McMenamins Will Turn Lodge Building into Upscale Hotel

By Alex Girda, Associate Editor

Capitalizing on the recent opening of Anderson School in Bothell, brothers Mike and Brian McMenamin are looking to carry out the renovation of Elks Lodge in Tacoma. The project is the duo’s second that will use outside funding. Estimated at roughly $25 million, the redevelopment of the century-old building is meant to reposition the facility as a new hospitality facility, with opening slated for the summer of 2017.

The process will be undertaken by the newly formed Elks Temple Properties LLC. The organization is seeking funding through minimum investments of $150,000, as they look to secure a total of $8 to $10 million, or around a third of the costs.

Tacoma Elks Lodge building

Located at 565 Broadway in Tacoma, the Elks Lodge building is a relic of an era when lodges were able to build structures of this stature. Designed by É. Frère Champney in Renaissance Revival style, the property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Modeled after the Scalinata di Spagna in Rome, the Spanish Steps stairway is also located nearby. The attraction was renovated in 2011 following a WSDOT grant and its inclusion in the Federal Highway Transportation Enhancements program.

Following the redevelopment, the property will offer 46 hotel rooms, a ballroom, three dining spots, a café, a McMenamins-branded brewery and an outdoor café and patio overlooking the Spanish Steps. The grounds will also include gardens with restaurants. The area is also on the map of the upcoming Link light rail expansion that will bring the district closer to the Stadium and Hilltop neighborhoods.

Image courtesy of McMenamins