Gov. Tim Walz Celebrates Medical Expansion in Duluth

Duluth receives $97.7 million in state funding for medical expansion projects this year.

DULUTH, Minn.- Governor Tim Walz visited Duluth to speak on how the state is helping fund the upcoming St. Lukes and Essentia Health medical expansion projects.

Essentia Health and St. Lukes has announced roughly a billion dollars in expansion projects over the next couple of years.

Governor Tim Walz congratulated city leaders for making the push to get close to 100 million from the state to help fund those projects this legislative session.

Walz thinks the city’s investment will affect more than just the medical district in downtown Duluth.

“This project will lead to the vitality, not just economically. Health–wise, it will make sure than Northern Minnesota has the facilities and has the capacity that they so richly deserve, and it was done by building this working coalition,” Walz said.

Representatives from Essentia Health and St. Lukes discussed their new facility designs and ideas, some of the projects already breaking ground this year.

“We were able to do it for Rochester, we should be able to do it for Duluth,” Walz said.

Walz even thinks Duluth could be a smaller medical destination for Northern Minnesota.

“There will continue to be an infusion of public value on those investments so that we can glean on the best of those private investments but also ensure the community public good is represented, as well,” Duluth Mayor Emily Larson said.

Both Gov. Walz and Mayor Larson say in addition to providing better healthcare for the community, the investments will be a catalyst for creating new jobs to employ thousands in the area.

“This is now a huge draw for people thinking ‘Where do I want to have a high quality of life? Where do I want to participate in the outdoors? Where do I want to do a startup company and where is there the capacity for educational institutions, the workforce development labor opportunities?’ these are all things we thought about with this,” Walz said.

Gov. Walz said moving forward the state should continue to provide this kind of investment to areas like Duluth.

Essentia Health and St. Lukes aren’t wasting any time on these projects, we’ll see some new additions to the medical district as early as Summer of 2020.