The Lodge at St. Edward

Construction fence is up, windows have been removed,
one wing of the building shrouded in protective netting
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

After sitting shuttered for over 40 years, the old seminary building at St. Edwards Park in Kenmore is undergoing major construction to turn it into a lodge, open to the public.

The property and the seminary were acquired by Washington State Parks and Recreation in 1976. The land around the seminary was open as a park, with ranger tours of the surrounding woodlands, and a trail leading to Lake Washington. The huge building was untouched and deteriorating.

The inside is undergoing extensive renovation
The job will cost $45-50 million
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Washington State Parks has awarded a 62 year lease for the building and land around it to Daniels Real Estate, a company with expertise in complex, comprehensive, and long-term historic preservation and adaptive reuse projects. The additional land is located adjacent to the park and includes 450 feet of Lake Washington shoreline. The North Loop Trail is aligned over this property

The Daniels team has won three National Preservation Awards, as well as many local and state awards for work in historic preservation and reuse.

At Saint Edward Park, they will repurpose the badly deteriorated interior of the Seminary building into a park lodge with 80-100 guest rooms, a conference center, meeting rooms, a wellness spa, and a restaurant and café.

Masonry façade has not been touched since 1930
All the windows are being replaced
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

The building’s Romanesque Revival architecture and Art Deco interiors will be preserved and restored to federal standards for the public to visit and enjoy, with an adaptive reuse focus that is consistent with other national and state park standards and with the original design of the building.

Lydig Construction has erected scaffolding to repair the brick and cast stone. Built in 1930, this is the first time that the masonry façade of the building has been repaired. During 2019, windows and other exterior historic elements will be removed, repaired and reinstalled. The restoration is a meticulous effort, meeting federal preservation standards.

The project is estimated to cost the Daniels Group $45-50 million.