage. The two-story retail buildings would house apartments on the second floor.

“This corner is a key corner because you’re a block away from Front Street and you’re a block away from the wharf,” said property owner Doug McFadyen during a Jan. 4 Coupeville Planning Commission meeting.

McFadyen said that back part of the property isn’t well-suited for commercial use because of the topography and lack of visibility.

Town Planner Larry Kwarsick said the plans are a good fit for the town.

“The scale of it is small town with a lot of open space,” Kwarsick said.

The 32,000 square foot property will contain a 2,750 square foot house including a guest house and a 790 square foot garage complete with an upstairs work space.

Each commercial buildings will provide 1,600 square feet of retail space. McFadyen said he didn’t know yet how big the upstairs apartments will be. That will be figured out as plans are finalized. He added that he doesn’t have any tenants lined up yet for the retail buildings.

McFadyen said he hopes to have a building permit in March so construction can begin in April. Construction of all buildings should be finished six to eight months later.

With construction on the land starting soon, some cleanup work needs to be completed on the property which was once home to a gas station. McFadyen said Unocal is responsible for completing the cleanup.

He said a backhoe will remove contaminated soil on the site, but the work shouldn’t affect construction plans.