Land and properties valued at $1.5 million up for sale on June 11

WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 2, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Unprecedented land development opportunities are being offered by St. Louis County with the upcoming public sale of three large sites in Duluth’s Morgan Park and Gary-New Duluth neighborhoods, a 3.1 acre parcel on Park Point, plus more than 30 other properties throughout the County. The properties will be available for purchase via public auction on Thursday, June 11, beginning at 10 a.m. at the St. Louis County Heritage and Arts Center (The Depot), 506 West Michigan Street, Duluth.

The properties – 36 in all – are tax forfeited – some dating back to the 1930s. It’s the responsibility of the St. Louis County Land and Minerals Department to maintain and manage these lots. Recognizing the potential for sale and re-use, the St. Louis County Board has authorized the properties to be sold and returned to private ownership.

St. Louis County typically offers three auctions each year of tax forfeited properties. This month’s sale is particularly significant because it’s the largest ever offered by the County, in terms of appraised value of the properties. The total appraised value of all 36 properties is $1,570,750.

The list includes the 3.1 acre Park Point property, appraised at $749,500. The lot includes 200 feet of shoreline on the Bay side and could be subdivided for single family homes, duplexes or townhomes.

Also up for sale are several large properties in Morgan Park and Gary-New Duluth, including two sites on 88th Avenue West, one of which is 37 acres at the entrance to Morgan Park; and a site along Commonwealth Avenue. These pilot parcels are the result of a joint effort between the County and City of Duluth to identify and group land for redevelopment.

“Our goal with these public sales is to return these properties to the tax rolls and expand the
An Equal Opportunity Employer property tax base, which benefits all of our citizens,” said St. Louis County Commissioner Chris Dahlberg, whose district includes the pilot parcel sites. “Additionally, we hope to see these properties developed into homes to help ease the shortage of market rate housing in Duluth. And as someone who lives here, I can tell you it’s a beautiful area.”

Fact sheets with information on zoning, access to utilities and other details on these properties and the Park Point lot, as well as the complete auction catalog, can be found online at stlouiscountymn.gov/sites.

Other properties being offered at the auction are in Ely, Hibbing, Proctor, and various townships throughout St. Louis County. Most are residential properties, but there are also commercial and recreational properties available. Any properties that are not sold at the auction will then be available for sale for the appraised price on a first come first served basis.

The St. Louis County Land and Minerals Department is responsible for approximately 900,000 acres of state tax forfeited land. To learn more about the County’s management of this land, visit stlouiscountymn.gov/land.

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CONTACT:
Mark Reed, Deputy Director of Land & Minerals
or
Karen Zeisler, Tax Forfeited Land Coordinator
(218) 726-2606

Phone: (218) 726-2606 • Fax: (218) 726-2600
www.stlouiscountymn.gov