Demolition Expected for Merritt Park Community Center

DULUTH, Minn. – West Duluth residents will soon have to say goodbye the Merritt Park Community Center.

Starting this week, residents can expect to see workers preparing to tear down the center.

Over the years, the building has deteriorated.

City officials say it would cost nearly three quarters of a million dollars in maintenance and upgrades.

The demolition is part of the City’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan to prioritize the quality of recreation centers rather than the quantity of those in the city.

But a resident who lives nearby says she is heartbroken by the loss of the center after making memories with her children.

Watching our son learn how to skate. Watching him take his first glide across the ice,” said Barbara Schilling. “I am saddened that it’s going down. I hope they plan an alternative.”

The demolition process is expected to last until the second week of October.

Parks and Rec staff say, this Fall, they will be working with the community to design future improvements for Merritt Park.