NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 24, 2020
CONTACT: Dana Kazel, Communications Manager
218-725-5049 (office) • 218-591-2219 (cell)
Sale details announced for materials from deconstructed houses
The deconstructed building materials from several tax forfeited houses will be available for purchase from Better Futures Minnesota during a two day sale: October 2-3, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Better Futures will be holding the sale at 2024 Carnegie Street in Oliver, Wisconsin. Anyone interested in viewing or purchasing reclaimed materials may also contact Better Futures Minnesota at info@betterfutures.net or (651) 246-8856.
Materials being offered for sale include lumber, doors, glass block, bricks, hardwood flooring and various fixtures. These items are all being diverted from the landfill through the deconstruction process.
St. Louis County is collaborating with Better Futures Minnesota to deconstruct three blighted, tax-forfeited properties in the Duluth area through a grant from the state Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. When the houses were tax forfeited, they became the responsibility of St. Louis County. Interior and exterior inspections determined the houses had reached the end of their useful life, and were not candidates for sale at tax forfeited properties auction. Despite their poor condition, however, the structures still contain many materials that can be repurposed. Working with Better Futures diverts up to 85% of the materials from landfills, and once the process is complete, St. Louis County receives a clean site, with the potential to convey in the future, and return to the tax base.
Beyond their materials recovery efforts, the Better Futures Minnesota organization employs men who were previously incarcerated. The specialized training the men acquire provides job skills that can be applied in multiple contractor and laborer trades internal and external to the organization. At the same time, the organization helps the environment by finding reuse options for building materials within communities.
NRRI is helping with this deconstruction project by providing storage space for the recovered materials in preparation for resale. NRRI staff is also assisting Better Futures to get the most value from the resources they pull from the houses, by helping identify wood species and quality, along with other materials containing reuse value.
This is the second time St. Louis County has collaborated with Better Futures to deconstruct improvements on tax forfeited properties. In 2018, St. Louis County teamed with Better Futures in their efforts to deconstruct four structures, including the full deconstruction of two homes, and the partial deconstruction of an apartment building and a church. At the conclusion of the 2018 projects, St. Louis County offered all lots for sale, providing the public with an opportunity to return them to private ownership.
 Through the deconstruction process, these materials recovered from a tax forfeited house in Duluth will be available for purchase Oct. 2-3.
 St. Louis County is contracting with Better Futures Minnesota to deconstruct three tax forfeited houses, diverting up to 85% of the structures' materials from ending up in a landfill.
 Employees of Better Futures Minnesota deconstruct this tax forfeited house in Duluth, recovering raw materials to sell for reuse, and diverting them from the landfill. save
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