Transforming Duluth's forgotten corner

What was once an abandoned hardware store has been reimagined as a dynamic coworking and community hub that bridges the old and new – fitting perfectly with Duluth's motto: "Pride in Old and New."

A Site with History

Duluth's story began with the Cherokee people who originally inhabited this land before the railroad's arrival in 1871 transformed the settlement into a thriving cotton hub. This particular corner property evolved from a humble gas station to a hardware and engine repair shop, serving the community for decades before eventually falling into abandonment.

When our team first encountered the 12,500-square-foot property, it was easy to see why others might have opted for demolition. The main brick building featured haphazard additions, dormers that limited usable space, and numerous structural issues – bearing walls cut without lintels, roof trusses compromised, and rotting structural elements. The metal annex building hadn't fared any better, with severe rusting throughout.

Where others saw obstacles, we saw opportunity.

Design Challenge Accepted

Our design approach focused on three key objectives: unify a fragmented building, maximize usable space, and create cohesion across the entire site.

The main building had grown organically through at least four separate additions, resulting in a disconnected interior experience. By strategically removing walls and creating new openings between floors, we established visual connectivity that draws the eye through the space, creating moments of discovery and connection.

One of our boldest moves involved removing the small, inefficient dormers that severely limited the second floor's usable area. By installing a 50-foot header supported by new steel columns (literally threaded through the existing roof), we created a dramatic ribbon window that floods the space with natural light and increased usable square footage by 30%.

Outside, we transformed the underutilized space between buildings into a vibrant patio environment. The rusting metal annex building was stripped to its bones, structurally reinforced, and reimagined with full-height glass garage doors that create seamless indoor-outdoor flow.

Preserving Character in a Changing Landscape

This corner of Duluth sits at a critical intersection – not just of busy streets, but of the city's past and future. Across the way, new mixed-use developments have sprung up with the expected clean-slate approach: demolish and build anew.

Our national coworking client chose a different path. By preserving and reinventing these existing structures – quirks, scars, and layered history intact – we created spaces that feel more rooted, connected, and human than typical ground-up development.

Today, the transformed property offers flexible workspaces, meeting rooms, and event areas that host everything from business gatherings to weddings. The thoughtful blend of historic character with modern functionality creates a sense of place that honors Duluth's past while serving contemporary needs.

As downtown Duluth continues to evolve, this adaptive reuse project demonstrates that sometimes the most forward-thinking approach isn't starting from scratch – it's recognizing the value in what already exists and reimagining its possibilities for the future.

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Click through to see the story of transfomation

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This strategic corner property sits at Duluth's busiest intersection, serving as a crucial link between the historic downtown across the railroad tracks and the new residential developments emerging throughout the area.

Beginning as a modest gas station, the original structure grew through four additions as it evolved into a hardware and engine repair shop servicing lawnmowers and power tools.

After years of serving the community, the property sat vacant until our team was brought on to help find its hidden potential.

The deteriorating metal annex building presented significant structural challenges, with severe rusting throughout its pre-engineered frame.

By strategically opening the building's interior volumes, we created visual connections between floors that transform a once-fragmented space into an interconnected, dynamic experience.

rReplacing the inefficient dormers with a ribbon window required new steel columns that would carry loads directly to the footings below.

Exploratory demolition revealed unexpected structural deficiencies, including bearing masonry walls cut without lintels and compromised roof trusses requiring real-time engineering solutions.

The metal annex was stripped to its bones, allowing the team to assess and repair severely rusted connections before transforming it into a flexible gathering space.

Two-story steel columns were threaded through the existing roof and anchored to new footings to support the ambitious 50-foot header for the ribbon window.

Careful demolition of the inefficient dormers opened up the roofline, creating the canvas for a modern architectural statement that would transform both the interior and exterior.

The new ribbon window creates a light-filled second floor coworking space with 30% more usable square footage.

Framing views of the residential development across the street, the ribbon window establishes a visual connection that ties this renovated corner to downtown Duluth.

As the exterior and ribbon window took shape, the building's transformation created a pedestrian-friendly connection point between downtown and the new mixed-use developments, enhancing walkability.

The completed ribbon window transforms the second floor into a coworking environment, where natural light washes over collaborative spaces.

Strategic openings between floors create visual connections that allow occupants to experience the building's various activities and spaces.

Fresh and vibrant interiors blend warm woods with bold geometric accents, creating a playful yet professional atmosphere that energizes the daily work experience.

The outdoor patio has become a vibrant community hub hosting everything from casual workday lunches to formal events, with both buildings serving as a dynamic backdrop.

Once a dilapidated garage, the revitalized annex now features full-height glass garage doors that blur the boundary between indoor and outdoor, creating a flexible space for work and social gatherings.

Rather than replacing history with generic new construction, this adaptive reuse project preserves Duluth's layered past while creating a bold community asset that feels authentically rooted in its context.