The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has awarded over $2 million in cleanup funding to the Duluth Economic Development Authority’s Lot D site located adjacent to Pier B Resort on the Duluth waterfront.
Historically used for various petroleum companies, as well as a variety of industrial purposes, Lot D will be developed into two, five-story apartment buildings with a total of 509 units.
Plans for Lot D also include the preparation of a pad-ready site intended for future hotel development. The project is anticipated to increase the local property tax base by more than $1.5 million and leverage $129 million of private investment. Matching funds will be provided by the EDA, tax increment financing, and the developer.
Contamination Cleanup and Investigation grants pay up to 75% of the costs to assess and clean up polluted sites for public or private redevelopment.
Former Duluth mayor Don Ness on the project, which has been several years in the making: “This sort of brownfield redevelopment requires patience and foresight. Heidi Timm-Bujold was the driving force behind our efforts. She is so passionate about the massive challenge of breathing new life into highly contaminated sites including projects like Clyde, Pier B, Atlas Cement, and countless other sites. Her tenacity and reliability allowed Duluth to earn the trust necessary to unlock millions of clean-up funds and a reputation of a city committed to this work. The Amazon facility in Gary and the potential of development at Lot D are the direct result of the efforts she was making 10-15 years ago. This is the sort of long-term thinking that we desperately need in government.”
