From Classroom to Keys: Level 4 Change of Occupancy & Historic Credits at Duluth’s Zenith DCHS
When: October 3, 2025, 3:00 – 4:30 pm
Where: 215 N 1st Ave East (North side of the building) Meet in the main lobby for the start of the tour.
CE: 1.5 AIA HSW Learning Units
This field course examines the adaptive reuse of Duluth’s Historic Old Central High School (1892) into Zenith DCHS, a 160,000-SF, 122-unit apartment community. Attendees will learn how the team selected and executed a Level 4 change of occupancy path under the 2020 Minnesota Conservation Code for Existing Buildings (MNEBC), coordinating structural, egress, fire/life safety, and accessibility upgrades while preserving character-defining features. The course demystifies the federal 20% Rehabilitation Tax Credit and the Minnesota 20% state HTC (reinstated and extended to 2030), sequencing approvals with local landmark/HPC reviews and building permits. We’ll connect code choices to real construction details (corridors, stair towers, smoke/compartmentation strategies, acoustics, unit planning within historic grids) and quantify how HTC compliance influenced scope decisions, budget, and schedule. The tour closes with lessons learned and a Q&A on entitlement risk, documentation, and common HTC pitfalls.
Reception to follow hosted by AWH Architects in conjunction with Doors Open Duluth. Refreshments will be served. Please stay for an exciting networking event.
