“But because of the building’s history in the community, and the fact that a lot of the main structure was intact, we thought there was a lot of merit in saving what we could.” ![]() “When we started, a lot of people thought, ‘Gee, are you going to rip the building down and start over?’” says Jeff McClure. But it’s true: This stately, early-20th-century Commercial Style building, an anchor along Lynden’s four-block downtown retail district, sat burned-out, vacant, and deteriorating for seven years until it re-opened in late 2015. Today, it’s hard to imagine the space as anything but packed with shoppers and diners and hotel guests, with the smell of bread wafting from the cafe and the sound of glasses clinking in the bar. The McClures make up one half of ForeFront Ventures, the partnership that brought this two-story building in downtown Lynden back from the ashes after a 2008 fire nearly devastated the structure. There are also several retail shops, a beer and wine bar, and a cafe called Avenue Bread, which is where I find a table next to the window and join architect Jeff McClure and his wife, Debra. The Inn at Lynden, a 35-room boutique hotel, is only one part of the recently rehabilitated Waples Mercantile Building. But as I get settled into my new home away from home, I start to thaw. The young woman at the front desk apologizes for the dreary day as she walks me to my room on the second floor. ![]() The tall, rain-splattered windows look out onto downtown Lynden, a small city (population 14,000) in northwestern Washington state. My eyes travel from the apples to the flickering fireplace, the thick timber beams, and the rough wooden floors, and I feel squarely in the Pacific Northwest. A basket of shiny red Washington-grown apples on the front desk greets me as I step into the lobby of the Inn at Lynden on a cold, rainy afternoon.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |