One of North Bend’s most prominent downtown buildings, the former Sunset Garage, has made significant progress in its historic restoration thanks to grant funding from 4Culture.

Originally used as a livery stable, the Sunset Garage got its name from its long-running car dealership and repair business, which opened in the 1920s. Craig Glazier, the owner of the Sunset Garage, said his father, John J. Glazier, purchased the building in the 1970s.

The building has had several uses over the years, the most famous of which is its use as the location for the interior jail scenes of the original Twin Peaks series. The building is now home to Compass Outdoor Adventures and D Square Energy.

In 2015, the Sunset Garage was chosen as the recipient of grants from 4Culture, King County’s cultural funding agency, to restore the historic look of the storefront, canopy and parapet at the top of the building.

Dana Phelan, historic preservation program lead at 4Culture, said the two grants were awarded for the restoration work. For the storefront and canopy, a $15,000 grant was received from the Landmarks Capital program. The second was a grant of $62,341 is through a one-time program in partnership with King County, she said. The second grant required a one to one match as well.

The grant was part of King County’s 2015 Building for Culture program, which made $28 million available for arts and culture funding from lodging taxes collected.

Glazier said the concrete building had remained fundamentally sound, but several aspects had been changed and damaged since its construction in the early 1900s. Historic photos were used to model the reconstruction of the storefront facade as they showed the location and look of windows and doors.

The work completed so far removed the facade of concrete and plate glass to restore the front of the building to its original look. The awning above the front doors also was replaced. The original awning, Glazier said, was too large and would often be hit by passing trucks. Sunset Garage also has received a new electrical system, HVAC, stairs to the second floor instead of a ramp, new lighting, plumbing and bathrooms..

Work is not yet complete, as there are still some windows to be restored and additional interior upgrades needed, but Glazier is proud of the work done on the building so far. Part of the reason for the restoration, he said, was as a tribute to his father who died in 2012. Before owning the building, his father worked at the car dealership while it was still under the previous ownership.

The Glazier family has been in the Valley for more than 100-years and owns several historic properties.

“It’s a tribute to my father, he bought this building, and I grew up in it,” he said. “Any time I’m working on restoring these properties it makes me think about family and think about my dad.”

The Sunset Garage building as it stands in 2019. Work on the restoration will be complete this year. Courtesy Photo