Progress Being Made on Duluth Armory

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Armory has been vacant for a long time, but Armory supporters say there is real progress. The group Armory Art and Music Center owns the building and has been working to rehabilitate it.

Mark Poirier, the Executive Director of the Armory Art and Music Center, said he’s excited about what’s happening at the Armory. “But it’s happening, and I think that the biggest thing I want to say is, this is happening and we’re going to make I happen. ”

Poirier also said he’s happy to be involved in the development. “We are forming a partnership with Sherman Associates, and this is very exciting because as a non-profit, this is the first time we’ve been invited to participate in the development of the project.”

There is already work taking place at the Armory and this summer hazardous material will be removed from the interior. Examples include asbestos on the pipes and anywhere else it’s found. There is also masonry work taking place on the exterior, but the bulk of the work won’t happen until next year. Poirier says he hopes to have all the details of the partnership with Sherman Associates finalized by March of 2024. When the work is finished, hopefully in 2025, he says the Armory will be a magnet for local talent.

“Sherman Associates’ vision is more of the local kind of taste to it,” said Poirier. “I’m sure we’ll have an occasional act that is bigger, but it’s really about [local] people, local bands.  Maybe it’s just the youth choir or the youth symphony, and so it wants to have more of a local flavor.”

Also planned for the space are food and beverage places. Poirier says Warrior Brewing and Love Creamery have already signed up to have space at the Armory when it opens.