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Howie

Duluth's homegrown columnist. Since 1971.

Downtown Duluth

Howie / HowieHanson.com

Downtown Duluth takes small steps toward a bigger test

Downtown Duluth has hired someone to help move its revitalization plan forward, organized working groups and reported new storefront openings. Those are legitimate beginnings for a district trying to regain its footing. The harder question, a year after the Imagine Downtown plan was unveiled, is when those beginnings will produce improvements people can consistently see on their way to work, into a business or along a downtown sidewalk.

The five-year effort deserves a fair accounting. It would be inaccurate to say nothing has happened, and premature to suggest downtown’s central problems have been solved. The record shows an organization putting people and activities behind its promises while its largest ambitions — more housing, stronger businesses and a safer downtown — remain substantial work ahead.

The first steps were organizational. Project manager JL Herbert began in May, and four working groups were established to address housing, economic development, public spaces, and quality of life and safety. That gives the effort people responsible for carrying it forward. The next test is whether that structure can produce completed projects and publicly reported results.

There have been encouraging developments beyond meetings. At the Aug. 27 community update, organizers reported seven new retail businesses opening downtown during 2026. The list included Underwood Coffee, North & Shore and Duluth Old Fashioned Candy. Each opening represents someone willing to invest in downtown and give customers another reason to visit.

Still, openings are only part of the business story. A meaningful assessment also needs closures, occupied storefronts and evidence that businesses can survive beyond their opening months. The August tally establishes that investment is occurring; it does not, by itself, establish how much downtown’s overall business health has improved or how much credit belongs to the plan.

Smaller public-space efforts offer another beginning. The August update described First Street Fridays and related grants bringing activity to First Street, along with the purchase of new Christmas lights. Those measures can make downtown more inviting, although the broader proposals for signs, connections and skywalk improvements require additional execution.

Safety presents a more demanding test. August reporting identified increased police foot patrols and a needle-collection initiative. Those are responses to real concerns, but activity and outcomes need separate accounting. Residents and businesses deserve comparable figures showing whether conditions improve over time, alongside an honest assessment of whether people feel more comfortable downtown.

Housing remains one of the largest unfinished assignments. The goal is 1,500 additional residential units, with a proposed downtown development corporation intended to help assemble investment and advance projects. At the August presentation, that corporation remained a proposal. Moving from an ambitious number to occupied homes requires financing, viable sites and developers able to complete the work.

The proposed coordination of services among CHUM, Damiano Center and Union Gospel Mission also carries considerable promise and substantial obligations. Their Pathway Forward initiative envisions a more connected shelter and housing system, with major phases extending into 2027, 2028 and beyond. Its success will depend on funding and

Sports

Prep Sports Notebook: Experienced Hawks look to turn growing pains into gains

“We don't set ourselves up for easy scheduling by playing teams that won't help us grow. Our motto is that our section games shouldn't be the toughest opponents throughout the season.” -- Hermantown boys basketball coach Andy Fenske

Pen-and-ink sketch of Howie

Howie

Editor & Publisher

3-minute read

HERMANTOWN — Andy Fenske saw his players grow into unexpected responsibilities last winter. Now the Hermantown boys basketball coach wants that experience to translate into a stronger start, greater consistency and a team prepared to contend when the postseason arrives.

The Hawks are scheduled to open their 2026-27 season at home against Princeton on Friday, Dec. 4, at 7:15 p.m., with an experienced senior group and enough competition from younger players to give the coaching staff several possible lineup combinations.

Hermantown finished 8-19 last season, but Fenske believes the record tells only part of the story of a group that had to adjust as the season unfolded.

“We're hoping to build upon the success that we were able to find last year,” Fenske said. “While the win/loss record grew slightly, we had a lot of players filling in spots they weren't expecting to be in at the start of the year. As the players grew into their roles, we saw the success come too.”

The next step is turning those lessons into dependable production. Fenske expects his seniors to establish the early direction, drawing on their varsity experience and familiarity with the program as the Hawks work through lineup decisions.

“Early in the year, we're going to rely on this group of seniors to give us a spark and lead the way,” Fenske said. “They have a decent amount of Varsity experience as well as have been in our program for years.”

Those seniors will have help. Fenske said sophomores and juniors can supply quality minutes on both ends of the floor, giving the staff multiple credible options for its starting five. In preseason discussions, coaches have proposed different combinations without any one lineup seeming implausible.

That competition gives Hermantown an opportunity to develop a rotation with contributions across multiple classes. It also puts an emphasis on what players do in practice as the staff determines which combinations work best together.

Fenske intends to test that depth against a demanding schedule. His approach is to expose the Hawks to opponents who force them to improve throughout the winter, preparing them for the level of competition they expect to face in the section tournament.

“We don't set ourselves up for easy scheduling by playing teams that won't help us grow,” Fenske said. “Our motto is that our section games shouldn't be the toughest opponents throughout the season.”

That preparation could be particularly valuable this season. Fenske expects an unusually experienced group of seniors across the section, with several programs relying on players who have already spent multiple seasons in varsity roles.

“Across the board, I think this is the toughest senior class our section has seen in a long time,” Fenske said. “It seems that the majority of the programs have a handful of players that have multiple years of Varsity experience under their belt already.”

For Hermantown, the challenge will be developing the execution and composure to compete against those established groups. Fenske sees his own seniors as an important part of that equation, particularly when a game turns difficult and younger players need direction.

“As most people know, come playoff time, it's those seniors with that experience that are going to help you get through the mental barriers when you're backed into a corner; this includes our group of seniors as well,” he said.

The Hawks enter the season with more players accustomed to varsity responsibilities and a coach encouraged by the choices available to his staff. Whether that produces a longer postseason run will depend on the work between the Princeton opener and the section tournament.

“Everyone is optimistic at this time of the year that they'll be the ones cutting down nets into late March,” Fenske said. “I just hope that the boys in our program, from freshmen to seniors, are physically and mentally ready to put in the work so they have a chance to be the ones climbing that ladder and cutting down a piece of history to keep for themselves!”