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Historic seminary in state park could become hotel

By Ashli Blow

Saint Edward Seminary, KIRO 7 file photo 

By Ashli Blow

A Seattle real-estate firm wants to rehabilitate a decaying and historic seminary in Saint Edward State Park for a lodge-style hotel.

During a special meeting on Jan. 5, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will consider authorizing the 62-year lease agreement with Daniels Real Estate of Seattle.

The investment could reopen the entire building for public use for the first time in its 90-year-history.

Bishop Edward John O’Dea with the Seattle Catholic Archdiocese purchased the land that is now 316-acre Saint Edward State Park in the 1920s and donated it; more than a decade later construction was completed.

Saint Edward Seminary operated for many years as a boys’ school and educational order for priests.  After declining enrollment and education changes for seminarians, the Seattle Archdiocese sold the park and building to the state of Washington for $7 million.

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The former seminary sits on the Washington State Heritage Register, but the building has grown into disrepair in its nearly 40 years of abandonment.

The Seattle Times reports that the Parks Commission concluded in 2014 that it didn't have the estimated $15 million needed to address deferred maintenance; neglecting the building would be a violation of the National Preservation Act. That's around the time when Daniels Real Estate – a firm that specializes in historic renovations – started working to reuse the seminar.

In the real-estate firm’s proposed plans, the interior of the building would be rehabilitated to accommodate approximately 80-100 guest rooms, meeting rooms, wellness spa, a restaurant, and café. The proposal claims the project would respect the surrounding park and surrounding trails with no intrusion.

Daniels Real Estate isn’t the first group to try to rehab the building, Oregon-based McMenamins restaurant and brew pub pitched similar projects. It was shot down by neighborhood opposition.

>> Related: PHOTOS: Impressive renovations of the McMenamins

In the upcoming meeting on Thursday at Bastyr University, public comments will be given to the parks and recreation committee, which will discuss parking and environmental impacts with the proposal.

As part of the proposed lease arrangement, Daniels Real Estate agreed to purchase a 9.7-acre private property that lies adjacent to the park and to transfer it to the state parks system.

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