Looking for a little more light in your life? The Duluth Harbor North Pier Light, the lighthouse on the pier at the end of Canal Park, is up for grabs.
The property has been listed for no cost to eligible entities, according to a news release Thursday from the General Services Administration, the department that handles real estate buying and selling for the federal government.
Eligible entities include federal agencies, state and local agencies, nonprofit corporations, educational agencies or community development organizations for park, recreational, cultural or historic preservation purposes.
The U.S. Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security listed the lighthouse after it was determined that the light was in “excess to the needs,” according to the release.
The 43-foot tower was constructed and lit in 1910. Its steel and cast iron cylindrical shape was designed based on the Peche Island Rear Range Light off Peche Island, Ontario.
The Symphony Star nears the Duluth Harbor North Pierhead Light on Thursday, May 13, 2021. (Steve Kuchera / skuchera@duluthnews.com)
The station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and must be maintained according to the standards for rehabilitation established by the Secretary of the Interior. It also sits on a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers navigational structure, which requires authorization.
Eligible entities with an interest in the property have 60 days to submit a letter of interest. Following the letter, the National Park Service will send an application and offer a chance to inspect the property. The NPS will review all applications and may recommend a steward for the property.
If it is not transferred to a public body or nonprofit organization, the light station will be sold. That’s how a 34-year-old tech executive from San Francisco purchased the Wisconsin Point lighthouse in 2019. The lighthouse was up for auction and Steven Broudy won it with the highest bid of $159,000.