A building that once held Ely's public library, offices and cafeteria is about to become a 22-room boutique hotel. Hotel Elysium is scheduled to open Jan. 1 in downtown Ely, Minnesota, inside the town's restored former community center.
The building was purchased by owner and developer Matt Stupnik in 2022. The Hotel Elysium occupies the structure, which opened in 1938 as Ely's Community Center.
The building's path to this point wasn't a straight line. A 2022 report from the Timberjay described an earlier plan for a 28-room boutique hotel, with Stupnik agreeing to a purchase price of just $2 for the building and three years to complete his plan. By the time the Ely Echo reported that the city council had approved a development agreement with Stupnik's company, Pillar Company LLC, the plan had shifted to a 22-unit boutique hotel, according to the Ely Echo's coverage.
From Library Stacks to Hotel Lobby
Before it was a hotel, the building served Ely in a very different way. The former community center housed the public library, an auditorium, meeting rooms, offices and a cafeteria, per KARE 11's reporting. The Clio history page notes the Community Center closed to the public on Nov. 14, 2014, when its last tenant, the Ely Public Library, moved to a new space on Chapman Street, according to Clio.
Clio's history page states that in 2016, the Community Center was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The building is designed in the Streamline or Art Moderne style and is planned for restoration.
Cocktails, a Gold Leaf Ceiling and a Restored Mural
The historic lobby featured a gold-leaf ceiling and Montana travertine marble. An earlier 2022 proposal included a penthouse suite with roof access.
Among the building's historic features is a mural by Minnesota artist Carl Gawboy.
A 2022 proposal for the hotel included a spa with a steam room and sauna.
Positioning Ely as a Wilderness Gateway
Ely offers museums, historic places, visual art and outdoor recreation.
