Housing project moving ahead at historic downtown Duluth jail

DULUTH – Spared the wrecking ball more than a decade ago, the historic St. Louis County Jail in downtown Duluth will soon be undergoing an unlikely transformation.

A 33-unit apartment complex is planned at the fortresslike structure tucked behind the county courthouse and could be housing folks by the end of next year.

"It's a challenging structure, and a challenging reuse overall, but we think it's a unique and exciting opportunity," said Jon Commers, one of the development partners. "We feel like we're very close to getting started."

At least four of the units will be set aside for those below median income, and Commers said more affordable units could be added depending on financing.

The Burnham Apartments project, estimated to cost $8 million to $9 million, will benefit from historic tax credits, a grant from the Minnesota Historical Society and $1.2 million in tax-increment financing.

The final piece of private funding should be in place by early September, Commers said, and construction will immediately follow.

"Most of the work is interior, so we'll be able to work through the winter," he said.

The trickiest part of creating an apartment complex out of the 98-year-old jail is removing the stacks of steel cells that are load-bearing in certain parts of the four-story building. That work will also be vital in creating a more welcoming atmosphere.

"People don't want to live in jail cells, they want to live in homes," said Commers, who is principal at Minneapolis-based Donjek Reinvestment Strategies. "That's one of the challenges of creating units that are unique but also reflect the place that it's been."

Last fall, Commers and Meghan Elliott of New History teamed up with property owner Grant Carlson, who has been eyeing a redevelopment at the site since he purchased it for $54,000 in 2010.

City officials are eager to see the redevelopment finally gaining traction.

"I'm cautiously optimistic — this is the closest we've been," said Jason Hale, the city's senior housing developer. "If it's done right, and it looks like it will be, this will be a unique space."

Developers have increasingly sought to retrofit historic Duluth structures to meet the city's severe housing shortage, including the planned redevelopment of Historic Old Central High School and the Board of Trade building.

"Housing is a huge need in Duluth, and this helps fill that gap," said City Council Member Zack Filipovich, who advocated in favor of keeping the jail from being torn down and replaced with a parking lot before he joined the council. "On the historic preservation side, this is the fourth building in our historic Civic Center. It's important it stands for another hundred years."

Given the sturdiness of the old jail, Commers said it will easily last another 150 years.

"It's unbelievably well-built with the amount of stone and steel in place."

Brooks Johnson • 218-491-6496