Planning Commission OKs Land Change For Possible Kwik Trip

Duluth, Minn. — The Duluth Planning Commission voted Tuesday night to change a portion of land near the Proctor border from residential used to mixed-use.  This come as Kwik Trip wants to move into the area.

The location is on Boundary Avenue and U.S. Hwy 2.

It was one week ago when residents from Proctor packed a Kwik Trip open house with concerns about the potential development just across the boundary.

But at the planning commission meeting Tuesday night, neighbors in Duluth were standing up in support of a new Kwik Trip in their backyards.

“There is no grocery outlet in either Proctor or next to Zenith Terrace. We have many families, many of them seniors. There’s a great need for an operation like Kwik Trip,” said Dave Goldber, owner of the Terrace Estates, which houses 1,200 residents.

“It’s a tremendous asset to residents of Zenith Terrace. Like I say, they’re young and old and they have no other way to go to other than drive to West Duluth to get anything in the way of groceries,” Goldberg said.  “There’s just no question it’s a great boom and they’re just anxiously waiting for the store to be open because it’s something they’re looking for.”

Those opposed to the idea say local businesses in the area — mostly in Proctor — will be directly affected with the presence of a Kwik Trip.

“It’s going to affect us hugely. It will affect Holiday, we’ve been competing with them for years and the guys in Proctor it’s going to affect them too,” said Mobile Mart Owner Wade LeBlanc.

With the land changed to multi-use, this now allows Kwik Trip or any other commercial business to apply for a special-use permit with the Planning Commission. The commission then makes recommendations on proposals and approves or denies those plans.

For the previous story, click here.