For more than two decades, Coeur d’Alene’s old Elks Club was a downtown eyesore.

Broken windows and peeling green trim characterized the historic building, which had once symbolized the aspirations of North Idaho’s early business professionals.

But Nick Smoot admired the “good bones” of the rectangular brick structure at 418 E. Lakeside Ave. Last year, he and two partners bought the long-vacant building with plans to return it to productive use.

After $1.2 million in renovations, the partners are nearing their goal. They’re anticipating an early June opening for the building they’ve renamed the “Innovation Den.”

The three-level building will house a coffee shop and office space designed for start-up companies. In a nod to the building’s history, the partners are restoring the original bar in the basement, which will become part of a private club with its own cigar room.

“It’s such an iconic building. Everyone had ideas about it, but it sat empty for 27 years,” Smoot said/Becky Kramer, SR. More here.