City of Duluth, MN Government

The West Superior Street reconstruction project rolls on.

Work completed this week
• Began utility relocations in Michigan Street.
• Began water main excavation along W Superior Street.
• Began fusing water main pipe.
• Poured concrete retaining wall footing and first wall pour.
• Rock excavation for storm sewer construction.
• Sealed vaults under the sidewalk.

Anticipated work scheduled for next week
• Continue water main excavation and installation.
• Fill vaults under the sidewalk.
• Finish pouring retaining wall.
• Begin constructing storm sewer.

Expected impacts from next week’s work
• No expected impacts outside of the current construction areas

Closed areas
• W Michigan Street at W Superior Street
• W Superior Street from 225’ east of 18th Avenue W to Michigan Street except for the intersection with Garfield Avenue and access to 16th Avenue W
• Cross City Trail at the intersection of W Michigan Street and W Superior Street
Detour routes
• Vehicle traffic: Detoured at 21st Avenue W and 5th Avenue W onto West 1st Street.
• Cross City Trail users: Detoured onto Garfield Avenue, then Railroad Street, reconnecting with the trail.
o Detour has changed to go from W Superior Street up 18th Avenue W to 1st Street and then down Piedmont Avenue to Garfield Avenue due to construction impacts.

Access to businesses
• M&H Gas Station: Access from the east side of the project via West Superior Street or Glen Place.
• Duluth Gospel Tabernacle: Access via Piedmont Avenue or Garfield Avenue to 16th Avenue W.
• Businesses in the 1700 block of West Superior Street: Access from the west side of the project.

The City of Duluth has approximately 30 boards and commissions that provide valuable input and leadership on topics that include public arts, disabilities, heritage preservation, parks and recreation, and more.

The City is currently recruiting applicants for multiple boards and commissions with current and future membership openings, including:

• Western Lakes Sanitary Sewer District (WLSSD)
• Duluth Citizen Review Board
• Indigenous Commission
• Duluth African Heritage Commission
• Natural Resources Commission

For more information about the City's boards and commissions, or to apply, please visit duluthmn.gov/boards-commissions/

The Life Safety division of the Duluth Fire Department is hiring Property & Solid Waste Compliance Officer.

This position will conduct the full range of complaint investigations, inspections, and enforcement actions involved in determining violations and gaining compliance with City codes and state laws. The position will create appropriate orders of corrective actions and/or summons for non-compliance where applicable; assess inspection and investigation information to evaluate reoccurring code violations; assist with coordination activities for related City offices/departments and community service agencies.

For more information, visit: https://www.governmentjobs.com/.../property-solid-waste... See less

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Reminder: The Brownfield Development and Cleanup Resources event is Thursday!

Developing within a historically industrial community can come with unique challenges, but you don’t have to navigate them alone.

The City of Duluth, in partnership with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and Kansas State University’s Technical Assistance to Brownfields (KSU TAB), invites you and your fellow developers, realtors, bankers, and property owners to learn about the resources available to help guide you through the Brownfields redevelopment process.

Join us on May 28th for Part 1 of this two-part series. This session is designed to help you confidently begin your redevelopment journey, connect with local experts, ask questions, and leave with a clear path forward.

Registration is now open. Learn more and register at https://duluthmn.gov/planning-development/brownfields/brownfield-redevelopment-cleanup-resources-part-1/

The City of Duluth will host its second Lester Golf Course Land Use Study open house on Wednesday, May 27, 2026 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Lester Park Elementary School, located at 5300 Glenwood Street. City of Duluth staff and consultants from Bolton & Menk will showcase information compiled to date from the existing conditions analysis, market study, survey, and previous open house. Attendees will have an opportunity to provide feedback on ideas for land use scenarios and ask questions about the study.

The land use 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.

The Lester Park public golf course was built as a part of a City Works Administration project in 1932, initially as an 18-hole golf course. It 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.

Also in May, the a second survey and interactive map will be launched to gain additional public input, and will be available on the study web site. A third public meeting will be planned in July to review final land use recommendations.

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. More information can be found on the project web site at lpgcstudy.com.

As part of Mayor Reinert’s 2026 Artists in Residence programming, Lyric Opera of the North (LOON) will perform on Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at noon in the first floor rotunda of Duluth City Hall. The public is invited to this free, lunch hour performance, in which LOON artists will present selections from A Little Night Music, as well as other Sondheim favorites, featuring performers Bill Munson, Sarah Lawrence, Calland Metts, Anna Donnelley, Vicki Fingalson, Felix Agular Tomlinson, Lee Gregory, Caroline Kouma, Georgia Jacobson, Alex Ritchie, Jennifer Lien, and Trevor Lemon-Todd.

LOON was chosen as Mayor Reinert’s Artists in Residence for 2026 and was welcomed into City Hall on January 21 to begin a monthly performance series at City Hall and to display historical set pieces, promotional posters, and photographs in the Mayor’s Reception Room.

LOON’s monthly performance series is made possible by the Boreal Waters Foundation.

May 16-22 is National Public Works Week, and the City of Duluth is pleased to recognize the occasion by showing gratitude to the diverse and skilled crew who staff the City of Duluth's Public Works & Utilities department.

Residents interact with Public Works staff every day, multiple times a day. By using road and stormwater infrastructure, crossing bridges, observing traffic semaphores, cooking and heating with natural gas, flushing the toilet, or drinking tap water, Duluth residents are utilizing the work product of the City of Duluth's Public Works & Utilities (PWU) team.

The City's PWU team design and maintain the city's:

• Over 500 miles of roadway
• 117 signalized intersections
• 2500+ street lights
• 415 miles of stormwater pipe
• 100 miles of ditches
• 11200+ catch basins
• 5200+ manholes
• 3000 culverts
• 550 miles of natural gas pipeline and associated infrastructure
• 53 wastewater pumping stations
• 400 miles of sanitary collection sewers
• A drinking water system that supplies around 5 billion gallons of safe drinking water to over 30,000 customers (including three other municipalities) each year.

And that doesn't even fully encompass the scope of work the department does. The department also employs lead water service mitigation specialists, bridge operators, water treatment operators, chemists, customer service specialists, information specialists, GIS specialists, accountants, laborers, and more. Each of these staff members plays an integral role in ensuring the safety, health, and comfort of Duluth's 96,000 residents and countless visitors every day.

Thank you, City of Duluth Public Works & Utilities, for keeping Duluth safe, clean, and sustainable. You are truly unsung heroes who are rooted in service and powered by community!

On Sunday, the Minnesota State Legislature passed a $1.2 billion capital investment (bonding) bill. Bonding bills are intended to make long-term investments in core infrastructure, like streets, bridges, water treatment plants and wastewater systems.

The bonding bill includes a total of $24.6 million for projects in the Duluth area. Included in the 2026 bill are:

• Lakewood Water Treatment Plant: $4.268 million
• 148th Fighter Wing Hangar Design: $3.5 million
• Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center: $4.99 million
• Union Gospel Mission relocation: $8.85 million
• Duluth International Airport Air Traffic Control Tower: $2 million
• Duluth North Shore Sanitary District: $958,000

In response to the bonding bill, Mayor Roger Reinert said: “I appreciate legislators on both sides coming together to pass a much-needed public infrastructure bill, and I’m grateful to Duluth’s legislative delegation for securing investments that benefit our city and region. The Lakewood Water Treatment Plant which provides drinking water to Duluth, Hermantown, Proctor, and Rice Lake, to the Union Gospel Mission relocation and engagement center, the 148th Fighter Wing hangar project, and funding for a new air traffic control tower at Duluth International Airport are a few examples. This bill delivers almost $25 million in meaningful investments for our community.”



Mayor Reinert continued, “This year’s bonding bill invests in Duluth’s future by strengthening critical infrastructure, supporting economic growth, and creating lasting impacts across the region. While we were hopeful to receive funding for seawall repairs at Lot D, we are grateful the State awarded funding for environmental cleanup work at the site. This will help move an important waterfront redevelopment project forward. I’m proud of the work our team and legislative partners did to advance these priorities for Duluth and our region."

Read the entire press release on the City's website.

REMINDER: The City of Duluth's Building Safety Month seminar all about building code, permitting, and plan review is tomorrow, May 19 at 9:00 AM. The Construction Services and Inspections team hopes to see you at City Hall!