Duluth launches First Street Fridays to boost downtown foot traffic

Downtown Duluth will close First Street between First and Second Avenues East on Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the first First Street Fridays event, a street activation meant to bring more people into the corridor and support nearby businesses.

The June 26 gathering will include food trucks, buskers, local business offerings, dance performances, fitness activities, planting activities, art interactives, history tours and other family-friendly programming. City departments will be on site as well, with Duluth Parks and Recreation running a yard games area and the Duluth Public Library bringing Little Library Go.

A second First Street Friday is scheduled for July 31, also from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Alongside the events, the Duluth Economic Development Authority is offering First Street Growth grants of up to $500 for eligible building owners and businesses on First Street between Fourth Avenue West and Fourth Avenue East, alley to alley. The grants can reimburse exterior cleaning, painting, live performances, classes, seating, signage, planters, lighting and community-hosted activities, but recipients must submit receipts and photos showing how the money was spent. The first application deadline passed May 15, and the second round is due July 10.

A 2022 redevelopment request for proposals tied to East 1st Street named the nearby Tech Village Ramp at 10 East 1st Street, with 595 spaces, and the Medical District Ramp at 302 East 1st Street, with 600 spaces, as parking assets that could support future density. Downtown Duluth’s Imagine Downtown vision calls for a district that is welcoming, vibrant and prosperous by 2030, with housing and stronger community connections. Mayor Roger Reinert lists downtown revitalization as one of his five strategic goals. A skywalk study found 59% vacancy in skywalk-linked retail space and about $350,000 a year in security costs.