NorShor Theatre is the adaptive reuse and historic rehabilitation of the NorShor Theatre (1910) and adjacent Annex Building (1926), located in downtown Duluth, Minnesota.
The NorShor development is a unique public, private, and nonprofit partnership between Sherman Associates, Duluth Playhouse, and the City of Duluth.
NorShor Theatre is a nearly 60,000 SF, state-of-the-art, community-based contemporary regional arts center with full performing arts education and production facilities. It houses a 605-seat main stage theatre, wine bar, and music and theatre classrooms.
NorShor Theatre is fully handicap accessible with a skywalk connection to nearby parking. It brings revitalized use to this important part of the city, including new employment opportunities and visitors, filling vacant retail spaces, enhancing public safety, and catalyzing other community and economic development opportunities.
Sherman developed the property and served as managing member and building owner during the seven-year New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) compliance period, with the goal of transitioning it to the ownership of Duluth Playhouse at the end of the compliance period. This goal, coupled with the NMTC structure and goal to minimize long-term debt resulted in a complicated financing structure. In 2023, ownership of the property was transferred from Sherman Associates to the Duluth Playhouse for the put price of $500.
NorShor Theatre has delivered revitalized use to this important part of the city, including new employment opportunities and visitors, filling vacant retail spaces, enhancing public safety, and catalyzing other community and economic development opportunities.
