Mar. 10—Sunshine streamed in through 7-foot-tall, 8-foot-wide windows, illuminating dozens of shades of brown in wood ceilings of Lewiston’s Bargain Hunter Mall building.

The second and third floors of the more than 100-year-old building at 1209 Main St. are being converted into 20 studio and four one-bedroom apartments that will be ready to be leased by the end of this calendar year, said Mark Alexander, the building’s owner.

Tenants on the north side will have views of the Clearwater River and the Lewiston Hill. Their neighbors on the south side will see the new Nez Perce County Courthouse from their windows.

The building is one of a dozen Alexander owns in downtown Lewiston. Among them are the Lewis-Clark Hotel at 111 Main St. and a building at 610 Main St., which are in line for restoration after a coming upgrade of the city’s downtown water and sewer utility infrastructure.

A resident of Blauvelt, N.Y., 20 minutes northwest of New York City, Alexander frequently visits Lewiston, where he also owns Southgate Plaza.

Uncovering the potential of the Bargain Hunter Mall building is part of a multimillion-dollar project that began in 2016 when Alexander acquired the property.

“I’m particularly excited about this project because it’s really showcasing the architecture and the craftsmanship of the area,” Alexander said. “It’s so unique and so special to see woodwork and timber like this. It’s rare.”

The building has brick walls along with wood floors and ceilings, constructed of lumber in dimensions larger than those sold commercially today.

“This building is what’s called a heavy timber building,” Alexander said.

During its renovation, he’s taken great care to save as much of its history as possible. Crews replaced the roof and the windows.

Layers of dirt mixed with rat and bat droppings were removed by blasting with walnut shells, a method that better preserves wood and brick than the more conventional technique of sandblasting.

They left fragments of what may have once been the phrase “importers and wholesalers” when they were exposed on a wall during the walnut shell blasting.

Interior walls will be installed creating living units that will each be about 700 square feet. Every one will have one of the large windows and 12- to 15-foot-tall ceilings. An elevator and two staircases will provide access to each floor.

The main floor of the building will continue to be retail space. A laundry room and storage area for tenants will be in the basement, where a decommissioned ice machine along with remnants of a meat locker and peanut roasting operation remain.

Along with the courthouse, Alexander sees the Bargain Hunter Mall building as being a focal point for the east side of the downtown district. The focal point on the west side, Alexander said, is the Lewis-Clark Hotel.

There he is going to upgrade an existing event area on the main floor.

“We’re bringing the historic ballroom back to its original footprint,” he said.

More retail will be on the main floor. A bourbon and wine bar with small plates is in the works. He would like to see businesses like a florist, upscale restaurant, bakery and day spa.

Professional offices will be on the second floor. Apartments are planned on the third and fourth floors. Condominiums are a possibility on the fifth floor, Alexander said.

“That’s truly a labor of love,” he said. “Economically it’s a stretch, but it’s just a historic, iconic building.”

At the same time, he is weighing the time frame for The Shops at Penney Lane at 610 Main St.

The 25,000-square-foot building will be renovated into a mix of residential, office and retail space, arranged along a corridor running between Main and F streets on the main floor.

The corridor will help make it easier for shoppers and diners in downtown to access parking, he said.

“That makes the most sense,” Alexander said. “That type of layout and structure complements downtown.”

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.