An Aberdeen High School graduate is sprucing up the outside of the former D&R Theater, which he recently purchased for $250,000. He has ambitious plans for other acquisitions he hopes will jump-start the revitalization of downtown Aberdeen.
John Yonich, president of Holley Moulding Inc. in Bellevue, is also awaiting a day in court to settle a dispute with an Oregon developer over the Morck Hotel restoration project.
Yonich, who has $750,000 invested in the Morck project, filed a lawsuit in June in Grays Harbor Superior Court against Chester Trabucco of Astoria to begin dissolving their partnership.
Work has been stalled on the hotel since spring after the 1972 AHS grad stopped financing the project. The partners disagreed about how grand the restoration should be, with Yonich favoring a more conservative approach. Yonich says he hopes the lawsuit will force Trabucco to let him take over the hotel project.
Meantime, Yonich moved full speed ahead with painting the exterior and fixing the ramshackle marquee at the D&R Theater so it’s no longer an eyesore on I Street. He hopes to have work on the outside of the building done by November and then will begin tackling the remodeling work inside. He’s also made arrangements for some new retail stores to go in around the theater.
Yonich is also negotiating to purchase the former Aberdeen Theater on Wishkah Street, which is currently home to the Heritage Family Church.
“It’s like playing Monopoly,†Yonich said. “You get Marvin Gardens and now you want to get Park Place.â€
The Aberdeen Theater was built in 1930 for $200,000. Its demise â€" and the D&R’s as well â€" began around 1981 when the SouthShore Mall cinemas opened. The last picture show in downtown Aberdeen â€" “Modern Girls†â€" was in November of 1986.
Yonich bought the D&R Theater property because he wanted the parking lot that came with it.
“When the Aberdeen Theater came up, I thought if I could have one, I might as well have them both,†he said.
His plan is to have concerts and shows at the D&R Theater, while the Aberdeen Theater would be a movie theater once again.
Yonich salvaged the lighting and the seats from the Aberdeen High School Auditorium, demolished in the past two weeks, to use in the theater.
“It’s pretty incredible when you can get a guy who grew up locally and returns and invests his money in fixing up historical properties,†said Lisa Scott, the City of Aberdeen’s development director.
The Bellevue businessman has also offered to purchase the former Elks building on Broadway, with plans to turn it into condominiums.
Yonich said he’s looking at putting in 18 to 20 condos in on the second and third floors of the Elks building, and he’s also interested in possibly buying the Becker Building for more condos.
“If the price is right, people will buy them,†Yonich said, adding he’s looking at condos priced around $200,000. “Aberdeen is not going to pay $350,000 for new condominiums downtown. It’s not going to happen. But if you get it at a price point that is affordable …â€
Yonich hopes the theaters, condos and the Morck Hotel can help spark a downtown revitalization.
Scott said she thinks condos downtown will be successful, as long as there’s adequate storage and parking available.
“You’ve got a lot of older people who are looking to downsize but don’t want to leave the area,†Scott said. “There are women who have lost their husbands or men who have lost their wives and they don’t want to stay in their house, but they want to stay in town and be close to downtown.
“I’ve heard from people who are really ready to downsize,†she added. “How cool would it be to have a place in downtown that’s new in a historical building? Anytime you can save a historic property, I think that’s just a bonus, rather than tearing something down and building new.â€
The D&R Theater in Aberdeen Washington has a new owner. John Yonich of Bellevue, Washington has purchased the theater and is beginning a complete renovation of it. John was born and raised in Aberdeen and has developed an interest in the history of downtown Aberdeen. Mr Yonich is also a partner in the renovation of the historic Morck Hotel in downtown Aberdeen. http://www.morckhotel.com/index.html
An Aberdeen High School graduate is sprucing up the outside of the former D&R Theater, which he recently purchased for $250,000. He has ambitious plans for other acquisitions he hopes will jump-start the revitalization of downtown Aberdeen.
John Yonich, president of Holley Moulding Inc. in Bellevue, is also awaiting a day in court to settle a dispute with an Oregon developer over the Morck Hotel restoration project.
Yonich, who has $750,000 invested in the Morck project, filed a lawsuit in June in Grays Harbor Superior Court against Chester Trabucco of Astoria to begin dissolving their partnership.
Work has been stalled on the hotel since spring after the 1972 AHS grad stopped financing the project. The partners disagreed about how grand the restoration should be, with Yonich favoring a more conservative approach. Yonich says he hopes the lawsuit will force Trabucco to let him take over the hotel project.
Meantime, Yonich moved full speed ahead with painting the exterior and fixing the ramshackle marquee at the D&R Theater so it’s no longer an eyesore on I Street. He hopes to have work on the outside of the building done by November and then will begin tackling the remodeling work inside. He’s also made arrangements for some new retail stores to go in around the theater.
Yonich is also negotiating to purchase the former Aberdeen Theater on Wishkah Street, which is currently home to the Heritage Family Church.
“It’s like playing Monopoly,†Yonich said. “You get Marvin Gardens and now you want to get Park Place.â€
The Aberdeen Theater was built in 1930 for $200,000. Its demise â€" and the D&R’s as well â€" began around 1981 when the SouthShore Mall cinemas opened. The last picture show in downtown Aberdeen â€" “Modern Girls†â€" was in November of 1986.
Yonich bought the D&R Theater property because he wanted the parking lot that came with it.
“When the Aberdeen Theater came up, I thought if I could have one, I might as well have them both,†he said.
His plan is to have concerts and shows at the D&R Theater, while the Aberdeen Theater would be a movie theater once again.
Yonich salvaged the lighting and the seats from the Aberdeen High School Auditorium, demolished in the past two weeks, to use in the theater.
“It’s pretty incredible when you can get a guy who grew up locally and returns and invests his money in fixing up historical properties,†said Lisa Scott, the City of Aberdeen’s development director.
The Bellevue businessman has also offered to purchase the former Elks building on Broadway, with plans to turn it into condominiums.
Yonich said he’s looking at putting in 18 to 20 condos in on the second and third floors of the Elks building, and he’s also interested in possibly buying the Becker Building for more condos.
“If the price is right, people will buy them,†Yonich said, adding he’s looking at condos priced around $200,000. “Aberdeen is not going to pay $350,000 for new condominiums downtown. It’s not going to happen. But if you get it at a price point that is affordable …â€
Yonich hopes the theaters, condos and the Morck Hotel can help spark a downtown revitalization.
Scott said she thinks condos downtown will be successful, as long as there’s adequate storage and parking available.
“You’ve got a lot of older people who are looking to downsize but don’t want to leave the area,†Scott said. “There are women who have lost their husbands or men who have lost their wives and they don’t want to stay in their house, but they want to stay in town and be close to downtown.
“I’ve heard from people who are really ready to downsize,†she added. “How cool would it be to have a place in downtown that’s new in a historical building? Anytime you can save a historic property, I think that’s just a bonus, rather than tearing something down and building new.â€
The Daily World of Aberdeen Washington 8/17/07
The D&R Theater in Aberdeen Washington has a new owner. John Yonich of Bellevue, Washington has purchased the theater and is beginning a complete renovation of it. John was born and raised in Aberdeen and has developed an interest in the history of downtown Aberdeen. Mr Yonich is also a partner in the renovation of the historic Morck Hotel in downtown Aberdeen. http://www.morckhotel.com/index.html