Daniels updates Kenmore council on Lodge at St. Edward

At Monday’s meeting, Kenmore City Council received an update presentation on the Lodge at St. Edward a renovation project from Daniels Real Estate, which will remodel the seminary building in St. Edward State Park.

The Lodge at St. Edward project will remodel the old seminary, which closed in 1976, and reopen it as a lodge within the St. Edward State Park. Daniels Real Estate signed the 62-year lease, under the Washington State Parks Commission, last January and council approved the project site plan last April.

Kevin Daniels ran the presentation and highlighted their current construction plans. Daniels Real Estate is currently finalizing their building plans and plan to file for their building permits in January 2018.

The lodge will maintain several meeting rooms, dining areas, kitchens and 80 bedrooms.

According to Daniels, if all the plans go perfectly, which they never have during his 30 years in real estate, they’ll be ready to open in June. Daniels indicated that this estimate will likely be extended and that he has specific concerns about the “skyrocketing” construction costs in the Seattle market.

Daniels began his presentation by highlighting improvements upon the previous plans for roads and parking areas. Instead of building the roads along the old road, or cutting down trees and wrapping the roads around the building, he said they decided to leave the old road, add the additional parking next to the current parking lots and maintain foliage to keep it all “behind the scenes.”

Daniels said they simply didn’t want to open up the old road to traffic or surround the seminary.

Renovations in the lobby will knock down walls and open up the space with a lounge area and bar. Additionally, Daniels plans to include large windows on either side to allow sunlight to spill in.

Daniels said the heavy renovations in lobby are necessary because the current interior, which originally existed only to house priests and nuns, doesn’t maintain a visual “wow factor.”

Many of the meeting rooms will be expanded and can either be segregated for small meetings or accommodate weddings, which will be an important part of the lodge, Daniels said.

Additionally, they’ve been focusing on maintaining the history and context of the original building, while also updating the space and bringing in new architectural ideas, Daniels said.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle opened the seminary in 1931 and after it closed, sold it to the state in 1977. Washington turned the 326 acres into the St. Edward State Park, which now surrounds Daniels’ 5.5-acre lease.

Daniels said they will repair the seminary bells and bell tower, maintain the mahogany doors and keep multiple lighting fixtures within the main lobby.

The public spaces in the lobby, basement and second floor will all be open to the public as long as the park is open. Only current guests will be allowed in the lodge after the park closes each night.

For more information, visit kenmorewa.gov/LodgeatSaintEdward or www.thelodgeatstedward.com.