Snoqualmie could be getting a professionally built treehouse by Pete Nelson of Discovery Channel fame. On Monday, June 13, the Snoqualmie City Council approved a $10,000 design contract with Nelson Tree House and Supply.

The agreement was approved by the council in a 5-2 vote, with Brian Holloway and Brad Toft voting against.

The contract requires design and engineering services which include preparing architectural renderings, working with arborist reports, providing design recommendations and engineering plans. All services would be directed by city staff.

Mark Hofman, community development director for the city of Snoqualmie, said the current plan is for the treehouse to become the new visitor center in downtown Snoqualmie and discussion about the treehouse has centered around its design and function as a visitors center.

The design will begin some time this summer and that process could take up to six months “to see what the possibilities are and put the best concept or scenario forward, then city council will decide if it is viable or not,” he said.

The proposed location of the treehouse is on Railroad Avenue, in the two Blue Atlas Cedars adjacent to the Northwest Railway Museum.

Richard Anderson, executive director of the railway museum, expressed concern about the location of the treehouse at a public hearing on the topic.

“We think the concept is great and we are pleased the city wants to invest in a potentially unique visitors center, we are just not convinced this is the right location,” Anderson said. “We believe that our operations would effect the treehouse. There is some more exhaust and steam then you would have moving between stations, there would be unavoidable impacts.”

Hofman said the possibility of the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce being moved is also being discussed. The organization currently leases the historic bank building on the corner of River Street and Falls Avenue in downtown Snoqualmie and contracts with the city to run the visitor’s center there as well. With a new visitor’s center, the Chamber could move into the treehouse and a business could move into the bank building, which the city currently owns.

“The chamber occupies it, they have a contract with the city to perform certain services, one is operating and staffing the visitors center,” Hofman said. “If the treehouse idea is funded and is a visitor center, to locate it in there (could) make it much more interesting. The opportunity to increase visitors to the visitor center by putting it in the treehouse may be better.”

Hofman said the city is envisioning a business taking over the vacant bank building and staff have been talking to the owners of Flying Pie Pizzeria in Issaquah as a possible candidate.

“The historical listing through King County has to stay. Reuse and restaurant use is acceptable but (we) can’t make changes drastically,” he said. “Hopefully in the summer we will know more.”

The idea for a professional-built treehouse was introduced in the summer of 2015 and the request for qualifications was done in September.

“It started at city council last summer and spent the winter with the RFQ process, but we are now at a point were we had an opportunity to review with city council,” Hofman said.