BOTHELL, Wash. -- It's hard to explain exactly what's being built right now at the old Anderson School in Bothell. Even the guys behind the project are at a bit of a loss.
"That's a hard one," said Mike McMenamin.
"It's an entertainment complex? I don't know what it is!" laughed his brother Brian.
The McMenamins have built a small empire of 59 pubs, breweries and hotels in Oregon with a few eateries in Washington. Now, they're bringing their biggest creation yet to Bothell.
"It's awesome. We can't wait. It's been a long time coming," said Brian.
The brothers are taking the 84-year-old Anderson School and turning it into a five-acre campus of beers, bars, food, music and movies.
"We're just kids building forts, essentially," said Mike during a tour of the property Wednesday.
The McMenamins have made their name restoring old schools, masonic lodges, even chapels to their former glory. The buildings are preserved and turned into quirky pieces of art, incorporating the history of the place and its people into the design.
"You can go have burgers and fries in a lot of places," said Brian. "This is more than just a restaurant or a hotel. It's the experience."
At the Anderson School the old classrooms are being converted to 72 hotel rooms. Each will be named for a teacher. Part of the gym will be a large room for concerts, parties or even proms. The rest will house a 120-seat movie theater. The swimming pool will be open to the public, complete with a tiki bar.
"I scratched my nose on the bottom of the pool when jumping off the high dive when I was little," said construction supervisor Rob Stork. "It's a lot of fun watching this place transform. There's a great buzz in the community."
The Anderson School is a jewel in the redevelopment of Bothell. It will be a destination that will draw from across the area, providing 200 jobs and serving as the cornerstone of downtown's revitalization. It is slated to open October 15. Reservations are already being accepted.
For the McMenamin brothers, however, it's about building something that defies description. A place that speaks for itself.
"It's the echoes of the stories this place can tell," said Brian. "You can't create that. It just has to be."
