DULUTH – The historic St. Louis County Depot will finally get much-needed repairs, after the County Board unanimously agreed to issue $19.5 million in bonds for other capital improvement in this region.
The Depot, considered the “marquee project,” needs $16.5 million to replace crucial aging systems. County officials have been asking for money from the state for seven years — long enough that the total ask has doubled. The Depot received $1.5 million in state bonds in 2020, used for upgrades to the building’s shell. Other requests have gone unfulfilled.
The Depot houses the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, North Shore Scenic Railroad, St. Louis County Historical Society, Minnesota Ballet, Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of the North, Arrowhead Regional Arts Council and the Depot Foundation. All are expected to remain open, though some might have to temporarily move to a different part of the building, during the two years of construction.
“It’s huge,” said Mary Tennis, who was hired as the Depot’s first executive director in 2019. “It’s very meaningful. Not only is this something a lot of people have been working for for a long time, it’s touching every corner of the building one way or another.
“You’re going to see changes in the building.”
The Depot would have served as a hub for the Northern Lights Express, the passenger rail service with a future that currently looks grim.
Work could begin as soon as November and end by December 2027.
“This project is literally shovel-ready,” Tennis said in a presentation Tuesday in front of the Board of Commissioners.
