The Embassy Club is expected to reopen downtown in the Ruan Building at 666 Grand Ave. on Feb. 1 as the organization also turns its attention to a younger generation of professionals in the western suburbs.

“Those are exactly the folks we are moving to get closer to,” said Mike LaValle, general manager of the Embassy Club, referring to the Dec. 10 opening of Embassy Club West at 520 Market St., the former site of Gateway Market, in West Des Moines.

He said the new site has a more casual, contemporary atmosphere that is attractive to young professionals.

“We’ve analyzed where our members live and where they play,” LaValle said. “We’ve kind of had our heads in the sand the last 20 years, but we get it now.”

Downtown, the Embassy Club ended its 20-year tenancy atop 801 Grand Ave. with a New Year’s Eve party. Now it’s working to remodel its future home — the Des Moines Club on the 34th floor of the Ruan Center.

New paint, carpet and curtains are being installed in that space, which, according to LaValle, will offer to members a more formal setting in which to congregate.

LaValle, who is the project’s general contractor, said the Embassy Club is tapping the expertise of its members to help complete the renovation, which, including moving expenses, is expected to cost more than $200,000.

John Irving, director of business development with Baker Electric Inc., and Tanner Kinzler, principal with Kinzler Construction, the club’s secretary and vice president, respectively, are both helping with the build-out.

Since announcing in August its intention to expand to West Des Moines, LaValle said the Embassy Club has added more than 100 members to its roster.

“It’s been nice to reverse the trend over the last few years,” LaValle said, noting that similar to other private clubs, the Embassy Club lost about 15 percent of its members during the recession.

Membership began to rebound during the 2009 holiday season as individuals and organizations began holding more events, LaValle said. Today, the Embassy Club has about 1,000 members.

The Embassy Club and the Des Moines Club merged in 2002.

On Jan. 15, the Embassy Club will auction off furniture, fixtures and equipment at 801 Grand Ave.

No new tenant for that space has been announced.