maurices Headquarters officially under construction

Banner at construction site. (Image property of CDINDULUTH)

maurices new headquarters have officially departed from the era of being simply a plan, to now something that is turning into a reality. Ground was broken and buildings came tumbling down soon after as work on the new 11 story, $70 million ($50 million being contributed by maurices themselves), 200,000 square foot building that will take up an entire city block began last week. The new space will house over 600 maurices workers and include close to 20,000 square feet of commercial space on the street level along with 500 public parking spaces on levels three through six. And just incase you were wondering, yes, the first letter in their name is actually not capitalized.

Construction at the site of the future maurices Headquarters. (Image property of CDINDULUTH)

This project has been in the works for quite sometime. Plans for a development to occur at 425 West Superior Street first surfaced almost five years ago when AtWater Group proposed a 15 story commercial office building. Without an anchor for the building at the time, plans had yet to officially solidify on what the building would exactly look like, both in size and appearance. In December 2013 maurices decided to buy the land and develop the building, resulting in the large amount of money that maurices is now contributing towards the construction of the building. AtWater Group will still be responsible for leasing the commercial space at street level, but will not be leasing any other space in the building (as there is none), thus resulting in the lower floor count.

The commercial spaces on the street level will NOT include a Maurice's store as many had originally speculated. North Shore Bank will occupy some of the space, relocating from a space just down the road on Superior Street, while the remaining space is being leased with the hopes of being filled by a restaurant, coffee shop, and a collection of retail shops.

Rendering of what the new maurices Headquarters will look like. (Image property of maurices)

Designed by RSP Architects, the new design features brick and precast concrete with large windows spanning the upper floors that will provide harbor views to the offices within. The design of the building features iconic glass corners, a grand two story lobby, and also prominent lighting at night. Ted Davis, design Principal at RSP Architects says "the bold forms, the use of brick, a vertical expression to the overall building, and the attention to detail will enliven the experience for maurices' associates and the citizens of Duluth."

McGough Construction will be responsible for building the project. The construction of maurices Headquarters will create over 200 construction jobs over the course the two year construction time period. The project is expected to be completed by the Spring of 2016.

Aerial view of the new maurices Headquarters. (Image property of maurices)

A break down of the floors is listed below.

First floor: 15,000-20,000 square feet of commercial space

Second floor: Maurice's offices/functions and skyway connection

Third through Sixth floors: 500 public parking spaces that will be owned and operated by the City of Duluth

Seventh through Eleventh floors: maurices and ascena shared services (headquarters office space)