POULSBO — As the city prepares for the traditional slow season, when sales tax revenues plummet along with retail activity, Wal-Mart and The Home Depot have both announced their opening dates.

Even though Home Depot got a later start than Wal-Mart, it will open its doors at 6 a.m. Jan. 26.

The hardware giant will host a neighborhood night the evening before its grand opening from 6-9 p.m.

The Home Depot will not be alone for long as Wal-Mart opens its doors five days later.

“The tentative opening date is Jan. 31, and it will feature more than 30 general merchandise departments,” Wal-Mart spokeswoman Melissa O’Brien said of the 200,000-square-foot store.

The store will feature a full grocery center with a deli, bakery and seafood department, O’Brien said.

The new building will also have a tire-lube express and other speciality services that are offered at other Wal-Mart locations.

With the two giants of Olhava opening their doors, the focus will turn to filling out the rest of the commercial area and business park on the hill.

The city’s planning commission was expected to approve the first round of short plats in Olhava Tuesday night, which would allow up to 33 businesses to submit permit applications to build on their sites.

Tuesday’s agenda encompassed the majority of the commercial sites south of Wal-Mart going east, past Home Depot, but stopped short of the Olympic College site.

The 33 sites account for 44.18 acres and the planning commission will be asked to approve the short plats for the Olhava business park, which includes 26 single sites and a total of 35.32 acres at a later date.

Some developers, including Barber Development, had permits issued pending the short plat approval and were able to begin construction in the fall.

Barber’s list of potential tenants for its 32,000-foot shopping center across from Wal-Mart and adjacent to Home Depot includes:

• Copy It, Mail It, a local store providing services similar to the UPS Store

• Asiana Bistro, a restaurant specializing in Oriental cuisine

• Pink Coconut Tanning Salon

• T-Mobile

• Hair Masters

• Payless Shoes

• Super Cuts

• Bella Cleaners

• Peninsula Federal Credit Union

With retailers poised to move into Olhava, two financial institutions appear to be banking on the development as well. Harborstone Bank and 1st Federal Savings have expressed interest in putting branches in the area but are among the crowd waiting for the final short-plat approval.

At least one medical facility, DaVita Dialysis Center, is also waiting for the short plat approval.