Vacant for more than a year, the Colonial Inn in Fall City is now on its way to reopening with a target launch date of February 2007.

Originally planning to be open by March of this year, owner Scott Krahling said the delay has been due to the processing time needed to meet requirements set by the King County Health Department.

Krahling said he is waiting for their permit approval before he can start finishing the repair and upgrade work, which should happen by the end of the month.

Krahling, an Eastside accountant, is a partner with Igmuss LLC. Igmuss is the group of investors who purchased the building in March 2005.

“Literally, if you were to walk in it right now, the place is gutted,” Krahling said. “I wanted to make big improvements to the building.”

Krahling said that the Colonial Inn will remain a restaurant with American-style food for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.

However, the kid-friendly eatery will feature a few more fine-dining options, as well as a new atmosphere that will include raised ceilings, new floors and drywall, upgraded bathrooms and bar, a new kitchen, as well as new furniture and fixtures.

The upstairs will have a banquet room, too.

“It’ll be very similar [to the old restaurant], but an upgrade,” Krahling said. “We’ve opened it up quite a bit … it’ll have a much more open feel to it.”

He said he hopes to start work on the building this fall.

Krahling called the cost of the restaurant being closed for more than a year “lost money,” but the county would not let the restaurant open without a new permit. As such, he said he sees it as a necessary loss for the eventual gain.

An Eastside resident for more than 30 years, Krahling said Fall City is a unique community and the building he helped purchase reflects that uniqueness.

“I just thought it was a really cool, old building that had been let run down quite a bit and I thought it needed some attention,” he said. “People will be very pleased with the final results of this place.”

The former owners of the Colonial, Lyle and Kia Geels, occupied the restaurant for 16 years until last September when their lease was up and they relocated to the now-titled Raging River Cafe and Club in Fall City.

The Colonial Inn is located at 4200 Preston-Fall City Road. For more information about the Raging River Cafe and Club, 33723 Redmond-Fall City Road, visit www.theragingriver.com.