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Your Real Estate Experts! Dick Wenaas Greg Kamp Tommy Jess Mary Alysa JoLynn Kathy David Pam Archer Bellefeuille Binsfield Bjorklund Cooper Cortes Corbin Dahlberg Deb Ginger Cathy Sue Candi Melissa Brenda Mark Dreawves Eckman Ehret Erickson Fabre Fahlin Gregorich Honer Doug Tom Sharon Shaina Anissa Peter Kriss Kman Little McCauley Nickila Priley Rozumalski Sutherland Blythe Jonathan Patry Jeanne Ron Claude Chris Thill Thornton Truman Tondryk Tondryk Wenaas Wilk Duluth (218) 728-5161 - Cloquet (218) 879-1211 - Superior (715) 394-6671 • www.cbeastwestrealty.com vi 2020 Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce x Welcome to Our Beloved Community Welcome .................................. 1 uluth is a vibrant community filled with remarkable people and places. We enjoy Duluth History.......................... 2 an extraordinary city that supports, cares for and creates opportunities for all Duluth at a Glance .................. 5 Dof our citizens. If you have arrived on our shores, we are happy to have you join us. If you are Housing .................................... 6 considering making the Duluth area your home or place of business, wait no longer. Economy ................................ 10 We are ready to help you settle in for a lifetime. Building Our City .................... 12 This is one of the most beautiful places you are ever going to experience. We are ready to show it off, and that is why our Chamber is making this Community Guide available Education ............................... 16 to you. We believe the more you know about our Shining City on the Hill, the more Financial ................................ 20 you will be drawn to it. You will enjoy this big city with a small-town personality – Government ........................... 26 a rugged outpost with a cosmopolitan flair. With a fascinating history and heritage as a hard-working industrial town, we have Health Care............................ 29 balanced and diversified our industrial roots with tourism, health care, technology and Media ..................................... 35 education. Additionally, our growing reputation in the aviation industry illustrates that the Military ................................... 36 sky is the limit for Duluth. The Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce is the heart of our business community. Parks ...................................... 37 We have served as the voice of business since 1870. We serve our 1,100 members Shopping ................................ 38 by providing them the support they need to move forward. We know business. Connect Tourism & Arts ....................... 39 with us. We will clear the path for you within our beloved Zenith City on the shores of the Greatest of the Great Lakes. Lodging .................................. 43 Thank you for your interest in this exceptional community, nestled into the emerald Transportation ....................... 46 hillside along the shores of Gitche Gumee. Utilities ................................... 48 Public Service Numbers ....... 51 Welcome. Businesses ............................ 53 Classifieds ...........................101 Index..................................... 151 David Ross, President and CEO, Duluth Area Chamber PUBLISHER of Commerce David Ross, President and CEO Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce 5 W. First St., Ste. 101 Duluth, MN 55802 (218) 722-5501 Fax: (218) 722-3223 E-mail: [email protected] www.duluthchamber.com ADVERTISING AND PRODUCTION AdMax Displays Inc. 1518 E. Superior St. Duluth, MN 55812 (218) 724-2734 www.admaxdisplays.com This publication is a supplement to the Duluthian magazine, a bimonthly publication published by the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce, a nonprofit organization. vi 2020 Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce www.duluthchamber.comwww.duluthchamber.com 1 1 Photo by Steve Isola ioux and Chippewa tribes are the first known inhabitants of the Western Lake Superior region. It wasn’t until around the 1650s or 1660s that Pierre Esprit Radisson of France explored the area. The city was named “Duluth” in 1856 to recognize Frenchman Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, who came in 1679 to set up fur trade routes. Duluth had a shaky start with an 1857 economic crash and an 1859 scarlet Sfever epidemic. However, natural resources – first, copper, and later, iron ore and lumber – launched the city to success. So did financier Jay Cooke’s persuasion of the Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad to make Duluth its northern terminus, which, combined with the Port of Duluth-Superior, easily enabled efficient transportation of these resources. In 1871, workers dug a canal in Duluth to ensure ships could easily enter the harbor. By the early 1900s, Duluth’s port handled more tons yearly than New York City. The canal separated Minnesota Point (Park Point) from the rest of the city; people originally accessed Park Point by ferry. In 1904 and 1905, the Aerial Ferry Bridge was constructed. People were carried across by a heavy-duty gondola, which also bore their transportation vehicles. The Ferry Bridge was unique, only resembling one other in the world in Rouen, France. The actual lift, a 386-foot-long suspension that cars now drive on, was added in 1929 and 1930. When the St. Lawrence Seaway – the 114-mile channel between Montreal and Photo by Steve Isola 22 20202020 DuluthDuluth AreaArea ChamberChamber ofof CommerceCommerce Ogdensburg, N.Y. – opened in 1959, Duluth was ready. A new addition to the bridge, a deep canal and a harbor allowed ocean vessels to easily access the city. In the 1970s, Duluth suffered another economic struggle. Many of Duluth’s key industrial companies had closed. When the U.S. Steel plant – a sizeable employer – closed in 1971 along with other corporations, Duluth’s unemployment rose. The Canal Park area, with business declining, gradually filled with empty warehouses and junkyards. Then in 1984, a complete beautification and economic growth plan was formed to revitalize the city. Successful waterfront development in San Francisco, Boston and Toronto served as inspiration to transform Duluth and its extensive waterfront into an aesthetic place where people could experience the beauty and power of Lake Superior as well as close proximity to local shops, restaurants and hotels. In early June of 1988, the first 400 feet of the Lakewalk were dedicated. And over the years, DECC (Duluth Entertainment Convention Center) facilities have expanded significantly. (Continued on next page.) 2 2020 Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce www.duluthchamber.comwww.duluthchamber.com 3 3 Photo by Steve Isola (Continued) Today, Duluth’s diversified economy several hundred million dollars have been includes a thriving tourism and convention invested in the Duluth Downtown industry, manufacturing, aviation, health Waterfront area for developments, care, education and technology. The port expansion of the Duluth Entertainment is busy with regular shipments of grains, Convention Center and construction of coal, taconite and wind energy the adjacent AMSOIL Arena. With a recent components. While the harbor is 2,342 extension completed from Brighton miles from the Atlantic Ocean, Duluth has Beach, residents and tourists can walk the largest inland harbor in the world. along the 7.5-mile-long Lakewalk all the Climbing to 138 feet in 55 seconds, the way to the Aerial Lift Bridge in Canal Park. Aerial Lift Bridge (the biggest and quickest Duluth’s economy is diversifying and Steve Isola lift bridge in the world) continually draws growing in other areas, too. From the crowds. The bridge rises around 5,500 Miller Trunk Highway corridor and its and repeat visitors. times a year, allowing plenty of opportunity constant additions to new hotel Duluth, Minnesota’s third largest city, for residents and visitors alike to see large developments and a resurgence in is a long city that stretches along Lake ships from around the world navigate manufacturing industries that serve Superior, with many neighborhoods built precisely through the canal. industries worldwide, it’s clear that Duluth on steep hills offering a panoramic view. While the port buzzes with shipments, has found a way to attract new residents Due to the “lake effect,” weather at the Sky Harbor weather station on Park Point (elevation 607 feet) may be foggy and 50 degrees, while the weather up by the Duluth International Airport (elevation 1,427 feet) may be partly sunny and 70 degrees. Lake Superior makes Duluth’s summers a bit cooler and its winters a bit warmer. The city is blessed: tourists and residents alike can kayak, canoe, rollerblade, run, hike, bike and ski, all while taking in the spectacular scenery. Other quality of life factors that make Duluth shine are low crime rates, affordable homes, outstanding health care facilities, excellent universities, colleges and schools, an eclectic arts community – and a high level of philanthropy and civic engagement. Steve Isola 4 2020 Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce DULUTH AT A GLANCE Steve Isola CLIMATE POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS City of Duluth Population (2017 Census): The proximity of Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes, modifies local Race Number Percent weather, causing cooler summer tempera- White ............................................................................ 77,255 .......................................................................89.8% tures, warmer winter temperatures and a American Indian ............................................................ 1,550 ........................................................................