A tour of the historic La Vogue building

By Matthew N. Wells • July 27, 2023 9:00 am
A look at the bones of a future executive suite inside the historic La Vogue building in downtown Hoquiam. There are plans to make 13 executive suite — between 500-600 square feet. The suites will have a living room, a bedroom and a bathroom. There will also be two bridal suites, which are supposed to be built a little bigger. (Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World)

Sam Nazario is full of ideas, which means the current project of switching where the Jitter House is to another space inside the 113-year-old La Vogue building is just the start of something big in downtown Hoquiam.

Harbor Strong LLC., which owns the building, is a “three couple” entity that also owns other buildings in Hoquiam, according to Jerry Cook.

While Nazario spoke of various plans surrounding the project at La Vogue, it’s a team effort with Harbor Strong’s various partners, according to Cook.

In addition to moving the coffee shop, which has been inside the building’s first floor since 2015, to the corner location at the intersection of Simpson Avenue and 7th Street, Harbor Strong wants to do a lot more.

“We at Harbor Strong are committed to enriching the Hoquiam experience through improvements to all of these properties,” Cook said.

Cook is a father of one of the principals at Harbor Strong as well as a retired architectural designer and former general contractor for many years in Seattle, so he knows plenty about the project.

As far as the Jitter House goes, Nazario said the cafe — home to “Cafe Con Azuquita,” one of the smoothest coffee choices in town, plus delicious pastries and fine, hearty meals including biscuits and gravy — will also start roasting its own beans.

The expansive project includes a live music venue, which will be downstairs. The aim is to make it quite a sight.

“The music venue is gonna be beautiful,” Nazario said. “Say you’re a musician but you’re not yet Nirvana. You’re pre-Nirvana. You can come back here and do your live performance.”

Nazario mentioned how the venue will be able to record live music performances.

“It’s gonna be pretty awesome,” Nazario said.

Another space in the downtown building will be a “very small” department store where Nazario said they’ll sell items that will “speak Hoquiam and speak Grays Harbor.”

Another main element for the project is there will be a catering venue — with seating of approximately 150 people — where the existing Jitter House is. It sounds as though 150 could be on the low side because Nazario said when the restaurant is filled with customers he will be able to open up the walls.

“It’s for the community,” Nazario said. “It’s for parties, for weddings, for business meetings, business appreciation and employee appreciation. “Catering is gonna be a major part of what we do.”

The building’s second floor will host perhaps the grandest part of the project — a 15-room “boutique hotel and spa.” The 14,500-square-foot hotel will be upstairs. The hotel will provide 13 executive suites. Nazario said each of those rooms will be between 500 to 600 square feet. Each of the executive suites will have a living room, bedroom and bathroom.

“Usually a hotel room is much smaller,” Nazario said.

The hotel will also include two bridal suites. Those suites will be a little bit bigger. With the two spa rooms there will also be a Jacuzzi and sauna.

“All just a nice, upper-class, fancy hotel,” Nazario said.

In addition to all of that, there will be two banquet halls throughout the building.

Nazario showed off the work spaces that sit left and right of the current Jitter House. One of the many positives for the project’s present and future is there is plenty of room to work inside the approximate 31,000-square-foot building.

With a nice hotel, catering venue, two banquet halls throughout a live music venue and a rebuilt Jitter House cafe smack-dab in downtown Hoquiam, it could open up the city to a lot more tourism.

Brian Shay, Hoquiam’s city administrator, shared his thoughts on the ongoing developments there.

“Personally, I am very excited about their project,” Shay said.

Shay has an eye on what this project could mean for the city.

“A new restaurant, retail, hotel units and a new Jitter House will be a solid anchor in our downtown, giving residents and tourists more great opportunities to visit Hoquiam,” Shay said. “The La Vogue building deserved and needed individuals like Sam with a passion for historic preservation. This property is one of the key buildings in the city’s Downtown Historic District and we are so appreciative of their investment to preserve and enhance the building, which was originally built in 1910.”

The steps to make this project happen have been noticed by another historic location in town — 7th Street Theatre. Jamie Brand, manager for the theater spoke about the work to the building. She also shared her thoughts on Nazario.

“Sam has been working on the La Vogue building, bringing it back from neglect,” Brand said. “The beams under the building needed replacement. He has plans for a full building restoration. He has also helped in the Harborena’s rehabilitation. He has supported many events at the theater and we in turn send him business. Sam is an integral part of our community.

While it sounds as though not everything is nailed down as far as how every space will come together, the main ideas appear solid if not spectacular.

And it seems as though one of the rooms, a kitchen, is already well on its way to providing those same pastries and hearty meals to Nazario’s future customers. The space is home to a triple sink, numerous refrigerators, sandwich bars for paninis and other kitchen amenities.

“This is gonna take time to do,” Nazario said about the building. “We’ve gotta demo the Jitter House first and fix a few structural things. After that, go fix up the Jitter House area for the catering. And then we’ll have a restaurant, a catering venue, the Jitter House, all together in one. We’re growing and building it up. The Jitter House is such a staple in the community that it’s a good thing.”

Hoquiam Mayor Ben Winkelman recently weighed in on the work to the building and how it is just one example of building up Hoquiam.

“It’s good for our community any time we have a building owner who purchases a building and they’re willing to invest in preservation of not just the historical pieces of the building, but also developing them to modern use,” Winkelman said. “So I’ve really been involved and following along with their project really from the start. It’s nice to see the investment and a long-term vision and goal. I would encourage that to be the case for any of our commercial buildings. I’m looking forward to a couple years from now having much more interest and development of commercial properties.”

The La Vogue building isn’t the only commercial property in town undergoing needed development.

“Our other council member, Greg Larsen, he has purchased a number of local buildings as well, as have I,” Winkelman said. “Trying to find owners, purchasers who will purchase a piece of property, develop it, put a current business in it so it’s not empty, is the key to the future of our community.”

Contact Reporter Matthew N. Wells at matthew.wells@thedailyworld.com.

Here’s a look at the roots of the old La Vogue Cyclery. While the space in its current form is nowhere near finished, once the space is finished it will become a small department store. (Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World)

Here’s a look at the roots of the old La Vogue Cyclery. While the space in its current form is nowhere near finished, once the space is finished it will become a small department store. (Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World)

A view of a future kitchen inside the historic La Vogue building. The kitchen already has a few amenities, such as a triple sink, refrigerators, dishwasher, multiple ovens and sandwich bars for paninis, plus additional storage. The Jitter House, which is next door to this construction space, is well-known for its smooth coffee and delicious pastries and hearty meals. (Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World)

A view of a future kitchen inside the historic La Vogue building. The kitchen already has a few amenities, such as a triple sink, refrigerators, dishwasher, multiple ovens and sandwich bars for paninis, plus additional storage. The Jitter House, which is next door to this construction space, is well-known for its smooth coffee and delicious pastries and hearty meals. (Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World)

A glance at the La Vogue building in the first couple years after its initial construction in 1910, according to John Larson, director of Polson Museum. Two brothers — Joseph and Robert Lytle — constructed the building. They operated the Lytle logging Company and Hoquiam Lumber and Shingle Co., according to Larson. "Though only built as a two-story structure, I recall early new articles indicating it was designed with the thought it could be expanded to as much as five stories," Larson said. The longest owner of the building was the Bitar family. The Bitars opened the La Vogue Department store in the Wise & Hoskinson space in 1922. (Provided photo)

A view of a future kitchen inside the historic La Vogue building. The kitchen already has a few amenities, such as a triple sink, refrigerators, dishwasher, multiple ovens and sandwich bars for paninis, plus additional storage. The Jitter House, which is next door to this construction space, is well-known for its smooth coffee and delicious pastries and hearty meals. (Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World)