When they bought their Minneapolis duplex in 1984, Marilyn and Steve Peltier imagined that it would play out this way: They'd live in one of the units for a few years and fix it up. When they needed more space, they'd move and rent out both units.
But it turns out there was another chapter to the story: The couple, now retired, have moved back into the Prospect Park duplex — three decades after having packed their bags.
"It's not what people think when they think of downsizing," Marilyn said. "It's out of the norm."
The couple had lived in a 5,000-square-feet, three-story Victorian on St. Paul's Crocus Hill for almost 30 years. With their three children grown and out of the house, they started looking for a smaller home in an urban neighborhood they knew.
"We wanted to stay and live in the city," said Marilyn. "That was a huge motivator for us."
Finding a smaller home in Crocus Hill — known for its large, historic homes — proved nearly impossible. They soon realized the answer was literally in their old backyard.
"We originally thought of this as a transition plan," Marilyn said. "We thought it would get us out of our big house for now."
So they moved back into the midcentury modern duplex. It didn't take them long to realize how much they felt at home.