The curtains closed for good Jan. 15 at Silverdale’s Regal Cinemas, but the building won’t be left idle for long.

Newlife church will start work in late April on a project to transform the 14,000-square-foot Poplars Avenue building into a gathering space and training center.

Newlife bought the Regal property late last year with plans to create a centralized community hub. The church hired Rice Fergus Miller to draw up plans for the center, and chose Fairbank Construction as its builder.

Newlife’s plans promise to enliven a drab, boxy building.

Inside, the ground floor of the former cinema will be roughly divided in half, with one side will be dedicated to a 4,800-square-foot auditorium. The other side will be converted to classroom and office space.

Upstairs will be an area for kids, and a community conference room with large windows to allow views in and out.

A main entrance will face south, toward the YMCA.

Newlife will hold three open houses at the building in April to give visitors a feel for the existing building and what the church has planned.

“We want people to get a sense of what it could become, and share our vision for that space,” Mark Middleton with Newlife said.

The open houses are scheduled from 7-9 p.m. April 15, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 16, and 2-5 p.m. April 17. Tours will be given.

The property is located at 9923 Poplars Ave. in Silverdale.