The former Kingston fire station: $930,000. Four local men putting their heads together to bring Kingston families a venue for entertainment: priceless.
Once the sold sign went up on old North Kitsap Fire & Rescue fire station, located on Highway 104 in downtown Kingston, rumors started spreading about what it might possibly become.
The 6,200 square-foot building, which has been on the market for about a year, was purchased by local businessmen Dave Wetter, his son James Wetter, Rick Lanning, and Kingston High School Soccer Coach Craig Smith. It is scheduled to open this winter as an independent movie theater and restaurant with space designed for community groups to meet.
The deal closed June 16 and construction is already underway.
“Because I’m connected with the school I try to keep it low key but word got out,” Smith said. “The people most excited about this idea are the local business owners and kids because it gives everyone something to do.”
The partnership formed in May while hashing out ideas of what Kingston needs to make it a self-sustainable, revitalized town. A movie theater and restaurant, which will serve breakfast, they said, are a part of it.
“You need to build what you need,” said Lanning. “We need some community infrastructure.”
In addition to infrastructure the men wanted the chance to liven up their community themselves before a corporate chain or someone outside the area bought it.
“We wanted to make sure it was locally and viably used instead of someone outside just landbanking on the property,” said Dave Wetter.
After their initial meeting, the four placed an offer over the course of about a week.
“You know it’s something good when four strangers come together and put on offer down in one week,” said Smith.
Smith, who studied theatre performances in New York and has 29 years worth of background in the video industry, plans to move his Peninsula Video store (currently located in Kingston Crossing) into the building. He’ll open up a movie theater to show independent, art, documentary and foreign flicks to a house accommodating 100 viewers.
“Back when things were bigger and better,” Smith said jokingly, “we used to have so much more to do here. We had the Mouse House, the Almo Theater, bowling lanes and a golf course.”
He plans on hosting matinee and midnight movies, and the concession stand will sells popcorn “with real butter. It won’t be that phony stuff,” he said.
The restaurant, which has yet to be named, is set to be run by Sean Pickard, who currently owns Kingston Crossing’s Coastal Cafe.
Gillian Gregory, chairwoman of the North Kitsap Fire & Rescue Board of Commissioners, said she is pleased with the whole deal.
“It’s exciting,” she said. “We were fortunate to find a group of people to put it to good use for Kingston.”
The money from the purchase will go toward enhancing NKF&R’s current capital and real assets, she said.
Now that the deal is finalized the men said they are excited the project is underway and Kingston will have another meeting space for local non profit groups.
“We signed on the dotted line before thinking about (monetary) numbers,” said James Wetter. “Because we believe in this so much, the money is secondary to filling a need in the community.”
