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Duluth City Council to get progress report on St. Louis River Corridor Initiative

[Duluth, MN] - The City of Duluth Parks and Recreation staff will be providing a progress report on the St. Louis River Corridor Initiative to the Duluth City Council and public on Monday, June 13, 2016 at 5:15 PM in the City Council Chambers, 3rd floor inside Duluth City Hall, 411 West First Street. The Initiative which kicked off in 2015, invests in public park and trail improvements from Lincoln Park to the Fond du Lac neighborhood. The overall goals of the Initiative are to support the natural environment, enrich neighborhood quality of life, attract new home buyers, establish new visitor destinations and stimulate appropriate development. Initiative projects are funded in part by $18 million in bonds, collected through the ½ and ½ tourism tax approved by the Minnesota Legislature in 2014. These funds will leverage additional dollars through community partnerships and grants.

The presentation to the City Council will highlight some modifications that align with Mayor Emily Larson's vision and principles pertaining to environmental sustainability, government transparency, and fairness. The progress report will touch on projects that include amenities such as extensive pedestrian and water trail systems, restoration and protection priorities for natural habitats, access points to the St. Louis River, new and improved park spaces and facilities, and a budget overview. Since it's inception last year, the SLRC staff started the planning and public process for 28 projects, engaged the public at almost 100 public meetings, received and analyzed hundreds of written comments and partnered with dozens of community clubs and stakeholder groups.

Parks staff will also host an open house prior to and following the Committee of the Whole to allow the general public to spend time learning more about the Initiative and interact with staff on project specifics. This open house will be held from 5-8 PM in Room 303, next door to the Council Chambers. The open house is open to the public.     

The City thanks our many partners, stakeholders, and residents for their passionate commitment to enhancing and revitalizing the St. Louis River Corridor neighborhoods and green space and help to create park spaces that are accessible to all users.

The St. Louis River Corridor Initiative projects can be found on the webpage at http://duluthmn.gov/st-louis-river-corridor/ 

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