Saranac & Community Buildings

The warm and wacky Community Building at 35 West Main is the bricks and mortar cornerstone as well as the vibrant heart of an evolving social, cultural and architectural experiment. Community Building brings together non-profit organizations working in a variety of fields to form a nexus of inter-related community support services, serve as a model of a dynamic civil society, and provide a space for community discussion, action and entertainment. Right next door to the Community Building is the stately Saranac, a further extension of Jim Sheehan’s vision. It is recognizable and unique with curved solar panels and a garden on its rooftop, and the Magic Lantern Theater, Saranac Public House, and Saranac Art Project at street level. Sheehan was inspired to take on the dilapidated Saranac in 2005 when he found himself facing a shortage of space to house worthy tenants, and felt bolstered by the support and energy generated by his original endeavor at 35 West Main. His vision for rehabilitating the Saranac turned out to be even more ambitious than his Community Building project. Sheehan and his team undertook a $4 million ‘sustainable building practices’ renovation, one of the first in Eastern Washington. His goal was to create a model of environmentally friendly construction while providing a place of connection and dialogue among tenants.