As the planning phase of Duluth’s $36 million-dollar Athletic Venue Reinvestment Initiative (AVRI) continues, the city is asking for community input.

On August 27 Duluth Parks, along with RDG designs – the firm hired to develop the AVRI action plan, held the first public input session in the form of an open house in the lakeside neighborhood’s Portman Park community center.

“This is an opportunity to have our first touch base with the community in an open communication process,” explained Jessica Peterson, Duluth Parks’ manager, “The information we gather from here and the other open houses this week, as well as some focus groups that we’re holding with individual sports groups, will serve us as a basis of community input as we move through our concept process.”

Throughout the room posterboards were displayed where visitors could share feedback on current facilities, as well as share what they’d like to see as the initiative moves forward.

“I would like to see more pickleball courts.” Said open house visitor Andrew Gunderson, who shared that while the courts at the Wheeler Athletic Complex Wheeler Athletic are nice, they can get crowded sometimes as the popularity of the sport continues to grow.

Representatives from Duluth Parks as well as RDG designs were on hand to hear from citizens. For Gunderson, it was a chance to advocate for a dedicated space for the team he coaches at Denfeld High School.

“Also hoping to have a robotics facility. That’s one of the things that has been missing in our area. My students have been pushing for a long time to have a facility where they can practice, and it would help them interact with other students. People from all over would come around to practice with them.”

RDG is set to have an action plan developed by the spring of 2025. Peterson says Duluth Parks is excited to get the upgrades started.

“Once we get through that planning process, we’re looking forward to starting to make improvements right away to our outdoor infrastructure especially. And I think what that’s going to mean is a more vibrant sports community.”

Duluth Parks will host two more open houses on August 28, at downtown Duluth Public Library from 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. and at Morgan Park Community Center from 5 to 7 p.m.