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[DULUTH, MN] The civil engineering consulting firm of Bolton & Menk has been chosen to conduct the Lester Park Golf Course land use study. This study, requested by Duluth City Council by a resolution in October of 2025, includes the following objectives:

• Increase the housing supply for residents across all income levels

• Identify locations for preservation of open space, as well as recreation and connections to adjacent hiking, biking, and ski trails.

• Incorporate complementary neighborhood amenities, such as neighborhood-oriented commercial development.

City staff from the planning, economic development, engineering, and parks and recreation divisions will comprise the City’s project management team.

An ongoing stakeholder group with diverse perspectives will provide input on public outreach efforts and enhance the project team’s understanding of community priorities. This committee includes representation from various City of Duluth boards and commissions (i.e. Duluth Economic Development Authority/DEDA, Natural Resources Commission, Parks Commission, Planning Commission), Duluth Public Schools, Duluth Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Saint Louis County, Lakeside residents, a Lakeside business owner, and individuals providing perspectives on development, real estate, and outdoor recreation.

The site is an approximately 270-acre area that, since 1932, was home to the Lester Park Golf Course. The public course was built as a part of a City Works Administration project, initially as an 18-hole golf course, then expanded to 27 holes in the 1990s. The Lester Park Golf Course was officially closed for use in 2020 and has since been used informally for recreation by the community.

The land use study will offer several methods and opportunities for Duluth community members to listen, learn, and provide feedback about the future of the site, including:

• A public-facing, informational website, lpgcstudy.com
• A survey, expected to launch in early February 2026
• Public meetings, with the first one planned for March 2026
• Regular updates at various City board and commission meetings
• Small group meetings on specific topics
• Summary videos posted to project website at project milestone points
• An interactive comment map once site concepts are developed

The study is expected to be completed by July 2026, after which it will be brought to the City’s planning commission and city council as an amendment to Imagine Duluth 2035, the City’s comprehensive plan.

Residents and stakeholders are invited to sign up on the project email list, and to submit comments at the project’s web site: lpgcstudy.com 

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