A house used this spring as an example of how officials in Duluth will increase their fight on blight won't be demolished for at least two months, city spokeswoman Pakou Ly said Wednesday.
The home at 820 N. Lake Ave. is still being assessed for hazardous material, Ly said, and it won't be torn down for "two to two and a half months."
The home was the backdrop for a news conference in May signaling an effort to fight blighted areas of the city. After the event at the home, the City Council approved spending up to $74,000 to take down six dilapidated homes in the city:
824 E. Seventh St. At the news conference at the Lake Avenue home, Duluth Mayor Don Ness said: "This has been an eyesore on one of our most-heavily trafficked arteries for well over 30 years."
The home looms over Mesaba Avenue.
The owner of the property, Sten Bylund, 94, died in June. The home is valued at $13,400 while the land it sits on is worth $50,000, according to the city assessor's office.
Duluth Deputy Fire Chief Bryan Bushey said in May that the typical cost of removing a home is $15,000 to $20,000. Demolition costs will be assessed to the owners against the properties.
