LEIJONA
Vacant jail will be reinvented as much-needed housing
"New History was instrumental in navigating the construction challenges of a complex building while meeting historic tax credit design requirements for a project that had been dismissed as impossible."
LOCATION
CLIENT
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CONSTRUCTED
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PROJECT DATE
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PROJECT SCOPE
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PROJECT SIZE
Duluth, MN
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Private Developer​
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1924, 1980
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2018-2023
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Project planning and management, historic tax credit certification, project financing​
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35,000 sq. ft. (33 units of housing)
Long-vacant and hard-to-reuse buildings can be successfully converted into housing.​
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CHALLENGE
Like many jails, the former St. Louis County Jail in Duluth is a challenging building type to reuse: it has many small cells that make up the structural system, it was stripped for demolition, and it has been vacant for over 15 years. In addition, financing complex reuse projects is challenging and generally involves multiple funding sources, including historic tax credits, tax increment financing, and grants.
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SUCCESS
New History collaborated with the design team to create 33 residential units in the former jail. New History also collaborated with the owner and Donjek Consulting to secure project support and financing.
