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Duluth council approves rezoning for North Berkeley Lake Road warehouse redevelopment
Summary
The Duluth Mayor and Council unanimously approved ordinance O2026-19 (case Z2026-001) to demolish a partially constructed seven‑story shell and allow construction of roughly 198,000 square feet of flex office/warehouse on a ~16‑acre site in the North Berkeley International Village, with staff conditions including no overnight truck stays.
The Duluth Mayor and Council on May 11 unanimously approved ordinance O2026-19 (case Z2026-001) to reconfigure a planned unit development at 2641 North Berkeley Lake Road and permit construction of about 198,000 square feet of flex office and warehouse space on roughly 16 acres.
Margie Pozin, Director of Community Development and Engineering, told the council the site contains a partially constructed seven‑story office shell that was declared unsafe in 2020 and placed on the city’s blighted property list in 2021. Pozin said the owner seeks a change to the PUD master plan to allow demolition of the existing structure and construction of the new building; the Future Land Use Map designates the area for industrial uses.
The staff presentation outlined a troubled site history, including nine code cases and about 130 police calls in recent years involving trespass, burglary and other issues. Planning staff and the Planning Commission recommended approval with conditions designed to address security, utilities, signage and landscaping, and to prohibit overnight stays in trucks on site.
Melanie Glauton, representing the owner (Anderson, Tate & Carr), said the applicant agrees with staff conditions and that the FLUM envisions industrial uses for the area. Developer Hunter Himes of Oakmont Industrial Group answered council questions about access and parking; staff noted a proposed 1.25‑acre phase 2 area reserved for future truck parking and described separate entrances for truck traffic.
Councilmembers asked about enforcement of parking and landscaping conditions; Pozin said enforcement would fall to code compliance and depend on the type of tenant operations. With no public opposition, Councilmember Park moved to approve the ordinance; Councilmember Cummings seconded, and Councilmembers Park, Thomas, Doss, Graeder and Cummings voted in favor.
The ordinance approval re‑establishes an active redevelopment path for a long‑troubled property in the North Berkeley International Village and advances required conditions and design controls prior to development.
