Evictions proceed in Cloquet

With a June 1 eviction deadline, most of the tenants on upper floors of Victory Apartments have left, according to the city of Cloquet. The eviction notice came in 2020 as the back stairs to the apartments were deemed unsafe for use. The stairs serve as the only direct exit for the upper floors of the building at 17 Eighth Street, across from the Pedro’s restaurant building. Nine of the building’s 12 units are on the second and third floors.

After some wrangling with the property owner, and time for him to arrange a fix for the problem, the city this spring said it would uphold evictions if a work order hadn’t been processed by June 1.

Holly Hansen, community development director for the city, said the total eviction of the upper floors is in a “holding pattern” when it comes to the final two tenants that remain. One is the property manager and another was waiting for some finances to go through in order to seek another housing option, Hansen said.

She said there remains very little housing in the area, and many of the former tenants have moved out of the area, “which is unfortunate.”

Roger Bruhn, the owner of the apartment building, has said he has sought a variety of options in order to finance what he expects is an $80,000 fix on a building valued at $300,000. “I have no answer,” he told the Pine Knot News in mid-May.