Chambers Bay will get a new look as local developers picked for project

A long awaited project that will help transform Chambers Bay into a resort has been approved by Pierce County. Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy said she has chosen a team of local developers to build a resort-style hotel and more around Chambers Bay.

In addition, Chambers Bay is also expected to host a Tom Douglas restaurant, which would be the first one built outside of Seattle.

Douglas’ plans for a bar and grill “was a big draw” for McCarthy and her team of six who studied the two proposals for development on the county-owned land, she said.

But ultimately it was the overall cohesiveness of the Chambers Bay Development team and its thoughtful plans for enhancing public amenities at the site that lifted the proposal above the other development team, McCarthy said.

The development team is led by Dan and Tom Absher, of Puyallup-based Absher Construction, and Dan Putnam, who previously was CEO of structural engineering firm PCS Structural Solutions, Chambers Bay Development used the local angle in its pitch. Also included are Columbia Hospitality, Kemper Sports, GGLO Architects and Douglas.

Putnam and the Abshers say they view the project as a legacy, something they would remain a part of after construction.

The plans are conceptual, which means architectural features and smaller details are likely change as the project moves through the permitting process.

Already McCarthy and her team have proposed a major change to the plans: No residential housing on the property.

Chambers Bay Development had proposed building the villas along Grandview and additional housing near the southern portion of the 930-acre Chambers Creek Properties site, if market conditions warranted.

Under the revised plan, the developers still would build 80 villas below the 80-room hotel. The county is deciding whether they could be long-term rentals.

Other components of the project include a 5,000-square-foot event space, 200-seat Douglas restaurant and six spa-treatment rooms. The development team made a point to include public amenities in its project, including adding a public overlook and improvements to the existing trail.

Beyond offering the first hotel in University Place, the proposal also calls for golf academies, camps and clinics to appeal to golfers looking to improve their game.

While Chambers Bay Development is the preferred choice, nothing is final until a lease development agreement is reached for how the site should be developed. McCarthy would like to see the terms of the agreement finalized and approved by the County Council by the end of the year.