44th Avenue Waterfront Public Input Continues
On Monday, August 24, 33 community members and project partners gathered at the 44th Avenue waterfront in Superior to continue shaping a vision for future public access at the site. LEARN ABOUT THE PROJECT HERE.
Hosted by Stantec, the City of Superior, and the St. Louis River Alliance, the Community Design Workshop built on feedback gathered through a community survey and the June Old Dock – New Era walking tour. This time, participants had an opportunity to respond to early design ideas and identify what matters most to them as planning moves forward.
Balancing Public Access and a Working Waterfront
The evening began with an overview from the City of Superior and Stantec before turning to an important part of planning for the site: understanding its many existing and potential uses.
Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Duluth Sail and Power Squadron shared how their organizations currently use the property and considerations that will need to remain part of future planning.
For the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, continued access to the waterfront is important for maintaining the Duluth-Superior Harbor. Large deliveries of stone can bring significant truck traffic to the site, raising considerations around safety, dust, noise, road maintenance, and temporary closures.
The Power Squadron also shared its long history leasing the property from BNSF Railroad and spoke about security, maintenance, and its investment in caring for the site over the past several decades.
The conversation prompted questions from attendees about how these existing uses could coexist with greater public access. Community members also shared experiences with the property and surrounding neighborhood, including past limitations on access.
While perspectives sometimes differed, one idea came through clearly: this is a unique, mixed-use waterfront, and planning its future will require balancing public access with the organizations and activities already operating there.
What Does the Community Want to See?
Following the group discussion, participants moved among interactive boards created by Stantec to weigh in on different areas and potential features of the property. Using colored stickers and sticky notes, attendees identified priorities and added their own ideas for the design team to consider.
Feedback included interest in:
Safe and convenient access to the water, particularly for nearby Allouez residents
Opportunities for families and children, including the possibility of a playground
Maintaining access for activities such as ice fishing
Considering pollinator habitat as part of the landscape
Minimizing light pollution
Safe routes and clear communication when large trucks and other industrial activities are using the property
Thoughtful and educational signage and communication to help different users safely share the space, and understand the uses of the space
The discussion also reinforced the importance of communication as the site becomes more accessible. Attendees talked about signage, advance notice of heavy truck traffic or temporary closures, and educating both visitors and commercial users about how to safely navigate a shared space.
What Happens Next?
The concepts shared at the workshop are not final designs. Community feedback gathered during the event will be combined with additional public comments and used by Stantec to further develop plans for the site.
Project information and opportunities to provide feedback will be shared through the City of Superior and St. Louis River Alliance project pages (coming soon!). The public will have at least a month to provide additional comments before the design team moves into the next round of concept planning.
Thank you to everyone who came out, asked questions, shared ideas, and helped us better understand what matters to the people who use, and hope to use, this waterfront. The future of the 44th Avenue waterfront is still taking shape, and community voices continue to be an important part of that process.
