Early Wednesday morning, the City of Duluth’s Life Safety Team and members of the Duluth Police Department cleared out the remaining encampments at Priley Circle. This action comes as the culmination of health and safety concerns escalating over the past weeks. According to a City of Duluth statement, two individuals were arrested during the procedure on charges of obstructing the clearing process.
The clearing of the encampments was the result of a seven-day notice to the occupants to vacate the area due to the 138 calls for service at Priley Circle throughout July, which included reports of an explosion, an overdose, and behavioral health issues, and as the City informed, "To wait longer could cause serious health and safety risks for occupants, adjacent employees, and the general public." While the notification period was in effect, city staff and various outreach programs aimed to ensure a smooth transition for the displaced, offering assistance and encouraging voluntary compliance to the notice, but it seems this approach had limited success, hence the forced removal the city had to undertake eventually.
Despite the arrests, the closure of Priley Circle carries on for an undesignated duration, with city staff conducting maintenance and restoration work. A specific reopening date has not been disclosed. The City acknowledges the contributions of its partners, emphasizing the collective effort that underpinned the removal, in the official statement.
