Peter Pascente stands outside the former Young at Heart record store building at 22 W. First St. Pascente is rehabilitating the 1893 structure. (Photos by Mark Nicklawske).

The Young at Heart record store was a Downtown Duluth musical mainstay for some 40 years when it closed in 1999. After its colorful store fixtures were claimed by the Minnesota Historical Society and massive inventory moved to Superior, the building sat unused for two decades and fell into disrepair.

Now the property at 22 W. First St. has a new life and big plans that include more music in the historic space.

Duluth resident Peter Pascente purchased the Young at Heart building in 2022 for $54,000 according to St. Louis County records. An extensive renovation is underway with plans to open a new coffee shop, performance venue and education room in the three-story, 19th century structure.

Pascente, a technology specialist at Allete/Minnesota Power, said he discovered the property during visits to a downtown dance studio. The abandoned building was marred with broken windows, a boarded front door and leaning brick facade.

“At the time I was thinking that I really wanted to start a coffee shop and creative space,” he said. “And there was a big old pink ‘for sale’ sign that I think was there for something like 20 years.”

Pascente toured the blighted building and saw old-world charm in its exposed brick walls, warped hardwood floors and tin ceiling tiles piled up in the corner. The basement and upper floors were deteriorating but still accessible. He quickly fell in love.

Pascente led a tour inside the former Young at Heart record store recently. New floor joists will be part of the building renovation.

“I’ll admit I feel a little crazy sometimes. But when I walked through here I was like: ‘Oh yeah, this is it. This is the spot.’ Even with the sagging floors and the temporary bracing, what I see here is basically a blank slate,” he said. “Ultimately it’s like a really cool piece of history that can house an awesome café and creative space.”

Pascente secured a loan from the Duluth 1200 Fund to help finance the restoration. He also worked with Duluth-based Brick and Mortar Design to secure the dangerous front façade, which developed more structural issues following a nearby road repair project.

Storefront bricks were taken down one by one, cleaned and returned with concrete block supports to maintain both historical and structural integrity.

“I think that was a pretty amazing undertaking,” said Tiersa Wodash, Brick and Mortar founder and lead architect. “He’s trying to keep the aesthetic of that older feel alive, which I think is really great.”

“It’s definitely in rough shape. It’s a beautiful old building but it definitely needs a lot of work,” she said.

Floor joist reconstruction will be the next big step to secure the building. Pascente said he also needs to replace windows. A previous owner installed a new roof about 10 years ago.

Wodash said restoring older buildings and communicating with neighbors are key to business-district improvement. The formula worked in the Lincoln Park neighborhood and could be applied to downtown and across the city.

“We’ve got amazing building stock exactly where we are. Let’s preserve it. Let’s highlight it. Let’s open it back up and bring foot traffic back,” she said. “Lincoln Park was successful because everybody worked together. Every business district needs to find that energy.”

Once building basics are in place, design work will begin on the new coffee shop and performance venue. The first floor will host the coffee bar and stage. A ceiling will be left partially open to create a second-floor balcony. The third floor will host an educational space and gallery for artists of all kinds.

“I’ve got a gazillion different hobbies — you know, it’s all selfish — I want to take part in all these things. Teach the things I love and learn all the things I don’t know and do all these creative things with all the creative people,” Pascente said. “I really want to help foster this idea that everyone is creative, you just gotta start somewhere and practice little by little.”

Wodash said the west side of downtown could use a new coffee shop. Starbucks is currently the only downtown coffee shop west of Lake Avenue.

Pascente, 34, will be doing much of the restoration work himself along with a crew of friends. He plans to complete the project in three years.

“I’m a little impatient and I wish I could just kind of get it all done right away,” he said. “There is that option but it’s just not the financially feasible option because at the end of the day a café can only make so much money.”

Pascente is leasing the former Lake Superior Bakehouse at 102 W. Superior St. He plans to test his coffee shop concept in the new space with an opening planned in September.

In the meantime, the former Jitters / Lake Superior Bakehouse / Dream Cloud Coffee space at 102 W. Superior has been leased to test the coffee shop and arts concept. Pascente will call the new business Studio Café with a planned opening in September.

According to a 1994 National Register of Historic Places survey, 22 W. First St. was constructed as a two-story building in 1893 for plumber E.S. Farrell. The structure is known historically as the Farrell Plumbing building. A third story was added in 1910 and a rear addition in 1941.

After founding a record store in 1956 and spending time at other downtown Duluth locations, Richard Wozniak moved Young at Heart to First Street in 1972. The store closed in 1999.

Young at Heart record shop owner Richard Wozniak used a custom-made bag for purchases.

According to the Duluth News Tribune, the Minnesota Historical Society purchased the store’s pink and red boxes, cash register and other fixtures for an exhibit called “Sounds Good to Me.” Tom Unterberger and Tom Johnson, owners of the Vinyl Cave in Superior, purchased the Young at Heart stock in 2000. The business partners moved the tens of thousands of records to their store on Belknap Street. Wozniak died in 2012.