Exclusive Video: Inside the Seaway Hotel

DULUTH - Duluth's Seaway Hotel is notorious for violent crimes, drug deals, and the murder of a Duluth police officer back in 1990. At 101 years old, the hotel is rich with history but carries a dark past that Duluth knows all too well. The long-time owner handed over the keys, and now the Housing and Redevelopment Authority is working to clean up the low-income housing."The early feedback from the residents are that they really like our presence here,” said Rick Klun, the executive director of Center City Housing. Center City is managing the building until the HRA can find a property management company to take over. “They feel much safer than they did before," Klun explained.On the top floor of the Seaway Hotel, you'll find hallway carpets that haven't been cleaned or replaced in decades, smashed windows, and a bathroom that'll make you feel dirtier after you've used it. “Had the building been condemned, there would have been 70 more people in the city of Duluth who were homeless and that's just unacceptable,” Klun sighed. It wasn't until the HRA took over, that the lobby floor was mopped and a fresh coat of paint was put on the walls. With new ownership comes a full-time community officer to patrol the building, and 24-hour security watching visitors and residents come and go. “We're limiting the number of visitors that come in the door after dark,” Klun said. “Before it was anybody could come in at any time.” Before, doors used as emergency exits were unlocked. This allowed anyone to enter and exit the building at any time. It's an easy fix Duluth police wish would have happened years ago. “There's some people that lived at the Seaway Hotel who've lived there for 20 plus years that deserve to live in a safe place,” said Lt. Chad Nagorski with the Duluth Police. He’s patrolled the streets for 15 years, and for the past two and a half, the Seaway Hotel was his territory. “There was some nights that didn't have any [calls], but there were some night's where we'd be there three to four times a night,” Nagorski explained. With the safety of Seaway residents as a top concern, officials are doing what they can to fix not only the building's look, but the reputation that comes with the name. “People in the community would say, that's just the Seaway Hotel. That's just the way it is,” Nagorski sighed. The HRA says that changes with the Seaway aren't going to happen overnight, but in the last week and a half residents say the improvements that have been made are for the best. The Housing and Redevelopment Authority plans to put $1 million into renovations. Meanwhile, the process to rename the Seaway is under way.