A 2004 study of Duluth’s construction boom at the turn of the last century concluded the city is blessed with an unusual number of architecturally-significant landmarks.

But that study by a panel of housing, finance, tourism and preservation specialists from the National Trust for Historic Preservation concluded there are precious few members of the region’s design and construction sector with the know-how to repair and restore historic structures — particularly for adaptive reuse — and get it right.

The National Trust, its Midwest Preservation Institute, Anoka-Ramsey Community College and several local players in preservation development have responded with a workshop series to help local designers, contractors, trades people and real estate professionals gain those skills. On June 22-23, a two-day session at the Women in Construction Shop at 110 N. First Ave. W. in Duluth will concentrate upon plastering, tuckpointing and window property management, consistent with historic building rehabilitation techniques.

“There are few local standards and regulations for this,” said Michelle LeBeau, president of Women in Construction. “The series is designed to teach us.”

Other local sponsors include the Duluth chapter of the Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC), Neighborhood Housing Services and the city of Duluth.

It’s the second of three Duluth workshops in the series. The first, held last fall, focused upon windows and window repair. The last will be held again this fall.

LeBeau said the pace of local historic renovation is accelerating, notably adaptive reuse for housing. Duluth projects include Greysolon Plaza, the Bridgeman-Russell building, Endion School, the former city Water & Gas Department building, Alicia’s Place and Unger House at 123 W. Third St. In Ashland, a preservation effort is underway to complete restoration of the downtown Soo Depot, gutted in a 2001 fire.

LeBeau cited her company’s recently completed conversion of a former convent at 315 N. Second Ave. W. into housing. Historic tax credits were used in the financing, requiring the developer to conform to historic preservation building standards.

“I spent $5,000 of my time alone research and finding the resources to do the $800,000 job,” she said. “It’s one thing to read about it in a manual, quite another to apply it. Part of the difficulty is addressing restoration materials with the need for energy efficiency.”

On a related front, Neighborhood Housing Services is modifying national historic preservation financing guidelines for contractors to Duluth’s construction process. The housing nonprofit is the designated manager of a $1.2 million historic preservation revolving loan fund available to homeowners ready to renovate eligible properties.

Contractors hired to perform the work will be bound by those guidelines, said Lee Kalfsbeek, the nonprofit’s construction analyst.

Most historic restoration project loans will be in the $50,000 to $60,000 range, he said.

Preserving Duluth’s Past: Hands-on Training for Building Professionals

When: June 22-23, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Where: Women in Construction shop, 110 N. 1st Ave. W.

For: Contractors, homeowners, Realtors, architects, preservationists, trades people

Cost: $45/a day, $90/2 days

Details/to register: Call 763-433-1200

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