When Janet McAlpin and David Godsey walked into SBC Coffee Roasteries’ empty warehouse in 2004, they saw a world of possibilities.

The cavernous building, tucked a few blocks off Vashon Highway on 103rd Avenue S.W., had more than 9,000 square feet of wide-open space and ceilings high enough to accommodate the trapezes, ropes and rigging essential to Godsey and McAlpin’s artistry as acrobats, aerialists and UMO Ensemble founding members.

But beyond that, McAlpin and Godsey were also able to visualize the space as a home for Vashon’s vibrant arts and nonprofit community. It seemed a place that could be retrofitted to serve as a site for classes and all sizes of community events, including auctions, celebrations, theatrical and musical presentations — the kind of place that simply didn’t exist on Vashon.

“We couldn’t stop talking about it,” Godsey said, recalling the heady time immediately after they discovered the space. “That was it.”

Now, eight years later, Open Space for Arts & Community has turned into much the kind of venue they imagined, a community anchor as well as a venue for arts events. Though far from booked every weekend, the venue boasts shows, auctions, classes and camps — including some events, such as the Church of Great Rain that, with its sellout crowds, couldn’t take place were it not for the size and flexibility Open Space offers.

McAlpin and Godsey purchased the warehouse and an adjacent building for $1.24 million in 2005, using an inheritance McAlpin received from a relative who had passed away. To a large degree, the success of Open Space is still dependent on the philanthropy of McAlpin and Godsey, life partners who continue to subsidize its operations. Indeed, in published descriptions of the space, they refer to it as a “new business model — a private enterprise, launched by a philanthropic investment.”

At the same time, they note, they’re working to find a way to make it self-sustaining, adding new events, hiring a skilled staff, seeking grants for some programs and improving the facility.

“Our motivation is philanthropic, and we never plan to profit in any way,” McAlpin said. “(David and I) don’t get paid; we volunteer every second. However, like any other viable business, there has to be a life to it.”

Godsey added that he and McAlpin have a long-term goal for the space to operate as a break-even business, independent of their support.

“We haven’t set goals in terms of when exactly the facility will be independent of Janet and I supporting it,” he said. “But our plan is keep weaning the space away from us supporting the buying, equipping and staffing. That will decline over time. It’s further down the road, but we’re playing with lots of ideas about how we can make it happen.”

In the meantime, many on Vashon praise the way McAlpin and Godsey have used their money to better the Island and create a flexible facility that suits not only their own needs but also those of others in the community.

“It really is altruistic. They are doing this for the community,” said Bob Moses, a sound engineer and executive director of the 14,000-member Audio Engineering Society.

Moses was so impressed by McAlpin and Godsey’s vision that he donated his own considerable expertise and designed a state-of-the-art sound system for the space. The high-end sound system now in place, he says, rivals that of any other presentation space in King County and was shown off to excellent advantage in a recent concert featuring Seattle jazz giant Bill Frisell, award-winning Island composer Eyvind Kang and the string orchestra Scrape.

The system is also flexible enough to accommodate more intimate performances, such as a solo concert scheduled for Thursday night by Makana, a renowned Hawaiian slack-key guitarist.

Early on, Godsey and McAlpin were also able to purchase, at a sizable discount, what Godsey called a world-class lighting system for the venue, made up of 180 lighting instruments once used by the Pacific Northwest Ballet.

The many velvet theatrical curtains lining the space, Godsey said, were donated.

“It was an old, abandoned building that they made use of,” said Lauri Hennessey, who helped organize PTSA auctions at Open Space. “And look at what Vashon is finally getting by having that space.”

Currently, Open Space is home base for the Church of Great Rain, an Island variety show that draws more than 500 people to each of its performances. The facility is in use almost every day for exercise and physical theater classes, most of them offered by UMO Ensemble, that offer instruction in clowning, aerial work, acrobatics and fencing.

UMO Ensemble has premiered new pieces and revived old ones in the space, and McAlpin recently launched a new burlesque series at Open Space. High school students have filled it for two raucous “Sharing the Stage” concerts featuring Seattle rappers Macklemore and Blue Scholars. Last year, an outdoor aerial festival called Open Air attracted hundreds of Islanders to the grounds, and this summer, a kids’ camp blending science and comedy will take place there.

Open Space has attracted some of its biggest crowds for community events, including a 2009 Inaugural Ball for Barack Obama and a 2011 victory celebration marking the successful end of a 13-year battle to block Glacier Northwest’s effort to increase its gravel mine. Islanders have also flocked to the venue for fundraisers for Vashon’s PTSA, Vashon Island Pet Protectors, The Harbor School, the Backbone Campaign and UMO Ensemble. According to records kept by Open Space staff, fundraisers held in the space have garnered more than $1 million for Island organizations.

Some, however, consider the venue too costly for their limited budgets. The PTSA auction was not held there earlier this year and likely won’t take place there again next year. According to Jackie Merrill, who chaired this year’s auction, Open Space was a wonderful venue but ultimately proved too pricey because it lacks a kitchen, forcing the organization to hire a caterer.

“It’s a great open space, but the costs come from party rentals and catering expenses,” she said. “I remember walking in there the first time and thinking, ‘Wow, this is amazing, but it will cost a lot of money to make it feel the way we want to make it feel.’”

Elizabeth Ripley, artistic director of Drama Dock, said presenting plays at Open Space has also been out of reach for the community theater group. In addition to renting the space, at a cost that exceeds what the group pays to use Vashon High School, Drama Dock would have to foot the bill for other expenses — including paying Open Space’s lighting technician by the hour to set stage lighting — and bring in its own microphones and cables. And for more intimate productions, Drama Dock has long collaborated with Vashon Allied Arts to present shows at the Blue Heron, based on a split of box office proceeds, with a greater share going to Drama Dock.

“Open Space is great for doing one- or two-night events, such as benefits. But the problem with Drama Dock is that we have to move in for rehearsals three weeks prior to a play, and there is no way we can afford the rental fees that Open Space charges to do that,” Ripley said.

Godsey acknowledged that some Island organizations have balked at their fees, especially initially, when the concept of paying for a venue and the professionals who run it was novel on the Island. The fee structure is complex, he said, with a base rate as low as $500 or as high as $1,300. But whenever someone calls to inquire, Open Space staff strive to make it work for the artist or organization, he said.

“I believe that once people are here, they understand that they are getting tremendous value. … Our goal is to create a resilient and sustainable model so that it is still here 10 years from now. We could give it away for a year, and then it would be back to the grange hall for everyone. We’re doing everything we can to keep the space affordable,” he said.

What’s next for Open Space, especially in light of Vashon Allied Arts’ plans to build a new multi-million dollar performance hall?

A peek at Open Space’s online calendar shows the space is far from full in terms of performance events. In December, for instance, there were only two shows at the space and in January, just one, a fundraiser for UMO Ensemble. From February to May, eight theatrical and/or musical events were booked in the space — a number that included three Church of Great Rain shows.

Godsey said Open Space has room to grow — and indeed, that’s part of his and McAlpin’s ongoing mission.

“I think there’s no doubt we are interested in more being presented here,” he said. “I would love to have it reach that place where something is going on here almost every weekend.”

To that end, Open Space recently launched its own concert series, presenting singers Teresa Turdury and Michelle Shocked, the Bill Frisell/Scrape event and the concert tomorrow night by Makana.

But for the space to fully reach its potential, Islanders may need to step up and pay heed to a motto posted on the home page of the Open Space website: “Bring your ideas here.”

“We’re at an age now as venue that we’re getting inquiries, not only in terms of what we generate but also what comes to us,” Godsey said. “When artists and community users come to us with ideas, we strive to say ‘yes’ and see what we can do to make that happen.”