Despite being twice delayed, a new 15-story apartment building, dubbed Lakeview Tower, soon should be coming to Duluth’s downtown skyline.
Adam Fulton, deputy director of Duluth’s planning and economic development division, expressed optimism the project will be ready to go soon, beginning with the demolition of the Voyageur Lakewalk Inn, the former Hacienda Del Sol restaurant and a building that was formerly home to the First Oriental Grocery store.
“The City has been in close conversation with the development team on this project, and we anticipate they will be finalizing financing over the next few weeks. As far as next steps, we anticipate that demo, site prep, and construction will begin in the spring of 2020,” he said on 30 January 2020.
Initially, Northstar Development Interests LLC was to have started work on a sleek glass-paneled apartment building in August 2019, but the Duluth Economic Development Authority twice amended a development agreement for the US$75 million project, extending the deadline to commence work first to 31 December 2019 and then to 30 April 2020.
Set to rise at 333 East Superior Street, the tower is expected to boast 204 apartments, with commercial space on the ground floor, with a grocery store being the preferred option.
The project involves Duluth-based Titanium Partners LLC and Madison-based Landmark Development.
The development is expected to proceed with the help of US$6.2 million in tax-increment financing (TIF), a form of subsidy that uses new property taxes generated by a project to cover certain qualifying development costs.
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