Zenith DCHS Apartments: Once a Place to Learn, Now a Place to Live
By Brenden Nickels, Senior Office Assistant
Transformation is coming to the historic Duluth Central High School! Kraus-Anderson, in collaboration with AWH Architects, is converting the building into residential living— Zenith DCHS Apartments.
The construction of this building, poised to have a strong future in the Duluth Community, combines comfortable living and fun amenities with the structure’s storied past.
A Brief History
From 1892 to 1971, this building served as Duluth’s main high school. When Central moved into a new building, the old building became the offices for the Duluth school district, Education Equity, Indian Education, Unity High School, and most recently, the St. Louis County Soil and Water District.
The National Park Service added the building to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, renaming it the Historic Old Central High School in 2004.
In October 2020, Saturday Properties purchased the building— their first property in the Duluth area. Zenith DCHS Apartments, a nod to the name of the Central High School yearbook and the building’s history, will feature 122 mixed-income apartments.
“This building is a Duluth icon,” said Kraus-Anderson Duluth’s director of project planning and development, Chad Ronchetti. “Duluthians, in general, are ecstatic to see new life breathed into the building, while it also serves to address two of the largest challenges facing Duluth today: housing and downtown reanimation.”
Ronchetti continues, “In true late Victorian, 19th Century fashion, the brownstone exterior, pulled from a quarry in Fond du Lac, will remain largely the same, rendering it just one of the many examples of the elements Duluthians are proud to have as a part of their skyline and thrilled to have preserved.”
Interior renovations will reflect the building’s history with a few modern-day touches. The installation of new mechanical, electrical, and sprinkler systems will create an enjoyable and safe residential living space.
The apartment complex will feature exciting amenities that create community-building opportunities, including a fitness center and sauna, work-from-home space, a game room, and lounges throughout the building.
A Significant Undertaking
Though well worth the efforts, ensuring the preservation of this building’s history is a significant undertaking.
“Preserving the historical elements while renovating the building is both exciting and challenging. You never know what you’re going to find under a slab of concrete or behind a wall,” said project coordinator Allison Coffman. “Maintaining the historical integrity adds a cool element to the residential space.”
One example is the replacement of the windows. Throughout the years, the top half of the windows were framed in. In this renovation, however, the new windows will be restored to the full height of the original openings.
Ronchetti also said that many of the historic features throughout the building, such as a century’s worth of signatures from Central High School graduates written on the walls of the bell tower, hallway trims, and the entire auditorium, will be kept. According to the owner, the clock and bells will continue to ring.
The project team is working closely with the State Historic Preservation Office to weave the historical elements seamlessly into the building’s new design.
“Use is by far the best form of preservation,” Ronchetti added. “Renovation of historic properties like this help preserve the history of the Zenith City and shine a light on the intention of its founders to make Duluth second-to-none in the state while also putting the structure to use for today’s needs.”
Construction is scheduled to be completed in December of 2023.
Click HERE for more information about Zenith DCHS Apartments.
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