Miller AB solves two unexpected and complex remodels for Minnesota schools

The St. Cloud design-build firm finished King’s Academy in the former Crafts Direct store in
Waite Park and the ISD 709 Duluth Central Education Services Building in the old Duluth News Tribune building.

ST. CLOUD, Minn., Oct. 12, 2026 — Miller Architects and Builders finished two education remodels this year, and neither building started out anywhere near a classroom. King’s Academy now fills the former Crafts Direct store in Waite Park. In downtown Duluth, the old News Tribune building is now the ISD 709 Duluth Central Education Services Building. Both projects showcase Miller’s remodeling expertise and a solutions oriented team that can take a building made for one purpose and rebuild it for modern use and accessibility.

King’s Academy: Back to a building Miller built

Before it was King’s Academy, the 67,000-square-foot building at 620 Sundial Drive in Waite Park was Crafts Direct, a store most people in the area knew. Miller built it in 2002. That history gave the design-build team a real head start, because they weren’t guessing about the structure. With design and construction under one contract, the team went from a defined program to a working floor plan in a few weeks.

“Every education client comes to us with different challenges. Whether it’s a tight site, an odd-shaped
building, a short timeline, or a finite budget, our team has a depth of experience to suggest and execute
any number of solutions. Running design and construction under one roof lets our team solve puzzles
instead of managing handof s between firms.”
Brad Torok, AIA, director of architecture, Miller Architects and Builders

The remodel added about 15,000 square feet of second-floor space inside the original warehouse shell, so the school grew without growing its footprint. Along with the gym and cafetorium, the finished school has dedicated band and art rooms, modern AV, and a compartmentalized layout, planned with input from a security consultant, that puts the safety of students and staff first. King’s Academy was built for about 400 students, with room to grow. Miller leadership and staff joined King’s Academy families and teachers at the school’s dedication on Aug. 23.

ISD 709 Duluth Central Education Services Building: Rebuilding a century-old newspaper building

Up in Duluth, Miller took on a very different remodel. The former Duluth News Tribune building at 424 W. First St. is now the ISD 709 Duluth Central Education Services Building. The 60,000-square-foot building brings together services that used to be spread across several buildings, including adult education, alternative learning, early childhood and screening, district offices, and storage. Built in phases between 1902 and 1987, the original structure was essentially a series of different additions and renovations joined over time, each with its own floor heights and structural system.

“Given the building’s history of multiple additions and renovations, the project required careful
planning to accommodate the district’s diverse programmatic needs while respecting the constraints of
the existing structures. The plan required demolition, reconfiguration and rebuilding to maximize the
building’s ef iciency and ultimately bring the facility into compliance with current building and
accessibility standards.”
Chris Hogan, AIA, LEED AP, CID, vice president of architecture, Miller Architects and Builders

Accessibility and student safety drove much of the design. The building has a new custom elevator, an accessible main entrance, and fully renovated restrooms. For the district’s special education program, Miller added an accessible occupational therapy training kitchen, a laundry center, and a restroom with a roll-in shower. The Adult Education area is one of the few spots in the building that still looks out toward Canal Park, and the team planned that room around the view. Design Tree Engineering handled mechanical and electrical, MBJ handled structural, and Miller did the overall architectural design in addition to the interior design in-house. Duluth Public Schools held a ribbon cutting on Sept. 3.

A growing share of Miller’s work

The two projects show both ways a school can approach a building like this. King’s Academy was a design-build remodel on a tight schedule. Duluth was a full architectural remodel of a century-old building for a public district. They join a list of education projects Miller has built, remodeled, or expanded, including Quarryview Education Center (ISD 742), Immanuel Lutheran School (Hutchinson, Minn.), South Junior High (ISD 742), and Roosevelt Education Center (ISD 742).

About Miller Architects and Builders
Miller Architects and Builders is a design-build firm based in St. Cloud, Minnesota. It provides architecture and
construction services for education, multifamily housing, senior living, health care, and community projects
across the region. Learn more at millerab.com.

Media Contact
Nicolette Denne, Paperwhite Marketing | nicolette@pprwht.com | 320-266-8224
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