Tell me about Duluth City Hall And Town Center (East Point: condo, construction)

[Tryska]

I have fallen in love with the City Hall building they completed in 2007.

Anyone that knows the details of how it came about, was it a successful venture - how it deviated from the plan, etc?

it looks gorgeous inside and out from the pics I've seen on the web.

I also like the entire redevelopment around it. Does the Festival Center get used a lot?

[arjay57]

Don't know the background but I sure like it, too.

[Tryska]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Don't know the background but I sure like it, too.

Right? You don't see new municipal construction that attractive typically.

[ATLTJL]

I don't know the details, but I heard it was a pet project of Shirley Lassiter when she was mayor of Duluth.

So it was actually probably built using crooked money. Oh well, even though we all hate pork barrel spending, there are benefactors. The people of Duluth got something nice for electing a horrible mayor (at least I assume, maybe she wasn't crooked yet back when she was mayor).

Festival Center is nice and gets used a fair amount. Duluth is wrapping up food truck Fridays where a bunch of food trucks come out and there is a free concert and sometimes movie at the Festival Center. It's small and containable, and cooler than it might sound. Last weekend, Home played a really nice set, but they also have terrible cover bands from time to time.

Duluth just had the fall festival a couple of weeks ago, which is the largest festival the city hosts each year. There are many smaller events all the time that aren't promoted very well. I'm not sure if Duluth just needs marketing help or if they try to keep it slightly low key on purpose because the town center isn't huge. I like Duluth because they have fairly interesting things and the crowds are never that horrible.

[Tryska]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

So it was actually probably built using crooked money. Oh well, even though we all hate pork barrel spending, there are benefactors. The people of Duluth got something nice for electing a horrible mayor (at least I assume, maybe she wasn't crooked yet back when she was mayor).

it's funny you say that, because this was the article that actually put it on my radar. In what I am digging up about pricing though - it actually was quite a value. I know the areas around me have been quoted a lot higher, for a lot less attractive.

Investing In Public Development: Spending With Purpose


it seems like the developments in that area, really kind of activated and made "a place" out of Downtown Duluth.

[Tryska]

Oh - how do they manage parking? is there a deck with the City Hall, or Surface parking? or a deck elsewhere or something? All I see are close-in shots.

[ATLTJL]

There is only a small surface parking lot, to my knowledge. Overflow parking is handled by nearby street parking, but that's rarely a problem. Duluth has a lean government, so there really aren't that many people who work in the building. But it's my voting location and I've never had a problem parking in the lot or very nearby.

It's equally beautiful on the inside, btw.

Downtown Duluth is doing much better these days, but still largely lives in the shadow of Suwanee. I feel like Duluth is wisely trying to skew slightly more upscale and adult instead of just being 100% family friendly. Eddie Owen (from Eddie's Attic) has a venue downtown with live music occasionally and I know the city REALLY wants someone to open some kind of bar to keep people downtown after the shows let out. If anybody has ever wanted to open a bar, you probably won't find any governmental body as eager to give you a liquor license than the city of Duluth! The city even revised its open container laws to allow carrying beer and wine anywhere downtown during events, so you aren't corralled into a beer garden.

The city is very progressive in how it is growing, but it hasn't reached the critical mass that it seems like it should have by now. I think there's a ton of potential in Duluth to be something great.....someday. The biggest problem with downtown that I can see is its growth is fairly limited by train tracks to the east, a cemetery to the south, a school to the north, and a condo/greenspace to the west.

If you'd like to experience Duluth, I recommend visiting during one of the events or enjoying a dinner at Park Cafe, which is quite excellent.

[Tryska]

I will have to check out. Downtown East Point has a similar issue, with Train/MARTA tracks. We do have the land to make something good, and are in need of new government offices, so that we can accommodate employees back downtown, and hopefully stimulate a revitalization, just by having bodies there.

That's funny about the eagerness to have a bar. Seems like it wouldn't be that hard to make happen. That is one of those starter businesses.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

If you'd like to experience Duluth, I recommend visiting during one of the events or enjoying a dinner at Park Cafe, which is quite excellent.

I wholeheartedly agree with that. Park Cafe is a totally charming place with a very intelligent wine list. You won't find a Turley zin at too many places in town.

[DJDeadParrot]

Since moving in nearby, I've found downtown Duluth to be a fantastic place for community events [regrettably, I missed the fall festival]. Parking has never really been a problem, even on any given food truck friday during the height of summer.