As the Duluth City Council prepared to act Monday night on a package of proposed projects designed to enhance recreational opportunities throughout the St. Louis River corridor, they heard from 15 citizens all speaking enthusiastically in support of the plan.
Councilors took the hint and unanimously passed a resolution in support of the vision. Their vote was greeted by a round of applause from spectators.
The plan would pour $18 million in tourism into western Duluth with the hope that it will leverage additional funding, providing upward of $50 million for improvements to the area.
"We're taking tourism tax dollars, and we're creating more tourism tax dollars with them," said 5th District City Councilor Jay Fosle, predicting that new parks, trails and other attractions will prove a powerful draw for residents and visitors alike.
At Large City Councilor Linda Krug called the package of proposed projects "a fabulous, magnificent vision for the western end of our city."
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While the council demonstrated broad support for the slate of about 30 initiatives laid out in a resolution Monday night, individual projects will still need to be approved individually as more detailed plans emerge.
Nevertheless, Councilor Joel Sipress praised what he views as a team effort by multiple user groups to develop a plan that delivers on multiple fronts.
"Everyone has come together in a way you don't see every day," he said, noting that the plan attempts to balance the diverse interests of mountain bikers and cross-country skiers with snowmobilers and ATV riders.
Sipress said the plan builds on much of what western Duluth has to offer.
"We're taking what has always been there and making it even more amazing," he said.
Council President Emily Larson predicted the benefits of the proposed recreational investments will be widespread, saying: "What's good for western Duluth is good for the rest of the city. We are one Duluth."
For his part, 4th District Councilor Howie Hanson hailed the proposed investments as a transformative development, comparing it to the creation of Canal Park. "We might be seeing history being made tonight," he said.
