Repair Protocols Activated // April Emergency Closure
Hey all, Dustin here reporting from behind the bar of our wounded lil’ wargaming speakeasy.
I promised an update about the plan for this week now that we've had a chance to take a deep breath and collect ourselves.
Here are the major bullet points:
We have a water leak that we now know is related to a damaged drainage pipe directly under the floor outside Waystone’s bathroom and storage area.
We’re going to be closed for an undetermined amount of time that might be about two weeks, but (crossing our fingers) hopefully will be much shorter.
We want to stay connected with you all during this time, and are hosting a number of opportunities for folks to get together while Waystone’s physical space is closed.
We’re planning on opening the doors for short, convenient windows of time throughout the week so that you can still pick up your orders and access your lockers (see the attached schedule).
The Longer Version
We have a water leak that is related to a damaged drainage pipe directly under the floor outside Waystone’s bathroom and storage area. According to the contractors who have inspected the issue, it is likely shared by a number of facilities in the building, including the roof, the bathroom in our current space *and* the one in the Annex.
We noticed the issue about two weeks ago, but the issue seems to be getting worse, and we are now fairly certain that it isn’t just *rain water* coming through the floor, so this Saturday we had to make the call to close. It’s simply no longer manageable enough that it feels sanitary or safe.
This is a very weird and uncertain time for us. We've been operating uninterrupted for over two years, aside from a couple holidays and last year’s Tacoma Open, so the idea of shutting down like this is deeply unsettling to us; we don’t yet know the scope of the work that will need to be done, how insurance will work, or what the impact will be financially.
Thankfully, we plan to get a lot more information about the repair tomorrow, and have an incredible community of folks reaching out to support with questions about insurance, our lease, landlord and tenant responsibilities, etc. We have such a supportive, caring community around us, and are especially aware of what a privilege that is during this time.
The club’s first ever game of Bolt Action, and an allegorical representation of what it feels like looking for games while Waystone is closed.
What’s Next?
Staying Connected:
We’re determined that Waystone doesn’t simply drop off the map this week, so we’re going to be hosting a number of opportunities to connect both digitally and in-person (see the schedule above).
Getting You Your Toys:
We’ve set aside a number of windows throughout the week for folks to still come in, say hello, and grab any orders you may have waiting for you. All of our order fulfillment will continue to operate regardless of the situation with the leak, so don’t be afraid to place new orders, pray to the Kroot gods that we get our shipment, or pop in to snag some of the snazzy new objective markers we just got in.
The Annex Approaches:
Despite the fact that we won’t be able to use the Annex as an emergency game space, we don’t expect this situation to delay the work to get it ready. Tables are fully constructed and are receiving those last finishing touches to make them extra pretty. Stefan has been hard at work getting additional terrain ready for the space, and the fancy access control system is also expected to go in this week. With those critical components in place, the space will be ready for folks to begin rolling dice as soon as we’ve dealt with the pipe repair.
Keep Having Fun, Keep Being Good to Each Other:
I’ve already seen a number of folks reaching out to one another to simply spend time together outside the context of games, or setting up matches at Mox, or even their homes–all those sacred places we all played at before Waystone came into our lives. It is an acute reminder that while our space is incredibly important, it’s not the most essential component of what’s been happening at Waystone.
We highly encourage you to keep reaching out to the people you usually see here. See if that person you’ve only known in the context of miniature-mass-murder might want to go catch a movie together, or a bite to eat.
I’m telling myself that a silver lining of this whole situation might be that we get to reconnect with some of our roots, then return with a fresh perspective on how wonderful this space and community truly is.
