West Duluth luxury laundro-loft hits the market again

An industrial-sized, coin-operated laundry facility hiding upper-floor luxury living quarters and a stunning basement swimming pool is looking for a new owner.

Spirit Valley Laundromat was sold for $650,000 by original owner Valaree Hammond to EasyLiving Services LLC in 2024. Now the peculiar property at 232 N. Central Ave. has returned to the market.

This spring, EasyLiving listed the three-story, 14,000-square-foot building and all its contents for $1.29 million. After less than a month, the price was reduced to just under $1 million.

But what can potential buyers do with a laundry loft designed by a small business owner and big Packer fan in 1991?

A property tour, led by real estate agent Gary Olson of EasyLiving, revealed much more than expected for a humble corner laundromat doing its business in the shadows of a Super One grocery store.

“There’s certainly nothing else like it,” Olson said. “There’s so much to this property that I have to break (the tour) down into three phases — otherwise you wouldn’t know where you are.”

Phase one of the tour takes in the living space. Just above a ground floor packed with 1980s-era washing machines is a second-floor, wood-paneled recreation room. The sprawling space features a huge, open kitchen; full-sized bar; a pool table; enough over-stuffed furniture to seat a softball team and a small, mysterious door.

“Go ahead,” said Olson. “Take a look in there.”

Behind the door is a regulation-size racquetball court.

Olson said it’s obvious Hammond liked to entertain and built a beautiful living space that was big enough to host all her friends. Racketball games, Sunday football parties and pool tournaments could all happen just steps away from the refrigerator.

Tired of being cooped up inside all winter? A two-level outdoor deck space rivals Grandma’s Saloon & Grill but without the Lake Superior views.

The third-floor penthouse features a huge master bedroom and a walk-in closet almost as long as a bowling alley.

And then there is the elevator — yes, an elevator — down to the basement and another tour stop.

A below-ground garage includes a turnaround area and long ramp perfect for speedy “Bat Cave” exits. The garage connects to an all-purple room that could be used as a guest space for Prince or Minnesota Vikings fans. Another door leads to the building showpiece: a full-sized swimming pool and adjacent party room. It’s worthy of a Holiday Inn.

“People can’t believe it’s down here,” said Olson. “People come in and say, ‘Wow, I can’t believe what I’m seeing.’ But here it is. It’s what really makes this place so unique.”

Olson said the basement pool room and upper-floor living areas could make great vacation rental space. EasyLiving considered the idea but decided against it, he said. In November, the Duluth News Tribune reported the city of Duluth enacted a one-year moratorium on vacation rental licenses. City officials are currently evaluating licensing rules, neighborhood affects and enforcement procedures.

A third phase of the building tour includes the laundromat. Olson said EasyLiving installed vending machines making the business fully automated for the first time. About a dozen washing machines and dryers were relocated to facilities on the Iron Range, opening up a potential commercial storefront along Central Avenue.

Olson said once the city lifts the moratorium, a new building owner could turn the place into a guest palace — and still make a few bucks on the laundromat and additional street-level space.

According to a Duluth News Tribune article from 1991 supplied by researcher Gina Temple-Rhodes, Hammond operated a laundromat on Grand Avenue for 13 years before her block was claimed for Kmart parking around 1990. Developers relocated her business to Central Avenue, building the new Spirit Valley Laundromat on a site that once housed Moberg Metal and Sheeting.

Hammond moved all her machines into the new, custom-designed space and operated the laundromat for another 25-plus years. With approximately 40 washing machines and 50 dryers it was the largest in Duluth. She announced her retirement and closed the business in 2017, putting the building up for sale.

CMRA real estate agent Gayle Ankario, who listed the property in 2017, said Hammond planned to move to Georgia and live with her brother on a pecan farm. “I believe that’s where she is now,” said Ankario. “She told me it was her dream to move down there.”

Ankario said a building sale didn’t happen in 2017 and Hammond leased the property to a new operator, who reopened the business. Spirit Valley Laundromat has been opened and closed periodically since then; EasyLiving reopened the business March 2 after a brief shutdown at the end of February.

Ownership uncertainty has sparked concern among patrons.

“Duluth needs this,” an anonymous poster on the Concerns about West Duluth Facebook page wrote in March. “Not everyone drives and it’s convenient for them. Nobody wants to bring their laundry on a bus to Gary, Proctor or out to Lincoln Park to do laundry and have it be their whole day.”

A Hermantown customer said last week he hadn’t used the laundromat recently because of its periodic closures. He said the space was typically clean and well run but was disappointed a vending machine replaced the on-site attendant.

The Spirit Valley Laundromat features easily identifiable washing machines and dryers with names like “Bigfoot” and “Shamu.” The custom-built work floor includes special passageways for easy machine maintenance, however several machines were unavailable last week.