Wilma Building gets new life with new owners

Scott Gorski paints the reliefs in the lobby of the Wilma Theater: The new owners of the building are busy renovating the theater, planning for a new restaurant and laying the groundwork for dance club and concert events.
TOM BAUER/Missoulian

By JOE NICKELL of the Missoulian

For months, the rumors have run wild about the fate of the Wilma Theater: No more movies. Business offices replacing the funky Red Light/Green Room spaces (once known to locals as the even-more-funky Chapel of the Dove). An Olive Garden restaurant in the basement.

Fortunately for those who love the old high-rise at the center of downtown Missoula, none of those rumors are true.

Granted, some folks might welcome an Olive Garden just a few steps away from Caras Park. But the new owners of the building insist that what we'll get instead is a restaurant with food that's just as fine, and that is far more reflective of Missoula's local flavor.

"We have a local restaurateur who is closing on the purchase of that space at the end of December or early January," said Rick Wishcamper, one of the partners in Rocky Mountain Development Group, which bought the building from longtime owner Tracy Blakeslee this past summer. While declining to say who the restaurateur is, or what the focal cuisine of the restaurant will be, Wishcamper says Missoula foodies will find plenty to love.

"I think the restaurant is expecting to have a 'soft-opening' sometime in the middle of January, and be in full operation soon thereafter," he noted.

As to the Red Light/Green Room spaces, those will stay the way they are, for now anyway. Receptions and other events are already booked in the groovy basement bar and lounges into March. And in February, the Red Light/Green Room will open to the public.

"We'll have it open to the public Wednesdays through Saturdays," said Marcus Duckwitz, manager of the Wilma. "We have a handful of touring (musical) acts that will be playing down there, and possibly some dance club events. We don't have the plan exactly straight yet, but we do intend to try some fun stuff down there."

As to the movie theater, Duckwitz and the owners of the building say to expect more of the same entertainment that has been presented there over the years - and in an improved environment.

Wishcamper and his partner, Justin Metcalf, have been busy renovating the theater, replacing the massive stage curtain, upgrading the projection booth, installing new draperies and tapestries, cleaning the seats and floors, and significantly upgrading the backstage dressing rooms and upstairs bathrooms. They're also adding two new restrooms on the first floor of the theater, which will finally bring it into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"We are hopefully changing the stigma that's been attached to (the Wilma)," said Metcalf. "Instead of sending the message that 'you're lucky to be coming here,' we're trying to change that to where it's 'we're lucky to have you.' "

"Our overall strategic plan," added Wishcamper, "is to continue as a movie theater with independent and foreign films, but broaden the offerings to make it a cultural hub instead of just a movie house with occasional live events."

Toward those ends, Duckwitz will be aiming to bring approximately 28 to 30 live concerts to the Wilma per year. That's a significant increase from years past. Duckwitz says he also hopes to bring special movie events to the Wilma - say, for example, a screening of "The Big Lebowski" complete with the titular character's signature White Russians.

"We have a really broad perspective on arts and the opportunities for what we present, from poetry to rap to banjo to the ballet," said Wishcamper. "We're all about all of it. We're really excited about what we can offer there."