The Downtown Duluth Waterfront wraps around the western tip of Lake Superior, where foreign and domestic vessels sail right past your storefront. Our vibrant commercial hub is a strategic location for retailers, service providers, and businesses of all kinds. Our two largest employers – Essentia Health and St. Luke’s Hospital – employ more than 10,000 healthcare professionals and draw more than 750,000 patients and visitors from outside the region each year.

6.7 million visitors each year
Each year, more than 6.7 million tourists provide an economic impact of $780 million dollars. The Downtown Waterfront has 12 hotels, more than 50 restaurants, and a variety of popular attractions such as the Lake Superior Maritime Museum, Great Lakes Aquarium, S.S. William A. Irvin, The Depot/Lake Superior Railroad Museum, and Bayfront Festival Park. Numerous outdoor activities draw visitors to our shores and keep Duluthians engaged, and for that, we were recognized as Outside Magazine's Best Places to Live 2014.

Unprecedented development
Ongoing, major construction is proof that the Downtown Duluth Waterfront is an ever-expanding hub for business success. Since 2005, more than $300 million have been invested in projects from medical district expansions and hotels to theatres, condos, and building rehabilitations. Some major projects downtown include the headquarters of clothing retailer Maurices, Duluth Transit Authority Multimodal Transportation Center, and the reconstruction of Superior Street.

Growth in high-income households and a built-in customer base
A recent study of demographic characteristics and retail sales potential for the GDC by McComb Group, Ltd., projects a 23% increase in households with incomes over $150,000 by 2015. Duluth’s Downtown Waterfront is a great place to do business and continues to get even better.

More than 18,000 workers converge on Duluth’s Downtown Waterfront every day, creating a hub of activity. The McComb Group put the 2010 spending potential by employees at $123 million.

The energy of 25,000 college students
Five colleges and universities within a few miles of Duluth’s Downtown Waterfront means a well-educated, competent, and motivated workforce that equals high productivity and a stronger bottom line for your business.

High traffic and plentiful parking
The average daily traffic volume on Interstate 35, through Duluth, is 59,000 vehicles. This traffic, along with major traffic arteries from all directions, feeds into the Downtown Waterfront. There are nearly 15,000 parking spaces located throughout the district in ramps, lots, and on the streets. Additionally, we operate a parking program that allows businesses to offer free ramp parking to their customers.

Economic and relocation assistance
Downtown Duluth is a leading organization in helping businesses secure assistance from a variety of private and public development agencies.

Ready sites and low occupancy costs
While the Downtown Duluth Waterfront continues to attract more and more businesses, there still are attractive storefronts and office spaces available. Many of these spaces are available at square-footage costs that are lower than the national average.

Extensive Skywalk System
The Downtown Waterfront is weatherproof when you want it to be, thanks to 3.5 miles of skywalk that allow pedestrians to travel all across the downtown in climate-controlled comfort.