MCS aims to open doors of historic fire station

SANDPOINT — The Idaho Heritage Trust is awarding a $10,000 matching grant to restore and open the doors at the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint.

The conservatory has occupied the 100-year-old building since 2019. The building at 111 Main St. used to be Sandpoint City Hall and the city's fire station. The doors were sealed shut and partially walled by subsequent tenants.

"We're trying to capture the history while making it functional," said Kathi Samuels, president of the conservatory's board of directors.

The conservatory is eager to get the doors to the fire truck bays open after months of lockdowns and other limitations related to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Samuels said the door project is estimated to cost $50,000. There is also a companion project to fully remodel the interior recital space, which is expected to cost approximately $200,000.

The projects are designed to stimulate access to arts and culture in the most participatory way possible. Once the doors are opened, the conservatory will be invited to participate in a myriad of musical and artistic offerings, according to the conservatory.

Local art is already on display courtesy of the Pend Oreille Arts Council, which is a project partner and a fellow tenant in the iconic building. Once entering or even passing by the open-air gallery, visitors will have the pleasure of taking in orchestral rehearsals, theater performances or perhaps catch a glimpse of a student practicing on a concert-quality Bosendorfer piano.

"Music and art are meant to be shared," MCS said in a news release.

In addition to serving as city hall, the building has housed a library, bank and a variety of other businesses.

"It's got a pretty rich history," said Samuels.

The conservatory delights in giving tours of the building, particularly to those who know its history over the last century.

"We've learned a lot from people dropping by," Samuels said.

The conservatory calls the project a community investment which ties together the past, present and future. It envisions the project as a prototype for other communities to follow and a demonstration of what can happen when people work together to preserve historic buildings while empowering education, arts and culture.

The conservatory is hoping the Idaho Heritage Foundation grant, which are geared for smaller communities, will spark generosity from other potential donors. The Avista Foundation and Idaho Forest Group have joined the campaign.

"We've raised about $25,000 so far," said Samuels.

The conservator is utilizing the expertise of Kris Contor at Architecture 311.5 and Nikki Luttmann from Seven Bee Interiors.

To donate or learn more about the conservatory, visit sandpointconservatory.org.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and followed on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.