From historic brick-and-timber lofts to thoughtfully designed condos, entrepreneurs Tiegen and Keenan Brickson are creating elevated, carefully crafted, and curated accommodation experiences in Duluth.
The final installment of a three-part Duluth’s Destiny entrepreneur series on Tiegen and Keenan Brickson, owners & operators of The Brix, Elevated Stays in Canal Park. Duluth’s Destiny is a Destination Duluth storytelling series featuring the entrepreneurs, visionaries, and community leaders shaping Duluth’s future.
Read part one at BUILDINGS ARE MORE THAN BRIX and part two THE BRICKS BEHIND THE BRIX.
The Brix operates 10 vacation rentals in two historic Marshall-Wells buildings: Waterfront Plaza at 325 S. Lake Ave. and Aerial Lofts at 345 Canal Park Drive.
The walls have stood for more than 130 years. What happens inside them has changed dramatically. Once home to one of the world’s largest hardware wholesalers, two historic Marshall-Wells buildings in Canal Park have found new purpose.
Tiegen and Keenan Brickson are bringing new life to these century-old spaces through The Brix, a collection of 10 distinctive vacation rentals where Duluth’s industrial past meets modern hospitality.
Their vision goes beyond creating exceptional places to stay. It’s about preserving history, creating lasting experiences, and giving visitors more reasons to fall in love with Duluth.
Why “The Brix”
It honors both the buildings’ century-old Chicago common brick and the family that took a chance on them.
The Bricksons.
Brick, Timber and a Sense of Place
Duluth was built with brick, iron, timber and stone. Hard materials for hard work.
The Brix preserves that industrial grit, keeping original brick and Douglas fir beams front and center while adding warm lighting, soft fabrics and comfortable gathering spaces.
Local history shows up on the walls, not behind glass.
Brick Buildings Built to Work
Before there were condos, there was hardware. A lot of it.
In 1893, Albert M. Marshall bought controlling interest in Chapin-Wells Hardware, a Duluth wholesale business founded in 1886. He renamed it Marshall-Wells, keeping the Wells name while adding his own.
Marshall-Wells grew to 14 wholesale offices across the northwestern United States and Canada, with products reaching Australia and Indonesia.
Its warehouses and executive offices remained on Duluth’s waterfront.
By 1915, its catalog was larger than Sears’, offering everything from household goods to mining and railroad supplies.
Look closely at the aerial photo and you’ll spot the “Zenith Hardware” sign, the company’s brand named for the Zenith City itself.
Inside those walls, orders for tools, axes, saws and planes moved by hand, desk by desk.
The buildings were constructed with massive Douglas fir timbers shipped from Washington state, some measuring two feet square and 20 feet tall. The walls were built with inexpensive Chicago common brick, originally chosen for practicality. More than a century later, those exposed bricks and towering timbers are among the buildings’ most distinctive features.
Marshall-Wells’ run in Duluth ended in 1958. But the rock-solid brick and Douglas Fir buildings stood strong.
Today, Waterfront Plaza, once part of the Marshall-Wells complex, is home to most of The Brix collection.
A few blocks away, the top floor of another Marshall-Wells building houses the newest additions, Aerial East and West.
Building Experiences
The Brix aims to make every stay as memorable as Duluth itself while honoring its historic buildings and strengthening Canal Park.
A great stay means one more night, one more dinner out, a return trip and a recommendation to friends.
Multiply that across enough visitors and the flywheel turns.
Guests spend more. Businesses reinvest. Duluth’s reputation grows.
Vacation Rentals vs Housing Shortage
In 2025, the City of Duluth made intentional efforts to curtail growth of vacation rentals across the city, taking a one-year pause on new licenses, while taking a closer look at the growth of vacation rentals as it pertains to the housing shortage in Duluth.
Overall, Tiegen and Keenan agree with what the city is trying to do. Vacation rentals can cause real problems for housing, and unlicensed rentals should be enforced against.
But they argue a blanket ban across the city isn’t the answer.
“Banning new vacation rentals in our tourism districts doesn’t solve any housing problems, and dampens the mission and impact we’re trying to have in Canal Park,” Tiegen said.
A tourism city, they believe, should recognize the important role vacation rentals play in a healthy hospitality ecosystem.
Vacation rentals like The Brix serve multigenerational families, wedding parties, girls’ trips and groups of friends who want a kitchen, a living room and space to be together.
The Collection of VRBO’s that make The Brix
L’Etoile du Nord
The flagship and firstborn of The Brix.The Brix is L’Etoile du Nord, French for “Star of the North.” It is Minnesota’s official state motto chosen by the state’s first governor, Henry Hastings Sibley, and adopted in 1861. It’s legacy lives in Minnesota being commonly known as “The North Star State.”
Despite financing obstacles, they handled much of the demolition and reconstruction themselves, putting extraordinary thought into every detail.
It opened in November 2022.
Their journey is told in Part One, BUILDINGS ARE MORE THAN BRIX
The three-bedroom corner condo on the third floor of Waterfront Plaza looks out over Canal Park and downtown. Old black-and-white photos of the neighborhood cover entire bedroom walls. The Lift Bridge stretches across a living room mural. There’s a cozy fireplace, and a 10-seat kitchen island big enough for the whole crew.
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“Duluth was not even on our radar as a vacation spot… It was so much better than we expected! The Brix was the perfect spot to call our home base.” –Carl, Review of L’Etoile du Nord
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NEW! Aerial East & West
The newest chapter is the top floor of 345 Canal Park Drive, right above the Grandma’s Marathon finish line and the I ❤️ DULUTH storefront.
Nearly three years of renovation transformed long-vacant office space into two spectacular lofts. They opened in July 2026.
Guests walk in through their own secured entrance off Canal Park Drive and climb to the third floor. At the top, the 1890s building opens up: soaring ceilings, raw Douglas fir beams and brick that spent years hidden behind office walls.
Aerial East has three king bedrooms and a palette of deep greens pulled from the North Woods. A custom neon sign in the living area reads “Superior State of Mind.” Out the window, Canal Park Drive hums below, with the lighthouse and Lake Superior beyond.
Aerial West goes blue, the color of the big lake. It faces Lake Avenue, the working harbor and the Marshall-Wells water towers. Fish-patterned wallpaper provides the backdrop for a cozy reading nook with a neon sign proclaiming, “Stay Fresh, Not Salty.”
Both lofts have a full kitchen, a coffee bar, a washer and dryer, a Juliet balcony and, yes, heated-seat smart bidets. Book them together as the Aerial Lofts and a group gets the entire five-bedroom floor.
Local artist Greg Noornink’s graffiti-style paintings of the Lift Bridge, water towers and lighthouse hang on the brick. So does the hand-painted “Jeno’s Wilderness Village” sign readers met in Part One.
The listing even includes a fair warning for anyone with a sweet tooth: Cold Stone is right next door.
For the building, it’s a second life. A floor that sat empty is now full of guests, and every one of them walks downstairs into Canal Park’s shops and restaurants. That’s the flywheel at work.
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“We came to Duluth for our son’s wedding and, having never visited before, didn’t know what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised by this beautiful resort town on Lake Superior.” – Ron, Review of Aerial Lof
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Aurora Black
Neighbors noticed.
Other Waterfront Plaza owners saw what the Bricksons had created and invited The Brix to manage their properties.
Today, The Brix manages a third of the building’s units, each with its own character but consistent guest standards.
Guests also enjoy the building’s pool, hot tub, sauna and gym.
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“We had a wonderful stay at The Brix! The condo was beautiful, spacious, and worked perfectly for our family of five… having access to the pool was an added bonus… This will definitely be our go-to place whenever we’re back in Duluth.” –Seth, Review of Aurora Black
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Marine Iron
Skøl Hüs
Captain’s Quarters
Bridgeman Loft
Dockside Suites 1 and 2
The Aerial Lofts
A Guidebook That Travels With You
The Brix experience begins before guests arrive.
Each guest receives a personalized digital guidebook that evolves throughout their stay.
And it’s pure Duluth.
Guests can check upcoming ship arrivals under the Aerial Lift Bridge, see the National Weather Service forecast, discover local attractions and access their Brix Passport perks.
There’s even a digital guestbook and a Canal Park scavenger hunt.
A Passport to Canal Park
The Brix wants guests out in Canal Park, not just sleeping in it.
Its digital Passport offers exclusive perks at more than 20 local businesses, including Vikre Distillery, Northern Waters Smokehaus, Lake Superior Art Glass, Vista Fleet, Duluth Pack, Canal Park Brewing, Grandma’s Saloon & Grill and Voyageur Donuts.
Every perk keeps guest dollars close to home, in the businesses that make Canal Park what it is.
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“Beautiful decor, all needs were met. The passport that gave discounts to local stores was awesome. We’d go back!” –Kelly, Review of Dockside Suite 1
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Selling Duluth, Not Just The Brix
On social media, The Brix sells Duluth first.
Its posts promote the city as a destination spotlight neighboring businesses and collaborate with them sharing the places that make a Canal Park trip worth the drive.
More than 5,000 followers across The Brix platforms are along for the ride.
Historic Walls. Modern Stays. Lasting Experiences.
More than 130 years ago, Marshall-Wells built these walls to move hardware.
Today, The Brix uses them to welcome people to Duluth.
“We never wanted these buildings to feel like museums,” Tiegen said. “We wanted them to feel alive, places where Duluth’s history is still visible, but where people are creating new memories every day.”
One stay at a time, The Brix is creating lasting experiences that bring visitors back to Duluth.
Some for Life!
