Lafayette Club Finishes $9 Million Restoration of Its Century-Old Clubhouse
Lafayette Club on Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota recapped a two-year, $9 million restoration of its 100-year-old clubhouse exterior at its annual member meeting, and is now seeking tax-deductible preservation funding.
On Lake Minnetonka in Minnetonka Beach, Minnesota, Lafayette Club has finished a $9 million restoration of the exterior of its 100-year-old Spanish Mission-style clubhouse. The club reviewed the two-year project and its priorities for the year ahead at its 2026 annual member meeting, Hometown Source reported Nov. 6.
Members, staff and members of the renovation team marked the Aug. 12 completion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Work proceeded in partnership with Knutson and centered on preserving the clubhouse's architectural features. The largest piece was the roof, for which the club selected a composite tile designed to match the building's historic character while offering modern durability. From the roofline the bell tower was rebuilt and restored, with architectural floodlighting added so its colors can match event and wedding themes. Restoration also covered the stucco front arches.
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The club launched the two-year Infrastructure Improvement Program in 2025. Hometown Source reported Nov. 21, 2025 that the first phase, covering a new roof and windows, stucco repair and painting, and restoration of the bell tower, wrapped up in mid-October 2025, and the second phase was set to start in April 2026. Earlier reports listed the program at $8.8 million, and the club's 2026 figure stands at $9 million.
Following completion of the project the club reported near-record golf membership along with gains in social and racquet sports memberships. "You can feel the excitement when you walk through the door of the Clubhouse," said Mike Taylor, president of the club's Board of Governors. Al Jader, the club's general manager, said, "The completion of the Exterior Project was an important milestone for our Club."
Jader said the club continues to examine ways to enhance amenities, including renovation of its historic Ballroom and an update to its golf course with Lehman Design Group. In 2025 the club hired Lehman Design Group, led by PGA Tour professional Tom Lehman, to prepare a master plan for the nine-hole course designed by William Watson. No budget or schedule has been published for the Ballroom, and neither a budget nor a construction start has been set for the course work.
The club says the Minneapolis Foundation has found the clubhouse to be a critical historic community asset eligible for tax-deductible preservation funding. Working with the foundation, the club set up the Next Generation Fund to take tax-deductible donations from members and nonmembers. Those contributions will support projects that benefit the community by preserving and enhancing the clubhouse.
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Some clubs have chosen another path, and Medina Country Club in Ohio, for example, is constructing a new $25 million clubhouse with a target of June 2027. Lafayette Club put its money into the roof, bell tower and facade of the century-old building instead, and it is seeking outside preservation funds for the clubhouse rather than replacing the structure. Preserving the century-old clubhouse keeps a community asset that has stood on Lake Minnetonka for a hundred years.
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