Duluth approves 2% tax for Lincoln Park Craft District upkeep

Duluth City Council approved a 2% special service district charge for the Lincoln Park Craft District, putting neighborhood businesses and properties on the hook for upkeep intended to keep the corridor clean, safe and visible. The money will flow through the Lincoln Park Business Group and stay inside Lincoln Park for district improvements.

The council took the vote during a public hearing Monday, June 29, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in council chambers at Duluth City Hall, 411 West First Street. A city notice set the hearing for public comment on the proposed imposition of service charges within the district, and Minnesota law under Chapter 428A allows cities to create special service districts after the required petition and hearing process.

The Lincoln Park Business Group was established in the 1930s. It helped name the neighborhood Lincoln Park in the 1990s and helped brand West Superior Street as the Lincoln Park Craft District in the late 2000s. The district boundary in the operating plan runs from 14th Avenue West and Piedmont Avenue to Carlton Street, and from the St. Louis Bay to West Skyline Parkway.

The petition for the special service district was signed by owners representing more than 25% of the net tax capacity and more than 25% of the land area subject to the charges, clearing the threshold needed to move ahead. The measure is meant to give the district a stable funding source for work the city cannot provide at the needed level.

That work includes cleaner and more welcoming streetscapes, coordinated marketing, full-time staff support and physical improvements. LPBG already coordinates trash pickup, tree care and district marketing through membership dues and a small Tourism Tax allocation, but the special service district would create a more sustainable stream for clean-and-safe work and maintenance.