Lincoln Park business owners petition over DTA bus stop

DULUTH — As plans for the upcoming West Superior Street construction project are finalized, some Lincoln Park business owners are calling on city officials to halt a proposed bus stop, claiming it will take away much-needed parking in the district.

As of Dec. 10, a

petition

to relocate the proposed Duluth Transit Authority double bus stop and shelter placement from 21st Avenue and West Superior Street garnered 211 signatures after initially being posted over a month ago. The city was unavailable to comment regarding the requirements and process of a valid petition.

Due to the shortage of parking for businesses in the area,

DeBora Rachelle,

owner of the Anderson Furniture Building, claims that plans to renovate the historic property into a 30-room hotel, restaurant, retail stores and a spa would be “unfeasible” with the removal of existing parking in front of her newly purchased property at 2030 and 2032 West Superior St.

Rachelle is also concerned that the potential vandalization of the proposed heated bus stop shelter would negatively impact outdoor dining experiences and become a gathering place for individuals without a home.

According to Lincoln Park Business Group President Steph LaFleur, vandalism has not been an issue for the enclosed DTA bus stop across from the property she and her husband own at 2023 W. Superior St. The building houses their businesses, The Caddy Shack indoor golf pub, and Serendipity Endeavors, a holding company for LZ Productions and Serendipity Farms, as well as Serendipity Productions.

Gary Meader / Duluth Media Group

The proposed bus stop is included in the city’s plans to

reconstruct 1.65 miles of West Superior Street

between Carlton and West Michigan streets. The petition suggests alternative locations for the proposed stop, such as near a parking lot or just one block further.

In a letter addressed to Mayor Roger Reinhart on Nov. 12, business owners along the impacted block expressed frustration, stating, “We have attended the West Superior Street Renovations meetings, and again we found these meetings do not take the voices of local Lincoln Park business owners into consideration as none of our concerns are never (sic) addressed.”

Although LaFleur’s name is listed among the 11 letter signers, she denied signing it.

In LaFleur’s opinion, the bus stop previously located on both sides of 21st Avenue West was ideal for better traffic flow. Last year, it was moved to Superior Street, between 20th and 21st.

Joel Baird, owner of Two Loons Gallery and Boutique, closed his retail store formerly located at 2025 W. Superior St. following a 2023 open meeting with the city where concerns regarding the proposed bus stop “fell on deaf ears,” according to the petition.

Baird has since retired, is selling the building and has moved to Illinois, he said.

“I support the businesses that are going to be impacted,” Baird said. “I don’t think the city is thinking about that business corridor from a small business standpoint.”

Kevin Lund, owner of the vacant building that formerly housed Lee’s Pizza, said the proposed location of the bus stop caused him to halt renovations on his building located at 2029, 2031 and 2033 W. Superior St., according to the petition.

Neither Baird nor Lund are members of the Lincoln Park Business Group.

Wyatt Buckner / Duluth Media Group

Over the past two years, the city held five public meetings about the construction project. More than 75 people attended the

Nov. 13 open house.

Many comments were received both in favor and against the proposed location of the bus stop and shelter.

One attendee expressed appreciation for plans to remove an existing shelter and return parking in front of Happy Sleeper, which will better accommodate elderly customers. Others called for limited parking, installation of a parking ramp, or a “minimalistic” design of bus shelters. Several speakers requested the city reconsider the proposed DTA bus stop location on the northbound and southbound 21st Avenue West.

The city has arrived at a

final design

for the road construction project to be completed in four phases.

“With phases, it won’t be as detrimental to the businesses,” LaFleur said. “It’s going to be hard. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not going to be easy.”

Construction is anticipated to begin in 2025 and conclude in 2028. Improvements include reconstruction of the roadway and its underlying utilities; ADA-accessible sidewalks, bike facilities and parking; vehicle parking; electric vehicle charging stations; wayfinding signage; lighting; beautification and more.

Wyatt Buckner / Duluth Media Group

The $36 million project will be largely funded by the state and a $25 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity federal discretionary grant.

“This grant funding is a true gift,” LaFleur said. “Some may not see that. Sometimes we don’t always see the light at the end of the tunnel. We see the red lights in front of us. I think we have to take this, grab it, and make some good lemonade out of these lemons, because this is a great opportunity for us to fix this infrastructure that is incredibly old, and the city doesn’t have that kind of money.”

Preparational work will start on 27th and Michigan intersections and alley paving from 22nd to 26th in 2025.

The first construction phase begins in 2026 from Michigan Street to 18th.

The second phase, from 18th to 24th, will be completed in 2027.

The third and final phase will be completed in 2028 from 24th to Carlton.

Gary Meader / Duluth Media Group

“The infrastructure in Lincoln Park is over 120 years old,” LaFleur said. “It’s going to be very difficult to dot the i’s and cross the t’s on everything on the wish list. In a perfect world, I would love to have more parking. But the reality is, we’re going to have to do the best with what we’re going to have.”

With growth comes parking challenges, according to LaFleur, who advocates on behalf of the group’s membership for creative solutions to such dilemmas. Lincoln Park, like many areas of Duluth, has long struggled with parking.

For three years, the business group has attempted to connect the Craft District to the downtown/Canal Park trolley system, enabling transportation between downtown parking ramps and the Lincoln Park area.

“We have not been able to succeed at that with the DTA,” LaFleur said. “There’s nine parking ramps in downtown Duluth; that’s invaluable to us.”

Once the freeway is completed for the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s separate Twin Ports Interchange project, 75-105 surface-level parking spaces will be restored to where they once were underneath, helping to ease the scramble for drivers to find a spot, LaFleur said.

In light of the upcoming construction along West Superior Street, the Lincoln Park Business Group has been collaborating with other districts that have undergone extensive construction projects for ideas and best practices on how to support its members and the community during the upcoming road work.

“We’re going to do our best to give the support and make sure that people’s needs are being met and the city is there to support them,” LaFleur said of the nonprofit organization.

A requirement of the city’s request for proposal on the project was that a communications liaison be assigned by the contracted construction company as a contact for all the impacted businesses to ensure their success during the construction period.