Historic redevelopers across Minnesota troubled as tax credit ends

A century ago, the granite façade of one particular building in Duluth was the last place most people wanted to see. "We are looking at a pretty imposing kind of edifice of the former jail property," said Jon Commers, as he stood in front of the old St Louis County jail, built in the early 1920s.

It's tucked behind the county and federal courthouses in downtown Duluth. Commers is one of three developers transforming the building into 33 mixed income apartments that he hopes people will want to call home.
 

Inside, workers bustle about, painting and putting finishing touches on the building. Commers points out terrazzo flooring in the lobby, detailed plaster work, and decorative designs at the tops of columns.