Big News for Duluth–Governor Dayton Announces $8.5 Million for Downtown Project

Governor Dayton announced today that the City of Duluth has been awarded $8.5 million in State Capital Projects Grant funds for its proposed downtown redevelopment project. The Duluth Corporate Tower is slated to be a 15 story business tower offering 300,000 square feet of Class A office space. It will also include a new parking structure and skywalk connection at 425 West Superior Street.

The Duluth project was among the top three ranked projects out of 37 finalists.  St. Paul received $25 million of the state bonding bill that will be used for a new stadium for the St. Paul Saints.  Wadena will get $4.2 million for a wellness center, and the Twin Cities light rail system will get $2.5 million.

This project will impact existing business downtown , attract new business opportunities, retain more than 400 professional jobs, create more than 200 new jobs, and create 300 peak construction jobs over a 3 year period.

This projected $80 million development is the largest downtown private development of its kind in the history of Duluth.

The project is slated to start construction in spring 2013.

With the announcement of the $8.5 million for Duluth, comes the announcement that a community celebration, open to the public, will take place tomorrow, September 14, 2012 at 11:45 a.m. at 425 West Superior Street, in the parking lot, to celebrate the state grant award for Duluth’s Corporate Tower project.

Mayor Don Ness, the AtWater Group and special guests will also announce the major tenant who will occupy a significant portion of the new development.