Lake Place Discovered By Kent G. Worley, Landscape Architect Finally, there is a glimmer that Duluth can begin to discover, or re-discover, "Lake Place"-the 2.5-acre public lakefront plaza over the freeway at the "corner-of-the-lake." Thanks to City Councilor Donny Ness, and his Bridge Syndicate "breath-of-fresh-air" membership, there is renewed discovery of the original visions for Lake Place. The space was designed for and is intended to be filled with activities, music, public art and art events, public information, downtown announcements, lakefront interpretation, picnics, noon-hour breaks, teaching, and discovery of things natural and things manmade. Many of these activities need planning, organizing, and implementing to accomplish in order to become successful and to establish some patterns. This void in planning and organizing has been one of the missing ingredients. The other missing ingredient is the connecting link, which is the un-built 100-foot-wide entryway connecting Lake Place to Superior Street downtown (now called "Old Downtown"). This connecting space was part of the original Master Plan and remains key to the success that Lake Place can bring to all of downtown and to Canal Park. This was the one section of Lake Place that the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration left to the city to accomplish because this area was not within highway right-of-way limits. The fact this was not done ten years ago when it should have happened should now give us additional incentive to designate this a high-priority need. One of the primary objectives of Duluth's Lake Place connection to the Lakefront and Canal Park is to provide a convenient way for the million-plus visitors in Canal Park to flow into downtown and utilize our existing businesses, offices, and services. People do not make the mental association of access unless they can actually "see" connecting linkages and activities to feel confident they will know where they can go and how to return. Seeing people and activities at Lake Place, hearing music or stopping off for some impromptu event will accomplish the intended liveliness, which can complete that important lakefront-to-downtown transition and linkage. The city of Seattle included similar over-freeway plazas. The nearby coffee-and-sandwich shops became well-established, and a healthy synergy of uses-activities-people-events-shopping and high-quality outdoor environments resulted. It's time we take advantage of these same opportunities and find ways to celebrate our lakefront-yes, even twelve months of the year. Imagine ice and snow sculpture contests, lakefront skiing and teaching, art events and instruction: Once started, they will expand as imaginations soar, finding new ways and reasons to help winter become more user-friendly while contributing to our downtown quality of life. These articles are retained on the web for historical interest and do not necessarily reflect the views or goals of DPPA today.

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