Overview
Duluth is using a common planning tool—the Planned Unit Development (PUD)—to adjust older approvals and sites so they better match today’s housing demand.1 In practice, that means (1) moving a Davenport Road property forward as a single-family detached subdivision, and (2) allowing an apartment community to change its unit mix toward more one-bedroom units.2
These aren’t flashy moves, but they can meaningfully shape what gets built, who it serves, and what neighbors experience day-to-day. If zoning feels like reading the fine print, this is a good reminder of why it still shows up in real life: it quietly decides what replaces the underused sites you drive past every week.
What Happened
1) 3282 Davenport Road — single-family detached subdivision
The City advanced a plan for parcels at 3282 Davenport Road to proceed as a single-family detached subdivision under a PUD framework.1
Later, the City considered and approved Case MZ2025-001, which modified a condition connected to that earlier PUD approval for the same Davenport Road parcels.2
What a PUD is (in plain language): A PUD is a zoning approach that allows a project to follow a custom rulebook—often in exchange for specific conditions (like buffers, sidewalks, design rules, or access requirements).1
2) Foundry Apartments — unit mix conversion
The City reviewed a request by FP Peachtree Industrial, LLC to modify a PUD for the Foundry Apartments.3
The request shifted the apartment mix from 64 three-bedroom units to 128 one-bedroom units (a change in unit types, not necessarily a change in overall building footprint).2
The Mayor and Council approved the request with conditions; the recorded vote included one dissent.2
Why It Matters
These cases are a window into how Duluth is managing older sites and approvals: not by starting from scratch, but by reworking what’s already entitled—often through PUD modifications and conditions that function like a project-specific rulebook.1
For Residents
Neighborhood impacts can change at the margins. When a PUD condition is modified, it can affect practical issues like connectivity, screening, or how a site interfaces with nearby streets and homes.2
Unit mix shapes daily rhythms. A shift toward more one-bedroom units may influence parking patterns, turnover, and the character of the renter population. It doesn’t determine outcomes on its own—but it’s a real input into how a property functions.2
For Real Estate Agents
PUD conditions are a due-diligence signal. Two properties can look similar on a map and still operate under very different conditions. If a listing is near a PUD site, it’s worth pulling the ordinance/conditions to understand what was required—and what was later changed.1,2
Unit-mix changes can affect nearby comps and narratives. Not because prices “will” move, but because the housing product nearby may shift in a way buyers and renters notice.2
For Investors
Entitlement risk can narrow—or shift. Modifying conditions can remove bottlenecks, but it can also add requirements (sidewalks, buffers, parking, screening) that affect timelines and cost.2
Operations matter as much as approvals. A unit-mix conversion often comes with parking and site-improvement implications that show up later in permitting and construction sequencing.2
Conclusion
Duluth isn’t reinventing the wheel here—it’s tightening the screws on projects that are already in motion. The headline for readers is straightforward: PUD conditions are where the real decisions live, and small tweaks can change what gets built and how it functions day-to-day. If you’re nearby or underwriting anything close to these sites, the next high-signal move is to read the final conditions and watch the site plan/permit trail—that’s where the paper turns into pavement.1,2