Duluth community leaders gathered today for a press event at DECC Symphony Hall Harborside Mezzanine to highlight the docking of the season’s first cruise ship at the newly completed Duluth harbor seawall. The Viking Octantis arrived at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday morning.
"With the Viking ship officially docked in the front yard, this is a very big day and many years in the making," said DECC Executive Director Dan Hartman. "It's also a big day for our airport, with passengers departing and arriving each time the ships land in Duluth."
To have a cruise ship of its size, with 367 passengers, parked in Duluth directly outside the city's regional convention center is history-making, Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert said after the presser.
"We've not had this happen until now," he said. "They've previously been parked in the bay, shuttling passengers back and forth. So it's not only the convenience of the new seawall dock space that's going to invite more cruise ship traffic, but also the visual coming down the hill and being struck in the face by a huge cruise ship tied up next to the DECC.
"The space is no longer simply an alley behind the DECC. If I had my druthers, there'd be no street. But we need to have it for a variety of purposes. I envision a space that invites families, visitors and Duluthians alike to attend community events and spend time in Duluth's front yard."
Quote Me
Reinert on the proposed $500M housing project at the former Duluth Central High School, in the news today at StarTribune.com: "I'm really proud that our staff is continuing to pay attention to all the details (of the project). It's a very large project, with lots of moving pieces and in a difficult financial environment. Yet, we still have to be good stewards of the public dollars that could be involved in this project, as well as all of the processes that have to be abided by. Ben Van Tassel, Tricia Hobbs and DEDA are doing a fantastic job of being vigilant. The developer has a 45-day period to make this right with the city, and we're hopeful they will. If they don't, then we'll have to figure out what the next steps are.
"I'm not going to speculate on the future of the project since I'm not in the weeds of the deal, but I will continue to support our staff staying vigilant, with anyone we work with, and adhering to the terms of an agreement that we strike with them. And I will say whether this developer will make things right or another one emerges, it is by far the most prime housing opportunity in all of Duluth – and we need the housing."
2025 Resident Survey results show good quality of life, concern about economy, praise for St. Louis County road maintenance
By Dana Kazel
St. Louis County residents say the quality of life here is good and, compared to the national average, recreational opportunities score higher, and maintenance of County roads score much higher. This is the feedback county residents provide through the recent residential survey conducted by Polco's National Research Center, Inc.
Survey participants also provided input on areas of concern and potential issues facing the county. The opioid epidemic again rates as most problematic, though with a continued decrease in rating than in 2022 and 2019, the last two times this survey was conducted. Other top areas of concern include homelessness and poverty, though with a slightly lower rating compared to three years ago.
Respondents' overall confidence in the St. Louis County government has remained steady, with 73% saying they strongly approve or somewhat approve of the job the St. Louis County Government is doing. Residents were asked to rate the quality of 22 specific county services, and 15 of the 22 receiving higher ratings than they did three years ago. County services rated most highly include 911 dispatch, sheriff patrol, and snow and ice removal on County roads.
When asked to rank the importance of various county services, the top three are to: protect children and vulnerable adults from abuse and neglect, enforce laws and prosecute criminals, and invest in County road infrastructure. These results are consistent with responses received in each of the last three surveys.
New in this survey, residents were asked how important they thought it was for the County to engage in various housing options. Results show 75% of residents felt it essential or very important for the County to engage in developing emergency shelters; followed by 74% wanting county engagement in both workforce housing and affordable apartments/multi-family rentals.
Other new questions sought opinions on the importance of the County's involvement in various sustainable development and climate resilience initiatives. For this, 87% felt it was essential or very important for the County to protect natural habitats, open spaces and waterways; 68% said the same for upgrading the County's roads and bridges to be more resistant to impacts from climate change; and 67% wanted the County to pursue projects that would result in cost savings through energy efficiency.
"We appreciate everyone who took the time to respond to this survey and share their feedback," said County Board Chair Annie Harala. "The information we gain from this survey helps us as we make decisions on how we can better serve our residents, and as we set budgets and priority programming. Something I find particularly encouraging is the level of consistency we see in these results. I want our residents to see their county government and steady and stable, and this affirms that they do."
Complete survey results can be viewed online at stlouiscountymn.gov.
The survey packet was mailed to 4,900 County residents selected at random in mid-January, and had a 17% response rate. Results of the survey are considered statistically valid, with a margin of error of +/- 3%.
St. Louis County partnered with four other counties: Dakota, Olmsted, Scott and Washington, to produce the survey, which is being conducted by the National Research Center, Inc. The County conducted similar surveys five other times, beginning in 2007 and most recently in 2022.
Spanning more than 7,000 square miles, St. Louis County is the largest county east of the Mississippi River and is home to 200,000 people.
