A downtown eyesore that has sat vacant for nearly two years after it was destroyed by a fire is finally being torn down.
The charred bricks and boarded-up windows of the Biomat Plasma USA building on the corner of Hoyt Avenue and California Street should be gone by the end of next week.
Everett Elks Lodge 479 plans to replace the rubble with a new lodge: a five-story shimmering steel and glass building sporting a water view bar, nine condominiums, underground parking and a rooftop terrace.
The fraternal organization decided to sell its aging and considerably larger home across the street.
“It’s important that we spend our money in the community, not on repairs,” said Ann Hall, a district deputy grand exalted ruler of the organization.
Elks members have first dibs on buying the one- and two-bedroom condos, Hall said.
The Elks purchased the former blood bank in January from William J. Rucker for $310,000, according to public records.
They plan to redevelop the property by 2007, about the same time the club has agreed to leave its current location.
Conceptual drawings are done, but the blueprints could still change.
“It’s still in the planning stages,” said Gary Wing, who serves on the Elks building committee. “Nothing is finalized yet.”
The Elks voted in 2004 to sell their 50,000-square-foot lodge on Rucker Avenue and California Street to Skotdal Real Estate for $2.5 million.
The firm, which has more than $60 million in real estate holdings in downtown Everett, will likely raze the building and build anew, Elks members say.
Craig Skotdal, president of Skotdal Real Estate, declined to discuss the company’s plans.
The Elks made a big splash when they rebuilt their lodge in April 1962 after a fire destroyed the old headquarters.
Sen. Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson spoke, and the public was invited to ogle the million-dollar facility.
With an indoor pool, basketball and racket ball courts, its own barbershop, a large ballroom, and a 200-seat dining room, there was plenty for Elks to toot their horns about.
The lodge was popular, too.
Reservations for the restaurant were taken two weeks in advance, and membership was 4,200 strong and growing.
Age and declining membership have taken a toll.
The club’s membership rolls have fewer than 1,000 names today. Buckets collect rainwater from a leaking roof, some carpets are stained and threadbare, cracks are visible on the exterior, and much of the indoor paint is peeling.
The vote to sell wasn’t unanimous, and some members still object to the transaction. That’s understandable, given the history of the building, Hall said.
“It holds so many memories for so many people,” Hall said.
Reporter David Chircop: 425-339-3429 or dchircop@heraldnet.com.
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