McMenamins turning old schoolhouse into hotel, entertainment center in Bothell

BOTHELL, Wash. -- A major project is helping Bothell’s efforts to revitalize its downtown. McMenamins, the chain of pubs, hotels, breweries and music venues, is turning the historic Anderson School into a hotel and entertainment center.

The Anderson School has been a fixture in Bothell since the 1930s.

“There have been construction workers on this project who went to school here years ago,” says Anders Bjorn, with Andersen Construction. “They tell stories of playing basketball or swimming at the pool.”

But the old Art Deco building sat empty for years. Now crews are hard at work, transforming the brick schoolhouse into a 72-room hotel that hopes to open by the end of the year.



McMenamins has restored several properties in Portland. They are careful to preserve what makes them unique.

“They`ll maintain the historic nature, they don`t replace everything in these buildings, they`re not full renovations.”

But they do plan on adding some amenities, such as a movie theater and conference room, as well as a brewery and game room.

Residents of Bothell are looking forward to the renovation of the pool. When the city sold this land, they made developers agree that residents would be able to use the pool facility for free.

“The pool has been in the community for a long time, and I know the city of Bothell is excited about having that pool open up again.”

The hotel is scheduled to open in October.