Last week, the Duluth Mayor and Council considered and approved a settlement agreement with Friendship Baptist Church for the demolition of 3330 Church Street. During the Council meeting, City Attorney Stephen Pereira explained that the City of Duluth filed a Nuisance Abatement Action in Municipal Court alleging that the abandoned single family home located at 3330 Church Street was an “unsafe structure” and failed to comply with numerous applicable City code requirements.
According to the approved agreement, the structure was unsafe, unsanitary, failed to comply with Life Safety Code requirements, was unable to comply with structural code requirements, was no longer able to comply with electrical, plumbing and heating codes and also failed to comply with regulations regarding the exterior condition of the building. Therefore, a determination was made by the City that deemed the property unfit for human habitation and constituted an endangerment to the public health or safety due to the unsafe conditions.
On October 4, 2021, the Duluth Municipal Court found that the single-family structure on the subject property constituted a nuisance and ordered that the structure located on the subject property should be demolished and all debris removed within 30 days and that if the structure was not demolished by the owner within 30 days that the City shall cause the structure to be demolished. Therefore, Friendship Baptist Church proposes demolishing the structure and clearing the site by December 31, 2021. Additionally, the Church will be required to pay the City of Duluth $1,237.50 in fees and costs associated with the demolition of the building. Additionally, the City has incurred asbestos abatement costs for $2,500, which will be reimbursed by the Church.
If the structure is not demolished by January 1, 2022, the City is authorized to complete the demolition work, and all costs associated with the work will need to be paid by Friendship Baptist Church within 30 days.
