The new and improved Lake Wilderness Lodge will be unveiled on Sunday afternoon as Maple Valley city officials celebrate its grand re-opening.
Lodge Manager Tannley DeVincent is excited to show off the Lodge and said the City Council will be in attendance and so will the contractors who worked on the building as well as the architects who designed it.
“It’s going to be an opportunity to thank” those who helped with the project, DeVincent said. “It’s very much open to the public. We want the public to feel welcome. This is their open house.”
Renovations on the historic building began last summer and wrapped up in recent weeks.
Maple Valley took the Lodge over in 2003 when King County was off loading some its regional assets that were within city limits.
Former city manager Anthony Hemstad worked with State Sen. Cheryl Pflug to find funding for the renovations.
“When the city received the Lodge in 2003 it really needed rennovation – but we didn’t have the funds to do that right away,” Hemstad said. “Working with Sen. Pflug we were able to combine city and state resources to bring what is really Maple Valley’s living room back to this remarkable building’s full glory.”
In 2007 Pflug helped the city win a $1.5 million grant from the state department of Commerce, Trade and Economic Development.
Pflug said she didn’t want to take much credit for the project.
“The city has done a great job taking over the facility,” Pflug said. “It’s a great asset. I think our community really needs a focal point like that. It’s just my privilege to be supportive and help secure resources like this. The credit for the vision and the execution goes to the city.”
In 2007 the city did a master plan for the lodge, the park and the area around Lake Wilderness, which included looking at the work the historic building needed with the idea that eventually Maple Valley would make the improvements.
The first priority was to improve the exterior and there is a new roof, gutters, double pane windows in the atrium, the tower was rebuilt and the riven cedar siding was restored.
There’s new exterior lighting, new lighting on the deck as well as a new rail which has LED lights installed into the railing to provide lighting during evening events, as well as many other details.
Because the building is on the national historic sites list as well as designated a King County Landmark a detailed renovation plan was required and matching the color scheme as closely to the original colors of the building were required.
There’s also a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, new carpeting and more.
DeVincent said there will tours of the Lodge as well as display boards with before and after photos.
“People like to see how their tax dollars are spent,” she said. “Most leave here saying they’re pleased with how their tax dollars were spent. I’m really proud of that.”
