Since our last Legacy House update on installing the kitchen, we have hit another major milestone: the house is no longer condemned!
When we acquired the house in 2018, the City of Duluth had deemed the house unfit for inhabitants, a.k.a., condemned. The house was vacant and no longer being cared for: the roof had failed, the house had extensive water damage, and was unsafe. Another name for this is blight.
Fast forward to today, we have replaced the roof, insulation, floors, walls, doors, toilets, kitchen, and more. We have fully working plumbing (with an energy-efficient heat pump water heater), new heating and cooling (with a heat pump for heat and AC), and electricity (Energy Star LED lights). Legacy House looks like a house again! In a recent inspection by the City’s Life Safety Division, it was determined that the house met the standards, and the condemnation was removed. This means the Legacy House is again suitable for inhabitants!
The project is not complete yet, and we won’t quit until it is. Finishing touches are still in progress to ensure we fulfill all the building inspection requirements and the needs of future residents, including shelves in closets, trim boards on doors and walls, bathroom fixtures, and laundry.
We look forward to housing our new AmeriCorps members soon!