DULUTH — As city officials consider what should become of the former Lester Park Golf Course property, they are turning to the public for direction.
City staff encourage residents to share their thoughts via a newly launched public survey available at
Folks visiting the same site also may join an email list to stay informed.
An open house to bring people up to speed and begin gathering public input will be held at Lester Park Elementary School, 5300 Glenwood St., from 5-7 p.m. Monday, March 2.
At this point, discussions about the future use of the property are preliminary and conceptual.
Crews are still collecting data, according to Jenn Moses, director of Duluth’s planning and development division.
“We’re working with engineers to identify slopes, the way water flows, utility capacity and all of that kind of stuff,” she said.
Moses hopes open-house participants will be presented with “a snapshot” of the 270-acre site, including wetlands, the existing tree canopy, and other considerations that should inform decisions about which parts of the property may be suitable for certain types of development.
The Duluth Economic Development Authority has
a civil engineering consulting firm, to conduct a land-use study of the area at a cost of $197,546.
The Lester Park Golf Course has remained permanently closed since 2020, following repeated financial losses, leaving Duluth with just one active municipal golf course at
Enger Park, a property that has seen significant investment
of late.
As the firm continues its work, Moses expects some possible scenarios for the site’s development to be available for public feedback in time to host a subsequent open house come May.
Bolton & Menk has until July to complete work on a land-use study, which both DEDA and the Duluth City Council have agreed to use as a guide for any future development of the property.
Mayor Roger Reinert has identified the former golf course as a strong candidate for housing development that could help meet the city’s need for more than an additional 8,700 homes by 2035, as projected in a recent Maxfield Research study.
A “stakeholder group” of citizens representing different community perspectives has been appointed by the city administration to assist with public outreach and to share their insights as the land-use plan takes shape. This group includes the following members (in alphabetical order):
Nik Bayuk, planning commission.Jeff Corey, One Roof Community Housing, Lakeside resident.Sarah Crowell, Lester Park School Foundation and Lakeside resident.David Demmer, parks commission.Kari Hedin, natural resources commission.Rachel Johnson, Area Partnership for Economic Expansion, Lakeside resident.Jill Keppers, Duluth Housing and Redevelopment Authority.Ryan Logan, St. Louis County planning and zoning.Brad Little, Lakeside business owner and outdoor recreation advocate.John Magas, Duluth school district.Connor Randall, DEDA.Jonathan Rova, outdoor recreation advocate.Casey Scrignoli, Realtor and outdoor recreation advocate.
Peter Passi covers city and county government for the Duluth News Tribune. He joined the paper in April 2000, initially as a business reporter but has worked a number of beats through the years.