News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Jeff Konczak, developer and owner of BCubed Manufacturing, shows off the new stone exterior of a Biggby Coffee that will be built on Johnson Street in Alpena. The newest and larger version of the BCubed structure will be used for all three businesses slated to open in a food park on Johnson Street.

ALPENA — A former department store and the long-shuttered State Theater in downtown Alpena may sit empty and unused now, but, no matter how long it takes to renovate those places, developer and owner Jeff Konczak said the wait will be worth it.

Konczak has owned the former State Theater on 2nd Avenue, which closed at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and never reopened, since 2020. The following year, he bought the former Vaughn’s and Ragsdale department store across the street, which most recently housed an antique store.

He plans to restore the theater to its 19th century glory and call it the Maltz Theater and remodel the old department store into a multi-use complex called the Vaughn.

Konczak said projects the size and complexity of the Vaughn and the Maltz don’t happen overnight. The logistics and planning involved mean it can take months or even years before completion, Konczak said.

Konczak said he’s hired an architect for both projects, but he is sure some people wish the projects moved along more quickly.

He said his goal is the same as it was with the Sanctuary Cinema, the former Royal Knight theater he remodeled and opened earlier this year: to take his time and make sure the project fits his vision and is something of which the community will be proud.

“We have the buildings and, now that we have them, we’re moving forward slowly, and we are going to take the time to get them right,” Konczak said. “And the bottom line is that takes time. These buildings are incredible spaces, but it is just going to take time. It just will, but the payoff for the community will be huge, no matter if it takes another year, two years, or three years. We’ll just keep plugging along and one day we’ll get there.”

Earlier this year, Konczak also purchased the old post office building on the shore of the Thunder Bay River, next to the old armory.

Right now, he said, much of his focus has been on that site, which will become a boutique hotel with a restaurant. Already, he’s hired an architect for that project and demolition work has begun on the inside.

Konczak said that building sits high on his priority list for several reasons.

“It is an incredible and beautiful building, and we’re short of hotel rooms already,” he said. “We’re short of really nice hotel rooms. We’re going to make it, top to bottom, a total experience. It will be incredible and we have a lot of work. That building is 112 years old and some of the most impressive features have to be restored.”

Meanwhile, another one of Konczak’s many projects is moving along swiftly.

A food court to be built at the site of the old Alpena County jail is moving forward. Konczak said crews laid concrete on Tuesday and then, hopefully, pavement for the driveway and access road will be poured.

He said he hopes that the first of three new businesses to go up at the site — a Biggby Coffee — will open by Dec. 1.

He hopes to erect the other two businesses — a Quiznos and Taco Del Mar — in the spring.

“We’re up against the clock and the rain has really pushed us back,” he said. “I’m pretty certain, though, we’ll have the Biggby up in early December.”

Sanctuary Cinema has been open since early summer and Konczak said he is pleased by how it was received by the community and people who visit Alpena to take in a movie.

He said he recently received approval for a liquor license there and, soon, people can enjoy a cocktail while enjoying a flick.

“Everyone seems to love it, and we just got our liquor license, so that’s good news,” he said. “We just have a little bit of paperwork to get into the state and we are good to go. We’re pretty excited and that is another big step. We’ll definitely be serving drinks before Christmas. That is without question.”