Cathedral is an event place of a whole different variety.

The 4,000 sq. ft, two-story historic building once was home to the bumping beats of BalMar dance club in Ballard. Now the bar is shuttered, the space scrubbed clean and the building repurposed for a higher calling.

Cathedral is the only event space in Seattle that donates 100 percent of its profits to charity—and, located right at the intersection of Ballard Ave and Market St, the venue is poised to bring attention to any worthy cause it promotes.

Co-owner Nate Stone, one of the visionaries who dreamt up the concept, spent five years as a church leader before looking for a career change.

“As a pastor, I loved helping people in an emotional context, but I didn’t feel like I had the tools I needed,” Stone said. “I kept wondering, ‘How could we help the world in real ways.’”

Seeking a way to empower Seattleites to be the change they want to see, he started brainstorming with friends, family and anyone who would listen.

He soon found willing, like-minded individuals, including his wife Amy and the couple’s close friendsDerek and Natalie Lockett. They had all worked in the service industry in the past and started putting together a plan for a restaurant.

The idea was to use the business as a tool to raise funding that could then be donated to worthy causes. “We wanted to make a spot where people could meet and talk, where people could have a beer and help others in the process,” Stone said.

Over time, the idea morphed from restaurant to event space. The concept stayed the same. The fees for renting the building would be used to support nonprofit groups.

The next step was finding the space. Eventually, a friend sent Stone the listing for the former BalMar building, which was Jones Brothers Restaurant at the time.

“Amy and I brought our girls there for dinner that night,” Stone said. “We toured it the next day and put an offer in that night.”

Things continued to move at a fast pace after that. The Stones and the Locketts went to work cleaning and organizing the space and then prepared to host events.

Cathedral can be rented for weddings, mixers, fundraisers, corporate meetings, birthday parties or any other event. There’s capacity for 170 at a cocktail-style party or 120 for a sit-down event. The space has a full kitchen for use by a caterer, private Wifi access, microphones and a sound system.