May 7, 2021 4:13 AM
DULUTH, MN (CBS-3) – Duluth leaders unveiled a new $24-million plan Thursday to fix up Spirit Mountain and stop the ski hill from causing further financial strain on the city.
Duluth Mayor Emily Larson announced her recommendations, which are based on the Spirit Mountain Task Force’s findings.
The proposal includes fixing up the Skyline Chalet and campground, finishing the Nordic Skiing trail, and improving the winter skiing and riding infrastructure, among other things.
In all, it’s a $24 million capital investment plan. Larson said state bonding dollars would fund half of that, with a quarter coming from Duluth’s tourism tax and another quarter from Spirit Mountain itself.
Duluth mayor proposes $24M investment at Spirit Mountain for improvements
Mayor says investments will help the struggling recreation area get back on track financially.
Author:
Duluth Mayor Emily Larson wants to invest $24 million at the Spirit Mountain Recreation Area, which has struggled financially in recent years but has stayed afloat thanks to bailouts from the city.
At a news conference on Thursday, Larson announced the capital improvement plan, saying for years it has felt like our entire financial strategy for this incredible regional asset has been based on Band-Aids of emergency cash infusion. Spirit Mountain is caught in a continual lose-lose loop of financial calamity, facility maintenance crisis and continual operational challenges, she added.
A few letters that I would think are more traditionally difficult to place have easy Duluth answers.
Written By:
Kathleen Murphy, For the News Tribune | 11:00 am, May 7, 2021 ×
News Tribune photo illustration / Getty Images
My interest in writing began with an alphabet book. I was captivated with the bold, colorful letters that graced each page, fascinated with the images that accompanied each letter. The book was beautiful in its simplicity. Though I’m willing to bet there are a lot of people who can claim the same start to their journey into reading and writing, few remember it. It’s an alphabet book, after all. Most were infants when they first had an alphabet read to them. Toddlers at best.
Created: May 06, 2021 04:57 PM
Spirit Mountain has gone through its fair share of financial woes over the years, but on Thursday, Duluth city leaders laid out how they plan to reinvest in it with the goal of getting it back on track.
The city is proposing to launch a $24 million capital reinvestment program.
Of this, 50% would be funded by state bonding, 25% by the city from tourism taxes, and 25% by Spirit Mountain itself.
This comes after a report from a task force found that Spirit Mountain brings in $22 million annually to the City of Duluth.
As part of the reinvestment, there will be a number of capital projects as well, including:
Duluth Mayor Emily Larson addressed the media Thursday afternoon to offer recommendations for making the Spirit Mountain Recreational Area a more financially viable entity in the years ahead.
The press event, held at Spirit Mountain at 2 pm on Thursday afternoon, offered recommendations based on a report from the Spirit Mountain Task Force and consulting firm SE Group. The report explored how to bring better financial footing and improvements to the recreation area, which has amassed a sizable debt in recent years.
While Spirit Mountain did post a profit last year, despite the pandemic, the recreation area has received a series of loans from the City of Duluth as it has dealt with financial challenges in recent years. Those loans were actually one of the subject of Mayor Larson s recommendations in Thursday s presentation. As she explained, she felt a number of Band-Aids have been placed on the Spirit Mountain issue, and she feels this plan will create a permanent fix for the ve