urbanMSP

Pier B Resort Set To Break Ground
By KBJR News 1

DULUTH,MN---A vacant cement terminal may seem like that last place to house a resort and condominiums, but developers are planning to revitalize the old LaFarge cement plant, also known as Pier B.

DEDA met with developers today about approving the process to move forward.

DEDA members are giving developers and investors the green light on the Pier B development plan... [continue]

It'll be interesting to see what the renderings show for this site. Although it's a bit dated there is an interesting PowerPoint of the bayfront development on Duluth's website here. I like the idea of the reuse of the old cement factory but I hope they have more planned than just more hotels and shops... I still personally think it'd be cool if Duluth had a little amusement park, similar to something like what Excelsior had back in the day.

Something like Navy Pier, but not as corny would be cool.

Wow, looks like some amazing ideas. I would love to see the Canal Park kind of feeling just extend down the water front...

Georgia Pacific just announced they're shutting down their plant just to the west of the site (known as "Superwood" to us olde-timers). That's a lot more land potentially in play, and also would remove an unattractive neighbor.

Oh, and it also puts a couple hundred people out of high-paying jobs.

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/ ... id/274579/

Done right, this could spur developement towards the Pier B proposal. There will be a lot of discussion for/against it but it would certainly provide better access between bustling Canal Park and the DECC/Aquarium/Bayfront park entertainment area. Environmental cleanup costs for this could be much greater than estimated due to the industrial past of the harbor front area. Looking forward to the various opinions regarding this proposal.

Cam link to the harbor front

http://www.duluthharborcam.com/

Finally, Ness talked about the need for additional parking in the Canal Park area. He said an additional 270-stall parking structure would likely cost about $6 million.

Gahhh!

Canal Park needs less parking, not more parking. And I'm afraid any development is going to be one monolithic construction, not the organic urbanism of Canal Park.

People love Canal Park but they don't know why! It's the urbanism stupid!

I don't know where I had originally suggested it, but I think there's a way to keep the slip and the "exhibit" vessels in it. Instead of a complex bridge that needs to open all the time, just create a bridge deck that can be lifted by a crane or something. That way, every few months or years when a vessel needs to come in or out, just rent a crane and call it done. I swear I've seen this in action for a harbor somewhere near Rochester, NY where a bridge is placed between the harbor and the lake every winter.

It's not over water, but there's an inverse operation that happens at the MN State Fair every year -- a pedestrian bridge gets installed over Como Ave while the fair is on.

They are 30+ private slips there. The bridge lifts many times per day, its not very high off the water.

They could remove the private slips and close the bridge while keeping the William Irving there. Though I'd be curious as to what they would want to build their if they filled it in, it might be nice to better connect canal park to the theaters at the DECC.

Does anyone go see a move on vacation? I just have enough fun wandering Canal Park.

Canal Park needs less parking, not more parking. And I'm afraid any development is going to be one monolithic construction, not the organic urbanism of Canal Park.

People love Canal Park but they don't know why! It's the urbanism stupid!

Canal Park does/will need more parking. It needs less SURFACE parking. Maybe a large structure somewhere nearby(maybe by the freeway), and a circulator trolley would be the best solution...so as not to overshadow things with an ugly structure. The tourists have to be able to get there. That said, I too would be sad about a monolithic parking structure in a prime spot, but there needs to be one somewhere nearby if they ever want to get rid of some of those surface lots and the congestion to get to them.

Canal Park can have parking, but there shouldn't be parking in the park itself. I think the park itself should be closed to traffic, except for some way to cross the lift bridge. But really Canal Park would even better if you weren't dodging a constant stream of traffic when trying to cross streets.

Updated design/plan. Groundbreaking hopefully this summer! I agree with the article's writer - the development is a huge plus for Duluth and the lakefront. Hopefully in time some of the other piers can be redeveloped, perhaps with more modern/iconic architecture.

https://cdinduluth.squarespace.com/the- ... icial-name

That is a disappointing step down. Nothing like a 4 story 'craftsman lodge' on a pier in Lake Superior.

Duluth news coverage with a different image of the new hotel:

http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/new ... 34861.html

It would've been great if the development would've been mixed-use with some condos/apartments or even timeshares. Duluth really needs some new housing stock and can you imagine living with views of Lake Superior?!

It would've been great if the development would've been mixed-use with some condos/apartments or even timeshares. Duluth really needs some new housing stock and can you imagine living with views of Lake Superior?!

That would be great, although I wonder about the feasibility. I just don't see waterfront condos as replacing housing stock for people who already live in Duluth. It isn't a town with a lot of money. Growing up there, you could pretty quickly guess with plenty of accuracy where the middle-class families worked: Either UMD (or as a teacher elsewhere), or overwhelmingly, in one of the hospitals.

Superior Street and much of downtown has seen a revitalization, but an enormous amount of the growth in the area continues to be up on the hill and beyond into other nearby towns (primarily Hermantown in this case).

East Duluth is tonier and middle-class families get more space further out with comparable commutes. Canal Park and Bayfront are areas that largely serve the evening and tourist crowds--mostly in the summer--with little in the way of amenities for every day living. And Railroad Street is really just an industrial road lodged between the interstate and the lake.

So in that way, it really works better as the hotel...serve the tourists who will be near all of the restaurants, music venues, etc. that they'll be visiting on their trip. I'd really rather see more housing in downtown proper (and a small grocery store would probably help too)!

yuck. The last thing the waterfront needs is another Canal Park Lodge style building. I really wish they'd build something better at this marquee location.

I like the taller tower, but I'm thinking that they feel that is too big for most of the years except for the summer months when it would be full. The other 7 months lucky to be half full if that.