Western Specialty Contractors’ Minneapolis Branch has revitalized the historic DeWitt-Seitz Marketplace Building in Duluth, Minn., restoring its brick façade and iconic painted mural.

Located in the heart of the Canal Park neighborhood, the eight-story commercial building was constructed in 1909 for the DeWitt-Seitz Company, a furniture wholesaler and mattress manufacturer. In May 1985, the structure was redeveloped into the DeWitt-Seitz Marketplace, a mixed-use destination featuring shops and restaurants on the lower floors and office space above.

To commemorate the marketplace’s 40th anniversary in May 2025, Western Specialty Contractors was hired to perform extensive masonry repairs to the building’s exterior. The scope of work included brick replacement, repointing, soffit repainting, and application of a specialized masonry coating designed to control brick deterioration on the building’s previously painted north façade.

Re-coating the north wall required replicatioWestern Specialty Contractorsn of the building’s well-known mural, last repainted in 2006. In July 2025, Western partnered with a professional artist to recreate the mural, which features the building’s name, DeWitt-Seitz Marketplace, in yellow lettering framed by a diamond design surrounding a pair of Lady Slippers, Minnesota’s state flower. The entire north façade behind the mural was coated in forest green.

To access the work area, Western’s crews utilized the rooftop of an adjacent building, a boom lift from street level, and suspended scaffolding hung from the roof. Construction was carefully coordinated to minimize disruption in the busy tourist district, which hosted multiple events during the project.

Western completed the restoration on time and within budget in September 2025, meeting the owner’s expectations. LHB served as the project’s engineer and architect, while Oneida Commercial Real Estate manages the property on behalf of the owner.

Family-owned and operated for more than 110 years, Western Specialty Contractors is the nation’s largest specialty contractor in masonry and concrete restoration, waterproofing, and specialty roofing.