October 16, 2015
McMenamins opens $26M Anderson School in Bothell
McMenamins opened the renovated Anderson School in Bothell yesterday.
The $26 million complex has three restaurants, two bars and a 72-room hotel. McMenamins said in a press release that renovation of the former junior high school pays homage to the area's history.
The main restaurant, hotel lobby, gift shop and a meeting room are located in what used to be the cafeteria. The principal's office is now a bar for the hotel, and the former classrooms are hotel rooms.
The school swimming pool is now a tropical saltwater pool with a South Seas theme, according to the press release. Bothell residents will have free access to the pool. A bar overlooking the pool has 80 different types of rum and island-inspired food.
The school's woodshop is now a brewery and pub, with a game room and community space.
The gym now houses three event spaces and a 134-seat theater. The largest event space can be used for weddings and concerts.
Ankrom Moisan Architects designed the project, and a joint venture of Andersen Construction and Pacific Crest Construction is the general contractor.
The five-acre property is McMenamins' biggest in Washington and its first hotel in the Seattle area. The company operates several hotels in Oregon and one in Centralia. Anderson School is a centerpiece in the redevelopment of downtown Bothell. The city has invested more than $150 million to spur private development.
The new City Hall is set to open Oct. 26.