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The Carl & Frances George Cottage, 2935 S. Lake Ave., built in 1913. It sold in 2002 for $275,000 and was purchased for $600,000 in 2023 by North Shore LS LLC (i.e. Kathy Cargill).

They say pictures are worth a thousand words. With this in mind, Blake Romenesko, president of the Duluth Preservation Alliance, presented a short video at the organization’s annual award ceremony last Thursday, May 16.

In it he documented eight of nine historic Park Point homes that have been purchased and demolished by North Shore LS LLC (i.e. Kathy Cargill) in the past year. Note that the National Register of Historic Properties considers homes that are 50 years old or older as historic and eligible for listing. (More recently built homes were also purchased and demolished by the LLC.)  

It was with gasps and moans that the audience reacted to the photos of lost Park Point houses that are by definition historic. And it was noted that it wasn’t just individual homes that were lost, but also a part of Duluth’s history as embodied in these buildings.

Indeed, these demolished homes represent a tear in the historic fabric of this neighborhood. For those familiar with the outsized development of coastal areas around the U.S., these teardowns serve as warning signs for the kind of future development that could well occur here.

Romenesko’s video presentation is viewable on the DPA’s Facebook page.  

The video presentation was in stark contrast to the highlighted achievements of both private citizens and city employees who were recognized for their stewardship and preservation efforts on this evening. Remarks by Mike Poupore, former president of the DPA, urged attendees to tell their city, county and state representatives how much they value the historic built environment of our community and challenge them to be vigilant and proactive protectors of what remains.  

For those who are interested, the dollar amounts of these purchases by North Shore LS LLC are quite shocking (figures obtained from the public records online at St. Louis County Assessor website/County Land Explorer).

For example:

• Property at 1239 Minnesota Ave. purchased in 2024 for $500,000 (previous sale not available)

• Property at 1302 Minnesota Ave. sold for $155,000 in 2012 and was purchased in 2023 for $650,000.

• Property at 1314 Minnesota Ave. sold for $150,000 in 2022, purchased in 2023 for $475,000.

• Property at 1439 Minnesota Ave. sold for $360,000 in 2022, purchased in 2024 for $405,000.

• Property at 1521 Minnesota Ave. purchased in 2024 for $465,000 (part of multi-parcel sale).

• Property at 2925 Minnesota Ave. purchased in 2023 for $900,000 (part of multi-parcel sale).

• Property at 2929 S. Lake Ave. sold in 2002 for $265,000, purchased for $825,000 in 2023.

• Property  at 2931 S. Lake Ave. sold in 2008 for $345,000, purchased for $600,000 and $400,100 in 2023 (multi-parcel sale). Property at 2935 S. Lake Ave. sold in 2002 for $275,000, purchased for $600,000 in 2023.  

It does not appear that the City of Duluth’s Heritage Preservation Commission has considered advocating for protective measures for the historic properties on Park Point to date.

Full disclosure: the writer of this article contacted Duluth City Mayor Reinert and City Council Members to suggest that a moratorium on demolitions in the Park Point neighborhood be implemented in the interest of obtaining residents’ input and planning for the future of this neighborhood. Only one council member acknowledged receipt of the email sent.

It is suggested that a historic resource survey of Park Point be completed and means of protecting the historic character of this area be evaluated and implemented before such further losses occur.