David Lee has opened the doors on his new Cycle Logic location in Williams Lake, after renovating a historic downtown building.
“The first thing I thought about when I walked in there is the floors,” said Lee, of the store, which was the location of Delainey’s Hardware, once a staple of the downtown core.
“I could see a million footsteps,” he said, of the wear lines, which in the end, he decided to keep, cleaning off the dirt and then refinishing the surface, allowing the clearly worn pathways of generations of Williams Lake shoppers to continue to lead the way.
The building had been separated into multiple smaller units, as Delainey’s Centre, but Lee said his new location is a re-creation of how the building was originally.
Lee said whether a person is from here or not, you can still appreciate the culture and history and he can still appreciate both what the building was and what it will be.
Even as he pulled the added-on interior walls, he kept wood to re-use, including rough cut fir he has re-used in the shop front and a piece of cedar he used as a support on a new countertop he built in.
While people may not necessarily know the significance, Lee said those little pieces mean a lot to him and what he hopes the store can become.
“It’s about taking care of the culture of what this building was and making you feel like you didn’t waste anything,” he said.
The store has repair and maintenance space in the back, a lounge space and a coffee counter for customers to come and socialize as well.
He hopes bringing the store downtown will help bring more vibrancy and retail culture to the area.
“We’re just one small player in the grand scheme, but it starts with small things.”
He said he sees this vibrancy downtown in many other communities of a similar size. Cycle Logic also has locations in Quesnel, one in Kamloops, and one in Prince George.
The store is now open, and will continue to evolve, said Lee, as they get a feel for the space and adjust the layout. Lee also hopes to create some living space upstairs and find a “symbiotic” business for the basement, like a yoga or exercise studio.
READ MORE: Williams Lake councillor celebrates Earth Day plus birthday
Don’t miss out on reading the latest local, provincial and national news offered at the Williams LakeTribune. Sign up for our free newsletter here.