Resort owners vow to rebuild clubhouse destroyed by fire
The spectacular log-and-stone clubhouse at the Idaho Club golf and retreat complex near Sandpoint that burned to the ground Thursday evening will be rebuilt, owners vowed.
No one was injured in the fire, but the loss of the multimillion-dollar building – a desired locale for weddings, parties and a getaway for the well-heeled members of the Idaho Club development – comes at a difficult financial time.
Sales of high-end properties, while stronger than the rest of the real estate market, are down throughout North Idaho, and the golf course’s “preferred builder,” Sullivan Homes Idaho, announced plans earlier this year to dissolve and sell property to repay lenders. Sullivan Homes Idaho said at the time the company hadn’t sold a single house in 2008.
Idaho Club President Chuck Reeves said the distinctive clubhouse is fully insured. The owners of the development – investment group Pend Oreille Bonner Development – intend to rebuild, Reeves said in a news release.
The total financial losses from the fire were not known.
The cause of the fire also remains unknown and under investigation. Fire officials were unavailable for comment Friday, and Reeves was not taking calls.
Firefighters on the scene, however, struggled to fight the flames because they could not draw water from the nearby lake.
The clubhouse, a large structure finished six years ago and originally estimated to cost $6.2 million, was part of a multimillion-dollar face-lift to what was then Hidden Lakes Golf Resort, located between Sandpoint and Hope, Idaho. The redesigned golf course opened for play in August.
The clubhouse contained a restaurant and lounge, and featured an expansive deck overlooking the Pack River.
The property had been owned by Dick Villelli, who later sold the course and amenities to Pend Oreille Bonner Development. The new owners ramped up development plans into what is now the Idaho Club featuring a reworked golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus.
Homes on the golf course had cost north of $1 million. The Idaho Club is planned to have about 450 homes and condos, but so far only about 135 have sold.