The Lodge at St. Edward in Kenmore is getting ready to turn its long-vacant pool building into a Nordic-style thermal spa, lining up a partner for what is described as a roughly $40 million wellness expansion. The second phase would introduce indoor and outdoor thermal pools, steam and contrast-therapy features, and a suite of spa amenities tucked beside the restored former seminary. Developer Kevin Daniels is advancing the proposal as a way to broaden the lodge’s draw while keeping the property closely tied to Saint Edward State Park.
Deal details
As reported by the Puget Sound Business Journal, the lodge has brought on STROM Group as an operator partner for what the paper describes as a $40 million plan to reinvent the unused pool building as a Nordic wellness destination centered on thermal therapy. According to the report, the partnership follows months of outreach by Daniels to secure a specialty wellness operator and investor for the site’s second phase.
Why the state matters
Documents from Washington State Parks show Daniels first floated the Nordic spa concept in August 2025. The filing notes that the developer would need to subdivide the leased parcel into three lots to make the project more attractive to investors. The same document states that extending the current 62-year lease term through an amendment would be “critical for securing a leasehold mortgage,” and staff wrote that they “may bring a lease amendment to the Commission for consideration later this year.”
Who STROM Group is
STROM Group, based in Montreal, is a wellness operator that is expanding its footprint in North America. In a recent press release, the company describes its AWŪ urban sanctuaries and notes it runs more than 10 establishments that collectively attract nearly one million visitors each year. That background in thermal circuits and urban spa concepts appears to align with the kind of expertise Daniels was seeking for the pool building makeover. PR Newswire provides the company’s profile.
Background and next steps
The Lodge reopened in 2021 following a preservation-focused adaptive reuse of the former St. Edward Seminary, with earlier restoration work documented by the project team. Lydig and the lodge’s own materials include renderings and construction details from that first phase.
If the new spa clears feasibility and design reviews, the subdivision and any lease amendment will still need approval from the State Parks Commission and the City of Kenmore before construction can start. Kenmore’s project files lay out the expected permitting and environmental review steps, and City of Kenmore documents detail the full approvals process.
Local questions
Neighbors and park advocates are likely to track how the spa is programmed and how public access is handled. The State Parks filing reiterates that any concession “will not prevent the public from having free access to the scenic attractions of any park or parkway.” Washington State Parks also notes that additional public review steps could accompany any future lease amendment.
