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Parks Planning Meetings to Take Place October 28-29

(11 parks to be discussed)

[Duluth, MN] - The City of Duluth Parks and Recreation Division will host a series of meetings to gain public input on 11 Duluth parks as part of the St. Louis River Corridor Initiative. Public input is encouraged to help establish neighborhood priorities and desired amenities for these 11 parks.  The public meetings will be held over two evenings at Morgan Park Community Center and City Center West. The schedule is as follows:

October 28 (Location: Morgan Park Community Center, 1242 88^th Ave West)

5:30 to 6:30 PM                 Norton Park

6:30 to 7:30 PM                 Fond du Lac Park and Historical Park

October 28 (Location: City Center West, 5830 Grand Ave)

5:30 to 6:30 PM                 Piedmont Park

6:30 to 7:30 PM                 Harrison Park

October 29 (Location: Morgan Park Community Center)

5:30 to 6:30 PM                 Smithville Park & Blackmer Park

6:30 to 7:30 PM                 Riverside Park

October 29 (Location: City Center West)

5:30 to 6:30 PM                 Keene Creek Park and Grassy Point Park

6:30 to 7:30 PM                 Merritt Park

The mini-master plans include inventory, assessment, community input, program assessment, maintenance management, planning analysis, cost estimates and implementation strategies.  These mini-master plans are part of the greater St. Louis River Corridor Initiative, made possible through the ½ and ½ Tourism Tax Fund approved by the Minnesota Legislature in 2014.   

Some of the ½ and ½ Tourism Tax Fund will be dedicated to the neighborhood parks along the St. Louis River Corridor. The River Corridor Neighborhood Park Grant Fund will designate funding aimed at neighborhood-level investments and enhancements to qualifying parks along the corridor.

The River Corridor Neighborhood Parks Grant Fund provides a 1:1 match up to $50,000 per park.  A 1:1 match requires that half of the project’s funding be generated through community efforts, which can include cash donations, other grant funds, in-kind volunteer hours, and in-kind donations of materials and services. The grant funding process is set to begin in June of 2016. Total matching funds available total $500,000.

Example of a project:  Purchase and install new playground equipment at a neighborhood park

                                Total cost: $60,000

                                Neighborhood Park Grant Fund: $30,000

                                Cash donation/in-kind services:   $30,000

For more information or to leave a comment about the St. Louis River Corridor Neighborhood Parks mini-master plans, please visit the City of Duluth website at:  http://www.duluthmn.gov/st-louis-river-corridor/neighborhood-parks/or contact Project Coordinator, Lisa Luokkala, lluokkala@duluthmn.gov or (218)730-4312.

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