Duluth’s downtown is known for its character, especially in the Historic Arts and Theatre District (HART).

“You have the theater, you have Greysolon ballroom,” Duluth Preservation Alliance Volunteer Jessica Fortney said. “I mean, it’s a very active space.”

But soon, one beloved building could be turned into a parking lot.

“I don’t think that’s a need,” Fortney said. “I think the need is to keep the businesses here and keep it a moving space.”

 The Hotel Astoria on East Superior Street was formerly home to three local businesses, The Chinese Dragon, Hucklebeary and Old Town Antiques and Books.

All three businesses were displaced after the building’s owners, the Calfornia-based Hall Equities Group, announced plans for demolition in 2021.

According to the Duluth Preservation Alliance, six buildings have been torn down in the HART district in just the past year and four more have active demolition plans.

Now, community leaders are working to make sure Hotel Astoria stays intact.

“All through downtown, we have nationally-designated historic buildings, this being one of them,” Duluth Preservation Alliance Vice President Blake Romenesko said. “And, it’s really important that those buildings stay together as a cohesive unit.”

With a four-story parking ramp right across the street from the old hotel, Romenesko said another lot shouldn’t be a priority.

Rather, he’s hoping that city officials in Duluth will value the historic integrity of downtown buildings.

“I see Duluth’s vitality rooted in three things: Lake Superior, green space and historic buildings, and those are the things we need to protect the most,” Romenesko said. To learn more about the Duluth Preservation Alliance’s efforts, head to their website.

To see the original story and read related stories, follow this link to the KBJR-TV website. https://www.kbjr6.com/2022/03/19/preserving-history-duluth-preservation-alliance-rallies-prevent-dem...