DULUTH, MN (KDAL) – A report from the UMD Labovitz School’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research says a redesign of I-35 through downtown Duluth would provide a big boost in the Duluth economy.
The proposal has the potential of providing anywhere from 500 million to 4.5 billion dollars from the re-use of available land for private investment.
The study was done in response to the growing interest of the community in the redesign of the freeway including the Duluth Waterfront Collective and the Duluth City Council.
The report also indicates such a construction project would support 450 jobs and contribute nearly 39 million to the area GDP and produce nearly 74 million in spending.
The study area for the research includes the one-mile segment of the freeway that separates the city’s central business district from the Lake Superior waterfront, as well as the area immediately surrounding the freeway.
The Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Council (MIC) is currently conducting an extensive I-35 corridor planning study that includes the downtown Duluth I-35 segment.
The results of that study will also play an important part in developing the long-term goals for the corridor.
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