EVERETT, Wash. — A century-old building that sat empty for decades is finding new life on the Everett waterfront.
It was once known for cutting down trees. Now, it's crafting coffee and cocktails. They're shaking things up on the Everett waterfront -- speakeasy style.
"It's breathtaking," said visitor Keegan Lassiter. "I am so impressed. This has exceeded my expectations entirely."
It's called The Muse Whiskey & Coffee.
By day it's a coffee bar, by night, it's a speakeasy-themed whiskey bar.
Muse is housed in the 6000-square-foot, 100-year-old Weyerhaeuser office building.
Originally designed to look like a home instead of an office, the space showcases all of the different woods Weyerhaeuser logged and milled around Everett.
The building is now on the National Register of Historic Places and has survived four moves across the city.
"The strange thing is, that building has more miles on it than a new car," said city historian John O'Donnell. "It's one of a kind. It spent all of its life in Everett and it needs to remain a big part of the city."
The place is full of reminders of a bygone era in Everett.
For example, during remodeling in the building's old safe, which is now a wine vault, workers found an old boobytrap system still in working order.
"With construction projects, there's always some kind of a surprise," said Port of Everett CEO Lisa Lefeber.
The project manager for the redevelopment was doing work in the safe when he pulled a lever and got a taste of a 1920s security system.
"All of a sudden it sprayed this stuff in his face," said Lefeber. "It was a boobytrap. We found out it was teargas from the original 1923 safe to make sure if anyone came in to steal their money, they wouldn't get very far."
There are a limited number of "wine lockers" available in the vault.
For an annual fee of $500, you get access to the vault and six bottles of wine.
Muse is currently open seven days a week.
The coffee bar runs from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The "speakeasy" is open Sunday through Thursday from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
The space can also accommodate weddings and special events.
Port officials have been working for more than two decades to clean up and renovate the waterfront, which was originally home to wood, paper and shingle mills.
Muse is one of eight new businesses opening on the waterfront including five restaurants and a yacht broker.
Plans are in the works for up to 300 new housing units and 8,000 to 10,000 square feet of new retail space.
Folks like Keegan Lassiter believe the speakeasy will ensure the Everett waterfront won't be a secret anymore.
"Whoever created this had a beautiful concept in mind and really delivered," she said.