SEASIDE – Wheelhouse Seafood, a fresh and smoked seafood market, has opened in the old Seaside City Hall building at Broadway and U.S. Highway 101.

“We specialize in our smoked fish,” said owner Cliff Lewis. “We do a variety of types, everything from smoked tuna to razors clams. You name it. We smoke it.”

Lewis grew up in the Tigard area, but has lived in Cannon Beach since 1975. The seafood market is an extension of Lewis’s shop in Warrenton. Both markets will offer the same products.

“But we needed a better location for people to find us,” said Lewis. “It was difficult for shoppers to find our location on First Street in Warrenton. It was good in the summer, but in the winter we just weren’t getting the traffic. So this is a great location with good exposure.”

Wheelhouse will also offer fish and chips and clam chowder cooked at the building’s restaurant once it is opened later this year.

Wheelhouse Seafood has its own troller and gillnetter, allowing the market to serve a well-stocked variety of fresh fish.

“We will go out and catch our own tuna, our own salmon and wild fish, said Lewis. “That is our focus. Good wild fish for everyone. We want to please both the tourists and the locals and let them know they can always get fresh fish and good smoked fish products here.”

Lewis has been in the fish market business for the last four years, but a commercial fisherman for over 30 years. In fact commercial fishing runs in his family.

“My daughter is also a commercial fisherman, and she will be managing the new seafood market in Seaside,” said Lewis. “We will have probably two full time employees.”

The Seaside Wheelhouse Seafood Market will be open from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. five days a week.

“We will likely be closed Tuesday and Wednesday, the slower days of the week,” he said.

The east side of the old city hall building above an entrance into the Wheelhouse Seafood Market is marked by a large fish sculpture done by a local artist.

Ken Ulbricht, the Seaside developer who has renovated the old city hall building, said the opening of the fish market came with the help of Seaside city officials.

“The city has been great to work with,” said Ulbricht “They helped me get a temporary operating permit to get open to catch some of the end of the season tourists.”

Ulbricht expects a restaurant offering specialty soups and other dishes will be opened by the end of the year. An art gallery is planned for the second floor of the building.

Paving for the parking lot just to the east of the old city hall has been completed. Landscaping at the site is also underway.

He is hopeful other property owners along Broadway will embrace the idea of establishing the upper portion of Broadway to U.S. Highway 101 as an improvement district.

“This area has been tired,” he said. “Seaside has been tired. So any improvements we can make will make it better for all of us.”

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