Athletic Venues Reinvestment Initiative
Project Status: Planning
Project Overview:
The Minnesota State Legislature approved a request from the City of Duluth to renew a one-half-of-one-percent increment in tourism taxes (half-and-half tourism tax) to fund improvements to parks-based athletic venues that drive regional sports tourism. The renewed half-and-half tourism tax, titled the Athletic Venue Reinvestment Initiative (AVRI), will provide up to $36 million of investment and will be implemented in phases over a decade. Per state law, the half-and-half tourism tax dollars may only be spent on athletic facilities that currently host, or could in the future host, events and competitions that attract numerous participants from outside the Duluth region.
The City is consulting with RDG Planning and Design, Inc (RDG) to assist with community engagement, public-private financing opportunities, investment recommendations, site planning, market-based cost estimating, and implementation and operations strategies.
Indoor Athletic Venues: 22 community members have been appointed to the Mayoral Indoor Athletics Venues Task Force to work in collaboration with City staff, project partners, and consultants to develop and deliver recommendations related to renovating existing indoor athletic venues and constructing new indoor athletics facilities. The Task Force is chaired by Todd Fedora, former Duluth City Councilor and longtime regional leader in commercial banking.
Outdoor Athletic Venues: Prioritized re-investments will be made at existing parks-based outdoor athletics venues that drive regional sports tourism. Recommendations for future investments will be based on an in-depth needs assessment, community and stakeholder input, and market-driven data resources.
Project Update:
On June 24, 2024, City Council passed Resolution 24-0452R to enter into a professional services agreement with RDG Planning and Design, Inc.
Detailed updates for the Phase 1 - Time Sensitive Projects can be found on the individual project pages. Phase 1 projects include:
Enger Park Golf Course Irrigation System
Timeline:
Detailed project selection and phasing for AVRI is under development. At this time, the guiding framework is intended to be as follows:
2023 – 2024: Phase 1 – Time Sensitive Projects
2025 – 2027: Phase 2 – Primary Outdoor Sports Venues
2027 – 2029: Phase 3 – Indoor Sports Venues
2030 – 2034: Phase 4 – Additional Outdoor Sports Venues
AVRI-based community engagement efforts for Phases 2-4 are expected to kick-off in mid- to late-summer 2024.
