With demolition, Kozy legal battle likely draws to close in Duluth

DULUTH — As the demolition of the Pastoret Terrace building continued Wednesday, the attorney for a group of unsuccessful preservationists acknowledged that any ongoing legal efforts to save the building are likely a bust.

Miles Ringsred, legal counsel for a group of concerned citizens called Respect Starts Here — including his father, Eric Ringsred, who formerly owned the building — had fought to block its demolition since a 2010 fire first led to the historic structure being condemned for habitation.
Pastoret Terrace
Oliver Traphagen designed the six townhouses that made up Pastoret Terrace in the Romanesque Revival style of architecture, which would essentially become his “trademark look” for buildings in Duluth. Contributed / Duluth Public Library

But workers began to tear down the building, formerly home to the Kozy Bar and Apartments, on Tuesday.

The purpose of preservationists’ previous legal maneuvers was to protect the building, designed by renowned local architect Oliver Traphagen and constructed in 1887. Now that it was about to be reduced to no more than a pile of bricks, Ringsred said there was likely little recourse to pursue.

However, Ringsred said he intends to comb through public records to ensure the city went through the correct process to proceed with demolition and to flag any cut corners in staff’s efforts to take down the building swiftly.

Based on past experience, Ringsred said he was far from surprised by the city’s decision to begin demolition “as quickly and as covertly as possible.”

The public was advised of traffic detours in the area Monday night, but no announcement of the pending demolition was posted until after a wrecking crew had begun to take down the building.
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