City of Duluth To Host Lincoln Park Reopening Celebration

In 2016, the City of Duluth adopted the Lincoln Park Mini-Master Plan, which provided
direction for reinvestment to improve safety and accessibility and address programming
needs in the park. After years of work, they're ready to reopen and the public is invited.

According to the City, recently completed improvements include the restoration of the historic stone pavilion to include new ADA-compliant restroom facilities, relocation and replacement of the playground, two new parking lots, a new nature playscape, new and refurbished picnic pavilions, a new multi-use sport court, and stabilization and repaving of Lincoln Park Drive.

They add that throughout the project site new accessible trails, improved signage and wayfinding, and green infrastructure such as biofiltration basins, pollinator gardens, and drainage swales have all been added. They boast that all of this work has transformed Lincoln Park into a more functional and accessible recreation space.

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To celebrate, the public is invited to the official reopening celebration on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. The event will take place near the stone pavilion at Lincoln Park, located at 25th Avenue West and W Third Street.

The event will include a dedication for the commemorative naming of the park's historic stone pavilion in honor and memory of the late Duluth City Councilor Renee Van Nett. There will also be a ribbon cutting for the recent park improvements, family-friendly activities with Duluth Parks and Recreation and Northern Expressions Arts Collective, and music by Jazz duo Ben Pichler and Grant Carl.

In conjunction with the celebration, Lincoln Park will be open to the public beginning October 17. The City encourages users to limit the use of lawn areas until the turf is established. Duluth Parks and Recreation staff will begin taking reservations for the park, including the stone pavilion, in January 2024.

This project was made possible by grant funding from the National Park Service Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program administered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources Clean Water Fund Competitive Grants Program, the City of Duluth's Community Development Block Grant Program, and the U.S. Bank Foundation. Additional funding support came from half-and-half tourism tax proceeds, the City of Duluth parks capital, the Super Bowl Legacy program, and donations from Essentia Health, maurices, St. Luke's, and Minnesota Power.