New life in Hillyard

BY ERIN HUT

Something exciting is brewing in Hillyard.

Dave and Bri Musser, the couple behind Bellwether Brewing, have been hard at work building out their new venture in northeast Spokane.

When they opened Bellwether eight years ago, the Mussers knew they would eventually want to expand. They upsized their brewing capacity with the hopes of one day opening another location and that dream started to become a reality in 2021.

Dave began poking around Hillyard, looking for a small space to open a second taproom. In his search, he came across something greater.

A great space, which had served as an antique mall for the past few decades, was up for sale and at the right price.

The space was too big for a sole taproom, but Dave saw its potential.

“When we were talking about getting the building, we had friends in the brewing industry, some are from church, other friends, they were all dreaming about doing something,” Dave said. “We started to dream about how we could use the space and it built a lot of energy.”

And that is how the United Building was born.

Its name is a nod to the two former banks that were once housed in the building – they joined together in the 1920s to become the United Hillyard Bank. But the name is also representative of the Musser’s mission of coming together with other business owners to create a unified space for everyone to enjoy.

The United Building is now home to six small businesses. Of course, Bellwether is opening a new taproom there, but visitors will also be able to enjoy a cup of joe from Derailer Coffee, tacos from Locos and cider from Parliament Cider. The building will also soon feature a toy shop and place to buy and play board games.

“We’ve always wanted to be a neighborhood place, like a Cheers, where everyone knows your name,” Dave said. “We really believe breweries are this common space where people get to gather from all walks of life, it brings people together. We’ve seen breweries really revitalize different neighborhoods, so that was part of our goal.”

“Our goal was to be able to bring a space into Hillyard that is a community hub. A place where people can gather and get good food, get good drinks. The hope is that it’s just a place that is lifegiving to Spokane and to the neighborhood,” Bri said. “We want people to feel at home. It feels very cozy and welcoming. That’s the goal.”

Bri, who has been a designer for the past decade, has been hard at work over the last two years to bring that goal to fruition.

She has been the leader in redesigning and updating the space while keeping much of its historic charm.

The building – which was originally designed by Kirtland Cutter’s counterpart Henry Bertlesen – is listed on both the Spokane and National Register of Historic Places.

The Spokane Historic Preservation Society describes it as a “two-story brick Beaux-Arts building” featuring “buff-colored brick veneer and a decorative brick sawtooth and terra cotta cornice capped with the initials ‘UHB’” – for United Hillyard Bank.

In her time redesigning the space, Bri has been focused on bringing it into this century while also selecting new terrazzo tile, trim and wainscotting reminiscent of its earliest days.

“Everything was chosen to bring back the character and to make the building’s interior match what’s happening on the outside,” she said.

In the past few years, Hillyard has seen lots of new life. Kismet and the Bad Seed both opened since the Mussers bought the United Building, but when the check first went through, there was no gathering space.

“We thought there was a big need for it,” Dave said. “I think that this will help build community and I think it will be good for all businesses because people can go to these cool shops and then can go and hang out with friends.”

The Mussers’ commitment to community is evident in the way they describe their goals for the United Building and soon, the Spokane community will benefit from their years of hard work.

“It’s taken so long to fix up… but we’re really excited to be a part of all the new things happening up there.”