The Eagle’s Nest Motel is now a 15-unit apartment that the building’s new owner says may help ease a local housing crunch.
Businessman Chris Thorgesen, who has bought and redeveloped several major commercial structures downtown, said he reopened the 7,000-square foot building at 1 Mile in May with an eye toward providing low-income housing.
Ten studio apartments on the building’s ground floor share a common kitchen, living space and laundry. They rent for $450 per month. The building is fully occupied, he said.
Thorgesen also replaced a wood pellet-burning heat system with oil. “Even with the high cost of oil, it was still cheaper and more reliable to get rid of the pellets,” he said.
According to borough records, the structure was built by Harry Ellingen in 1968 and at one time featured a restaurant and public laundromat. Glacier Trailer Park, located behind the building, was added in 1971.
Previous owners include Albert Withey and Harold Horton. Shane and Janis Horton were the most recent owners. They sold the building to Thorgesen in January. The Hortons sold the adjoining trailer park to Ira and Alissa Henry in 2017.
Shane Horton declined comment for this story.