Spirit Lake revival
<p>Bobby Agee of Impress Exteriors fastens vinyl siding on Wendesday to the outer walls of what will be a motel on Maine Street in Spirit Lake. The motel is slated to be finished by the end of June.</p>
<p>The construction site of a motel on Maine Street in Spirit Lake is photographed on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Troy Fairbank of Chunky's Roofing and Handyman Services of Athol installs sheetrock on Wednesday to the interior of what will be the Spirit Lake Farmer and Craft Market, located at the corner of Maine Street and Highway 41 in Spirit Lake.</p>
<p>The Spirit Lake Farmers and Craft Market, located at the corner of Maine Street and Highway 41 in Spirit Lake, will boast more than 30 vendors in both outdoor and indoor booths. A beer garden, barbecue and bouncy castle will be open on Friday. The market is free and open to the public.</p>
Spirit Lake is in the middle of a revival — and we're not talking about the spiritual kind that shakes the walls of churches.
The town's first free-standing motel in more than 60 years is under construction. The former Sedlmayer's Resort — a fixture on the lake built in the 1940s that has sit idle for more than 20 years — is being remodeled into a pub-style restaurant. And a farmers and craft market, which hasn't existed for a few years, opens tonight.
"It's a revival of Spirit Lake," said Dave Dolan, who has organized the Spirit Lake Farmers and Crafts Market at 6133 Maine St. across from the post office.
"Everything that disappeared years ago is starting to come back. There's a few people who may not like to see new things, but these are old things."
The market, which will have about 30 vendors, opens today from 2 to 7 p.m. There will be music, a bounce house for kids, food and a beer garden.
It will also be held during the same times on June 3, 17 and 24. It will be held every Friday in July and August.
"It may expand to Saturdays as well," Dolan said.
Dolan said residents in the Spirit Lake area don't have any other source of fresh bread or vegetables than the grocery store.
"When I returned here three years ago from Jerusalem, I really missed the fresh breads," he said. "There's also a growing number of craftsmen and artists in this area who are looking for outlets. There's a lot of excitement about it."
Another new venture on Maine Street near the post office is the 14-unit Moose Inn Motel and Lodge, which will be Spirit Lake's first free-standing motel in decades.
Owner Doug Freeland said his goal is for the business to open at the end of June.
"If Spirit Lake as a town is going to have any change in growth — and by that I mean just on the plus side of stagnant — we need to add the capability for people to spend time with us," Freeland said.
Nightly rooms will start at $59 and increase on the weekends and peak times.
"We don't intend to go more than $100," Freeland said.
Down at the lake, about 2 miles out town, the former Sedlmayer's Resort is being remodeled and will re-open as the Boar's Nest around mid-June as a restaurant featuring steak, burgers, sandwiches and barbecue food.
"We gutted the kitchen and modernized everything," said owner Yon Egusquiza, who also owns Heritage Meats and More in Hayden. "The building sat dormant for the past 20-some years."
Sedlmayer's RV Park opened at the site about five years ago under a different owner before Egusquiza purchased the property last winter. He said he plans to add cabins to the RV park with the goal of attracting winter guests.
Egusquiza said he hopes the restaurant will fill what he believes is a need.
"There's not a lot of choices for finer dining in the Spirit Lake and Blanchard area," he said. "We've had a lot of requests, so that's what drove us to opening up a restaurant in Spirit Lake."