The Lodge at Saint Edward Park

Project Overview:

Along the Northeast shore of Lake Washington in Kenmore, Washington, is home to a beautiful 300-acre state park filled with history. Within the park you'll find a 90,000 square foot building once known as St. Edwards Seminary. Built in the 1930's, it was used to educate young men for priesthood until the 1970's when it was sold to the state where it sat neglected and unused for 45 years. After a 62-year lease was signed with the state in 2017, the building underwent a $57 million renovation making it known as The Lodge at St. Edwards Park, a hotel and event space.

Building Challenge:

The biggest challenge and the main goal of the developer is historic preservation, making it a lodge that people would want to stay in and tell the history of the people who were here before. The building that has never been opened to the public since students started attending in 1931 is structurally sound and is built to last thousands of years. The interior told a different story, there were rotting showers, classrooms filled with abandoned desks and chairs, and some rooms even had walls stained with nicotine from the heavy smoking priests. After spending millions in renovations, The Lodge now houses 84-hotel rooms, a restaurant, two bars, a 9,000 SF event space, and is surrounded with the original windows.

VT’s Contribution:

VT supplied 171 stile and rail doors, 85 flush transoms, and 46 frames. The doors featured 2-flat panels with rabbeted tops, with fire-ratings of 20-minutes, 90-minutes, and non-rated. The frames also had fire-ratings of 20-minutes, 90-minutes, and some non-rated. The doors, frames, and transoms all had a Quarter Ribbon Striped African Mahogany veneer and some frames also came in Paint Grade Poplar.