DULUTH – What started as a project to repair a seawall and prepare it for the arrival of Great Lakes cruise ships has become a chance for the city to remake a prime but long-neglected stretch of waterfront into a pedestrian-focused plaza.
Plans unveiled this week show a stretch of Harbor Drive between the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC) and the harbor replaced with a broad promenade, boardwalk and landscaping improvements.
" 'Duluth's backyard' was the idea, to be on the waterfront and provide an area for people to engage as ships go by," said Terry Minarik, principal with Minneapolis-based consultants Confluence Inc. "We're calling it Harbor Plaza so it becomes more of a public realm than a city street."
Last year the city received $13.5 million in state bonding funds to pay for the Duluth Lakewalk and seawall repairs. Minarik estimates the Harbor Plaza project will run between $2 million and $2.5 million. City officials said costs, which could be borne by city and state money, will be finalized as the project moves ahead.
"We're trying to fish with big ideas and big thoughts while being realistic about the budget," he said. "All kinds of concerns arise — maintenance, usability, programming and events."
As Minarik and his team fielded questions from passersby Tuesday afternoon, Harbor Drive was closed for the Greater Downtown Council's annual meeting — a taste of the area's potential as a gathering place. It is already used by Grandma's Marathon and other events.
"It's incredibly exciting to see this future bay walk coming to life with this event today," said DECC spokeswoman Lucie Amundsen. "I'm hopeful the public will come out and really engage with this proposed plan. What's so exciting is it really is in motion."
Work could begin as early as next spring, with seawall repairs and cruise ship-readiness construction happening before the Harbor Drive transformation, Minarik said. First he's looking for public input to shape the final proposal.
