Our view - Now it’s a problem: Fire puts vacant duplex on city’s radar

Duluth and St. Louis County are dotted by more than their share of abandoned and decrepit buildings. Too many properties follow a predictable cycle: The building falls into disrepair. The city cites the owner for violations. The owner falls behind on taxes and abandons the property. It gets condemned, but the cash-strapped city can’t afford to tear it down. And it sits.