Studios, commercial space planned at Idaho Inn
New residential units will begin leasing late this year or in early 2022
The Idaho Inn in Moscow will be remodeled into studio apartments and commercial space, according to Robert Jacobs, regional manager for Fortify Holdings LLC of Beaverton, Ore.
Fortify Holdings purchased the three-story building at 645 W. Pullman Road across the street from MOD Pizza this summer.
“We are excited to be converting the Idaho Inn into a vibrant mixed-use residential community rebranded as The Empire,” Fortify Holdings said in a news release. “The hotel rooms are being transformed into hip, upscale studio apartments featuring new finishes throughout the interior and exterior of the buildings. The large scale of this property will allow us to incorporate enhanced outdoor common spaces for residents to congregate.”
Each of the roughly 90 hotel rooms on the west side of the building will be changed to studio apartments, while the lobby and east side of the vacant building will be commercial space, Jacobs said.
The units should be available to begin leasing late this year or early in 2022.
Shelley Bennett, commercial broker for Kiemle Hagood in Moscow, is working to secure commercial tenants for the building. She has prospects, but no business has officially agreed to occupy the space, she said.
“The setting is ideal for professionals working downtown and U of I students,” Fortify Holdings’ statement said. “The current strain on the housing market in the greater Moscow area highlights the importance of expanding the current inventory available for rental units. We look forward to working with the City of Moscow and the community in general to bring this exciting new community to life.”
Fortify Holdings refurbishes old properties and builds new communities from the ground up across the Pacific Northwest, according to the company’s website.
Idaho Inn was built in 1978 as a Travel Lodge, according to a Moscow Board of Adjustment meeting document last year. The inn has operated as both a hotel and extended-stay housing.
It was used as graduate student housing by the University of Idaho in or around 1995. It was purchased by Idaho Hospitality in 2010 and has been operating as a hotel offering extended stays on the second and third floors, the city doc-ument said.
