In 1931, E. Maurice Labovitz opened a small women's clothing store in Duluth.
Now, the new headquarters of the Maurices retail chain is the largest downtown development in Duluth's history. Employees on Monday began working in the $80 million office building.
"We are so thrilled to move to our new headquarters in downtown Duluth — just a few blocks from where Maurices was founded 85 years ago," said Laura Sieger, associate vice president of communications, in a statement.
The 200,000 square feet of office space at 425 W. Superior St. spans an entire block and includes many modern touches such as a fitness center, large glass windows and an outdoor plaza that overlooks Lake Superior.
"It demonstrates the potential that Duluth has now and moving into the future," said Pakou Ly, the city's public information coordinator.
To Kristi Stokes, president of the city's Greater Downtown Council, Maurices' move is a sign of the surge of economic development that is currently happening in Duluth. She said she believes it will also help spur future development. Stokes' organization, of which Maurices is a member, has been an advocate for the project.
"This is a really exciting time for us and for the downtown community," she said. "It's been fun for us to be able to watch the progress of this and think about the history of Maurices in our downtown and be able to see them invest in a major way and say, 'We're staying here.' … I think that's a major statement."
Stokes pointed out other recent downtown investments such as the new Duluth Transportation Center, completed earlier this year, and the $29 million Pier B Resort, which includes a 140-room hotel that will open in June.
