A former fire hall is about to become the hottest community hangout in Elmwood.

"The day that I stepped into this building I thought, 'We sure could do a lot more with this space than what we're doing.' . . . I think that too often churches hoard beautiful spaces," Dennis Maione says.

Maione is the site pastor at Riverwood Church Community's Firehall campus, and he's now one of Winnipeg's newest baristas.

Station 8 is a café and music venue that will be operating out of the Firehall on Friday evenings. It's taken about a year and a half to become a reality since Maione first walked into the building and began wondering what else the space could become. "I got approval about two months ago, and so I've been booking bands like mad since then."

Maione's desire is to provide the community with a "third space," a place where "art happens, and people can be exposed to things that they never would. Which means creating affordable entertainment, really good coffee . . . and create a space where artists can come, and get paid real money for doing what they do.

"For me, part of this is creating a place where you, who works with a guy who would never set foot in a church would say, 'Hey, you know what? I got a place where I hang out on Friday night. Why don't you come and join me?' To create safe places. Safe places where we can develop relationships . . . I'm hoping that you'll come here with your neighbour, with your friend, with your coworker. That something here will spark conversation."

Station 8 Café will open for the first time this Friday, May 19, from 6:00 - 11:00 p.m. Musician Darin Janzen will be performing from 7:00 - 9:15 p.m., for which there is a $5.00 cover charge. Station 8 is located at 325 Talbot Ave. and the entrance is at the back of the building.