The demolition of the Esmond will make way for a new 40-plus-unit apartment building. Written By: Peter Passi | ×
An old Hotel Esmond sign can be seen on the former Seaway Hotel building in Duluth s Lincoln Park neighborhood. The structure is now known as the Esmond Building. (Bob King / News Tribune / 2015 file)
The Duluth Economic Development Authority approved a development agreement Wednesday evening that could lead to the razing of the Esmond Building, formerly known as the Seaway Hotel, and the raising of a new apartment building in its place.
Merge LLC an offshoot of Merge Urban Development of Cedar Falls, Iowa proposes to construct up to a 45-unit apartment building at the southwest corner of Superior Street and 20th Avenue West in Duluth s Lincoln Park neighborhood at a estimated cost of about $9.25 million. In addition to housing, the building would offer about 8,500 square feet of commercial space at the ground level. Merge refers to the devel
A complicated deal appears to be coming together to redevelop the former Seaway Hotel property. Written By: Peter Passi | ×
The Esmond Building in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Duluth. (Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com)
Time soon may be running out for the Esmond Building, formerly known as the Seaway Hotel.
A previous effort by Minnesota Opportunity Zone Advisors LLC to put together a plan to renovate the Lincoln Park building has been abandoned, due to the challenges of reconfiguring the structure and its poor condition, as reported in Perfect Duluth Day.
Now, the Duluth Housing and Redevelopment Authority, which owns the Esmond, is working with a new would-be partner: Merge Urban Development of Cedar Falls, Iowa. And this time around, plans call for the Esmond to be demolished, clearing the way for a new building with retail on the ground floor, topped by three more floors that would accommodate 42 units of rental housing.