Duluth Central High School Property Has Been Sold For $8 Million
The seemingly never ending drama surrounding the building that used to be the home of Duluth Central High has apparently come to end. Of course, we've heard this before. In June of this year, a sale was reported but that deal ultimately fell through.
However the Duluth School Board announced Monday night that the Duluth Central High School property has been sold for $8 million. Pretty ironic that this news comes just two days after Nordic Auctions auctioned off the contents of the Central High School Alumni Historical Museum.
According to their announcement, which was shared on the Duluth Public Schools Facebook page, they entered into a purchase agreement with Chester Creek View, LLC during a special Monday school board meeting.
“The board unanimously approved moving forward with the purchase agreement,” said Board Chair Jill Lofald. “This is an exciting next step which will be beneficial for our schools and our community.”
The purchase agreement reportedly includes $250,000 in earnest money with a 60 day due diligence period, and is contingent on the school’s demolition and minimal site restoration.
The property being sold is eligible for Tax Increment Financing (TIF), but that is not a requirement of the sale.
The $8 million sale price was more that what the asking price was for the property, much to the delight of Superintendent John Magas, who says the additional money will be used to provide additional resources to the students with the district and their families.
Just exactly what Chester Creek View, LLC plans on building on the property remains to be seen.
Next up will bee the demolition of the building that once served as Duluth Central High School. Demolition is expected to start in the fall and be completed by winter, after a bid of $810,130 for the demolition of the building was approved in July by the Duluth School Board.
The sale and redevelopment of this property is the culmination of a plan put in place by the Duluth School Board in 2019 that included the sale and redevelopment of Historic Old Central High School, as well as the relocation of the district’s transportation and district services center. In October 2020, the school board approved a $3 million purchase agreement for HOCHS with Saturday Properties and closed on the sale in February.
This plan to sell both properties was adopted by the board to create efficiencies within the district and to aid in the redevelopment of two important Duluth properties, allowing for the district to focus additional efforts on existing school facilities and student outcomes.
While I have always been very vocal of my affection for Duluth Central High School, which was my alma mater, as well as my complete lack of support for the plan that lead to its closure and this entire sale process, I am happy that the drama appears to be coming to an end.
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