A century-old jailhouse in Wenatchee, Wash., is being renovated into a mixed-use downtown destination.

Construction recently started at the site between South Wenatchee Avenue and Kittitas Street to restore and expand the Old Wenatchee Jail building. Once construction finishes in 2027, the brick vernacular building will reopen as a detailed, landscaped plaza.

Designed by Graham Baba Architects for Weidner Apartment Homes, the project honors the site’s history. Crews will remove and replace obstructive structures, and the new plaza will offer locals and visitors a place to mingle in Wenatchee’s historic district. Two new contemporary masonry buildings will flank the restored jailhouse. They will introduce a mix of tasting rooms, restaurants, and retail, all organized around a shared courtyard.

The project will create six spaces for new businesses–two inside the Old Jail, and four in the two new buildings. Graham Baba designed four of these six spaces, which will all be operated by a single restaurant group but with distinct concepts and identities.

In the old jailhouse, the ground floor will host a European-inspired larder, deli, and small market. It will feature house-made grab-and-go items and curated grocery offerings with a speakeasy above. The interior design incorporates original architectural elements of the jail to preserve and celebrate the building’s character.

The jail was built around 1910 and was attached to a courthouse. They were converted into a hotel in 1924, when Chelan County moved its courthouse to a new, larger location. Since then, both buildings have served many uses, including a gas station, an auto-repair shop, and a locksmith business.