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Student housing on city councilors’ minds
City council president proposes rental property ideas such as a Duluth ‘Dinkytown’
BY MIKE McGRATH
STATESMAN STAFF WRITER
iISSUE: 78/25
Too many parties and inadequate parking was a hot topic at Monday’s Duluth City Council meeting during a discussion on rental properties in the campus area. “Take Kenwood for example,” said Councilor Greg Gilbert. “I have been walking that district for 10 years now. I would see hop-scotch on the side walks and big wheels in the street. I walked that last fall, I saw recycling bins with beer cans, hundreds of beer cans.” However, with the current 300 foot rule, some homeowners expressed their trouble selling their property and being unable to rent due to the ordinance. These troubles have lead to vacant houses with which the owners are stuck paying the mortgage and utility bills for.
To address some of these issues, Council President Roger Reinert has been working to develop a way to protect current rental properties, started a new zoning code, eliminate the 300 foot rule and developing a young professional housing district. Council members voted to put this plan on hold until more research and discussion can be done. Reinert explained that the young professional housing district would cater to the needs of students with rental properties and recreational activities in one concentrated area.
Duluth Association of Responsible Renters (DARR) President Gary Kalligher believes that the student housing issue can be solved, but proposes a slightly different solution. He believes that the development of high-density apartment complexes that have the necessities students need is the answer. “Grocery stores, fast food, pharmacies and bus lines … those type of conveniences can supply the students with a Dinkytown sort of mentality,” said Kalligher. Kalligher also explained that these areas would draw students out of a neighborhood housing format, relieving pressure in neighborhoods and causing landlords to lower rent because students will be attracted to the high-density areas and away from single family homes.
In recent years, the developments of high density areas have drawn students’ attention to Boulder Ridge and Campus Park. These areas offer one to four bedroom complexes and are filled by college students. “Campus Park and Boulder Ridge are nice complexes, but have no retail centers to support them, therefore these high-density developments are not at an optimal level,” said Kalligher.
UMD senior Nick Brownell would like to see a student housing area in Duluth. He has rented houses and apartments throughout his five years at UMD and said that he would have enjoyed living in an area that resembles Dinkytown at the U of M campus. “I have friends who live in Dinkytown, and there are a lot of other students who live in that area because of the exciting nightlife and businesses that young people enjoy,” said Brownell. “If Duluth can model their plan [the young professional district] after that, I think a lot of students will want to live there.”
These high-density areas are also known as young professional housing districts, and Reinert has been working with other councilors to develop these areas since 2004. Reinert explained that the young professional housing district will cater to the needs of students, with rental properties and recreational activities in one concentrated area. The first step of the plan is to approve an 18-month period which will restrict issuing rental licenses around the campus area, allowing time to develop a new zoning code, which would encourage a high-density development, according to Reinert. “We thought, ‘Where would be a good location for a student young professional housing district, a Dinkytown sort of thing in Duluth?’ and Downtown, the 4th street corridor and the Mt. Royal area are all prime locations as far as I am concerned,” said Reinert. “In 2004, both administration and student representatives all agreed on those three locations.”
Other possible areas include Lincoln Park, Kenwood and London Road (13th Avenue East to 21st Avenue East), according to a proposal written in 2004. All of these areas have existing rental properties, recreational opportunities, easy transportation, businesses and offer the opportunity to increase the number of rental properties.
