West Duluth
Encyclopedia
West Duluth refers to an official neighborhood
district in the west-central part of Duluth
, Minnesota
, United States
.
Grand Avenue
, Central Avenue, Cody Street, and Interstate Highway 35
are four of the main arterial routes in the community.
West Duluth covers an area of 5726 acres (23 km²), or 13% of the city area, making it the third largest district in the city. Note that, as with many other Duluth neighborhood districts, the area is actually developed to a major extent is considerably smaller than the district figure. This is largely due to the harsh topography (hill) of the area.
The 2000 census enumerated 11,431 residents in the district, a 3% change from 1990. 23.8% of the population is under 18, and 15.7% over 65. 73.5% of households are owned, slightly higher than the city figure of 64.1%. The official figure places household density at just 0.85 / acre, but in most areas where development has actually taken place the density is much higher. As with the rest of the city, the housing stock tends to be very old by American standards, with a large percentage (most likely a majority) of homes having been built before 1939.
On a map, the core of West Duluth's "downtown
", or center of activity, roughly forms a triangle, with the sides being Grand Avenue (State Highway 23
), Central Avenue, and Bristol Street in Spirit Valley
. This area is formed by two building styles, the first old, often joined buildings, usually containing small, locally-owned stores on the first floor and apartments on the second (if present), and fronted by broad sidewalks. These occupy much of the Grand and Central avenue portions.
The other type, enclosed by Grand Avenue, Central Avenue, and facing Bristol Street on both sides consists of more recent construction resembling suburban sprawl, despite never sprawling, but only replacing older buildings. A strip mall
, "Valley Shopping Center" is anchored by a Kmart
store. A large sea of asphalt (parking lots and street), divided by buildings and concrete barriers, sits between the mall to other establishments, such as a large Super One supermarket
.
Just outside the core is a new urbanist
rowhouse development.
West Duluth's Spirit Valley business district is easily accessible from Interstate Highway 35
at Central Avenue.
. The local Catholic school is St. James, grades K-8, affiliated with the parish of the same name.
An exception to this is the Bayview Heights
neighborhood, where students attend Proctor's
public schools.
Events include:
Neighborhoods of Duluth, Minnesota
The city of Duluth, overlooking Lake Superior in the U.S. state of Minnesota has several distinct neighborhoods.- Central :*Canal Park*Central Hillside*Downtown Duluth*East Hillside*Park Point- Eastern Duluth :*Chester Park / UMD*Congdon Park...
district in the west-central part of Duluth
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Grand Avenue
Minnesota State Highway 23
Minnesota State Highway 23 is a state highway that stretches from southwest to northeast Minnesota. At in length, it is the second longest state route in Minnesota, after MN 1....
, Central Avenue, Cody Street, and Interstate Highway 35
Interstate 35 in Minnesota
In the U.S. state of Minnesota, Interstate 35 is a highway in southeast, east-central, and northeast Minnesota. The route runs north–south from the Iowa state line through the twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul; where it splits into Interstates 35E and 35W; and ends in the city of...
are four of the main arterial routes in the community.
Neighborhoods
Seven neighborhoods are located within official West Duluth district boundaries:- CodyCody (Duluth)The Cody neighborhood is located within the West Duluth district of Duluth, Minnesota, United States.Cody Street, Highland Street, 59th Avenue West, and West 8th Street are four of the main arterial routes in the community....
- DenfeldDenfeld (Duluth)The Denfeld neighborhood is located within the West Duluth district of Duluth, Minnesota, United States. It consists mostly of closely spaced single-family residential homes, although a fair number of such houses have an area within the domicile registered as a rental unit...
- FairmountFairmount (Duluth)The Fairmount neighborhood is located within the West Duluth district of Duluth, Minnesota, United States.Grand Avenue serves as a main arterial route in the community....
- IrvingIrving (Duluth)The Irving neighborhood is located within the West Duluth district of Duluth, Minnesota, United States.Raleigh Street, Central Avenue, and 59th Avenue West are three of the main arterial routes in the community....
- OneotaOneota (Duluth)The Oneota neighborhood is located within the West Duluth district of Duluth, Minnesota, United States.Interstate Highway 35, 40th Avenue West, West Michigan Street, and Oneota Street are four of the main arterial routes in the community....
- Spirit ValleySpirit Valley (Duluth)The Spirit Valley neighborhood and business district is located within the West Duluth district of Duluth, Minnesota, United States.Many stores and businesses in the neighborhood are concentrated along Grand Avenue, Central Avenue, Ramsey Street, and Bristol Street.The Spirit Valley business...
- Bayview HeightsBayview Heights (Duluth)Bayview Heights is a primarily residential neighborhood in Duluth, Minnesota, United States. Although it is grouped by the city with the West Duluth communities, it often functions more as a part of the city of Proctor than of Duluth, due primarily to its hilltop location rather than the...
(associated more with Proctor, MNProctor, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 2,852 people, 1,196 households, and 772 families residing in the city. The population density was 942.8 people per square mile . There were 1,246 housing units at an average density of 411.9 per square mile...
)
Geography & Population
The 2000 census enumerated 11,431 residents in the district, a 3% change from 1990. 23.8% of the population is under 18, and 15.7% over 65. 73.5% of households are owned, slightly higher than the city figure of 64.1%. The official figure places household density at just 0.85 / acre, but in most areas where development has actually taken place the density is much higher. As with the rest of the city, the housing stock tends to be very old by American standards, with a large percentage (most likely a majority) of homes having been built before 1939.
West Duluth's Center
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
", or center of activity, roughly forms a triangle, with the sides being Grand Avenue (State Highway 23
Minnesota State Highway 23
Minnesota State Highway 23 is a state highway that stretches from southwest to northeast Minnesota. At in length, it is the second longest state route in Minnesota, after MN 1....
), Central Avenue, and Bristol Street in Spirit Valley
Spirit Valley (Duluth)
The Spirit Valley neighborhood and business district is located within the West Duluth district of Duluth, Minnesota, United States.Many stores and businesses in the neighborhood are concentrated along Grand Avenue, Central Avenue, Ramsey Street, and Bristol Street.The Spirit Valley business...
. This area is formed by two building styles, the first old, often joined buildings, usually containing small, locally-owned stores on the first floor and apartments on the second (if present), and fronted by broad sidewalks. These occupy much of the Grand and Central avenue portions.
The other type, enclosed by Grand Avenue, Central Avenue, and facing Bristol Street on both sides consists of more recent construction resembling suburban sprawl, despite never sprawling, but only replacing older buildings. A strip mall
Strip mall
A strip mall is an open-area shopping center where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front...
, "Valley Shopping Center" is anchored by a Kmart
Kmart
Kmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
store. A large sea of asphalt (parking lots and street), divided by buildings and concrete barriers, sits between the mall to other establishments, such as a large Super One supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
.
Just outside the core is a new urbanist
New urbanism
New Urbanism is an urban design movement, which promotes walkable neighborhoods that contain a range of housing and job types. It arose in the United States in the early 1980s, and has gradually continued to reform many aspects of real estate development, urban planning, and municipal land-use...
rowhouse development.
West Duluth's Spirit Valley business district is easily accessible from Interstate Highway 35
Interstate 35 in Minnesota
In the U.S. state of Minnesota, Interstate 35 is a highway in southeast, east-central, and northeast Minnesota. The route runs north–south from the Iowa state line through the twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul; where it splits into Interstates 35E and 35W; and ends in the city of...
at Central Avenue.
Education
West Duluth students attend Stowe Elementary School, Laura MacArthur Elementary School, Lincoln Park Middle School, Morgan Park Middle School, and Denfeld High SchoolDenfeld High School
Denfeld High School is one of two high schools in Duluth, Minnesota, along with East as of 2011. Denfeld and Central merged together during the 2010-2011 school year and are called Denfeld in the newly renovated building. Serving over 1000 students from grades nine to twelve, Denfeld High School...
. The local Catholic school is St. James, grades K-8, affiliated with the parish of the same name.
An exception to this is the Bayview Heights
Bayview Heights (Duluth)
Bayview Heights is a primarily residential neighborhood in Duluth, Minnesota, United States. Although it is grouped by the city with the West Duluth communities, it often functions more as a part of the city of Proctor than of Duluth, due primarily to its hilltop location rather than the...
neighborhood, where students attend Proctor's
Proctor, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,852 people, 1,196 households, and 772 families residing in the city. The population density was 942.8 people per square mile . There were 1,246 housing units at an average density of 411.9 per square mile...
public schools.
Roads & Streets
- In 2004, a large section of 59th Avenue West was given new road surface pavement.
- In the summer of 2005, a large portion of Grand Avenue was given new road surface pavement. A stretch from 46th Avenue West to 59th Avenue West was entirely re-paved. The street lane format was altered, new stoplights were put in, new sidewalks were poured, as well as the addition of newer lamp posts.
- In the spring of 2006, construction started on the second phase of Grand Avenue. A section from 40th Avenue West to 46th Avenue West was redone. This project also repaired the sewage lines for several homes in the area.
- In the summer of 2010, a $66 million dollar 3-year project went underway to reconstruct a large section of Interstate Highway 35Interstate 35 in MinnesotaIn the U.S. state of Minnesota, Interstate 35 is a highway in southeast, east-central, and northeast Minnesota. The route runs north–south from the Iowa state line through the twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul; where it splits into Interstates 35E and 35W; and ends in the city of...
in West Duluth. All pavement was torn up and replaced, along with many concrete guardrails. Unused railroad bridges were removed, and many freeway entrance and exit ramps were given new pavement. The Minnesota Department of TransportationMinnesota Department of TransportationThe Minnesota Department of Transportation oversees transportation by land, water, and air in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The cabinet-level agency is responsible for maintaining the state's trunk highway system The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT, pronounced "min-dot") oversees...
referred to the 2010–2012 road construction project in the media as the "Interstate 35 Mega Project" in Duluth.
New Structures
In the past several years, numerous business and residential structures have been built in and around the West Duluth area.- In 2003, the West Duluth MenardsMenardsMenards is a chain of home improvement stores in the Midwestern United States.The privately held company headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin has 262 stores in 13 states: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, and...
was torn down and rebuilt as a larger store. At the time of completion, the Menards was the largest in the country. The building is located at Mike Colalillo Drive and West Superior Street.
- In 2004, the West Duluth Clinic opened its doors in its newly constructed offices located at 42nd Avenue West and Grand Avenue.
- In 2005, an Advance Auto PartsAdvance Auto PartsAdvance Auto Parts , headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, is the second-largest retailer of automotive replacement parts and accessories in the United States. AAP was founded in 1932 and had 2008 sales of approx. $5.1B...
shop was built at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Central Avenue.
- In summer 2005, an Acme Electric Tool Crib business was built on 44th Avenue West and Grand Avenue.
- In 2006, work was completed on a new building which housed both the SubwaySubway (restaurant)Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
and Papa John's PizzaPapa John's PizzaPapa John's Pizza is the third largest take-out and delivery pizza restaurant chain in the United States, behind Pizza Hut and Domino's Pizza. It is based in Louisville, Kentucky. Papa John's slogan is "Better Ingredients. Better pizza. Papa John's"...
franchises. This lot (at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Elinor Street / 52nd Avenue West) was formerly a used car dealershipCar dealershipA car dealership or vehicle local distribution is a business that sells new or used cars at the retail level, based on a dealership contract with an automaker or its sales subsidiary. It employs automobile salespeople to do the selling...
.
- In 2009, work began on expanding Denfeld High SchoolDenfeld High SchoolDenfeld High School is one of two high schools in Duluth, Minnesota, along with East as of 2011. Denfeld and Central merged together during the 2010-2011 school year and are called Denfeld in the newly renovated building. Serving over 1000 students from grades nine to twelve, Denfeld High School...
to accommodate more students as part of the school district's Red plan. Work is expected to finish by the end of summer 2011. A new addition was added to the existing Denfeld building.
Spirit Valley Days
The Spirit Valley Days festival takes place every August in West Duluth.Events include:
|
|
See also
- Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, MinnesotaDuluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
- Interstate Highway 35Interstate 35Interstate 35 is a north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. I-35 stretches from Laredo, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Duluth, Minnesota, at Minnesota Highway 61 and 26th Avenue East. Many interstates used to have splits or spurs indicated with suffixed letters , but I-35...
- Interstate Highway 35 in MinnesotaInterstate 35 in MinnesotaIn the U.S. state of Minnesota, Interstate 35 is a highway in southeast, east-central, and northeast Minnesota. The route runs north–south from the Iowa state line through the twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul; where it splits into Interstates 35E and 35W; and ends in the city of...
- U.S. Highway 2U.S. Route 2U.S. Route 2 is an east–west U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern Canada...
- U.S. Highway 2 in MinnesotaU.S. Route 2 in MinnesotaU.S. Highway 2 is a highway in northwest and northeast Minnesota, which runs from the Red River at East Grand Forks and continues east to Duluth, where the route crosses the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge over the Saint Louis Bay. The route connects the cities of East Grand Forks, Bemidji, Grand...
- Grand Avenue – State Highway 23Minnesota State Highway 23Minnesota State Highway 23 is a state highway that stretches from southwest to northeast Minnesota. At in length, it is the second longest state route in Minnesota, after MN 1....
- 40th Avenue West – County Road 91