City Suggests Downscaling Lester Park Golf Course
Recommendations Will be Brought to the Council May 13
DULUTH, Minn. – After a 15-month long collaboration with the Friends of Duluth Public Golf, Duluth Golf Citizen advisory Committee, and members of the public the City of Duluth has proposed their recommendations for the future of Duluth’s public golf courses.
Their recommendations include closing and selling the Lake Nine at Lester Park Golf Course and making necessary updates to the Enger Park Golf Course.
The city also recommends re-evaluating the original 18 holes at Lester after the 2022 season to see if the financial performance is strong enough to continue operations into 2023.
“For fifteen months, City staff has engaged with the community, public officials, and stakeholders to choose the right path forward for Duluth’s public golf courses and the green space around them,” said Director of Public Administration Jim Filby-Williams. “This signals the intent of the City of Duluth, supported by the Duluth Golf Citizen Advisory Committee, to add and protect more public greenspace, while also making an improvement to golf. This furthers the City’s intent to provide outdoor amenities to the public, while coming to an agreement with the golfing community, and creating needed space for housing.”
“When Imagine Duluth 2035 was adopted last June, rezoning portions of our two golf courses was the last piece of the puzzle in finalizing that document. Using this land to further our needs in creating more housing units, and having many of those be affordable, is consistent with the City’s housing goals within the plan, and in the health and fairness governing principles,” said Director of Planning and Economic Development, Keith Hamre.
The plan would also call for the potential redevelopment of the bottom 50 acres of the Lester Park Golf Course to accommodate up to 400 units of multi-family housing and the driving range at Enger Park Golf Course to be re-developed to create 120 units of multi-family housing.
The official recommendations are expected to be brought to the Duluth City Council May 13.
