RESCHEDULED: Public Invited To Chester Bowl Bridge Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony In Duluth
UPDATE: Due to weather challenges on the original date, the ribbon-cutting ceremony has been rescheduled to Monday, July 10 at 3:00 p.m.
In 2012, major flooding washed out the dam and pond at Chester Bowl, and a temporary footbridge was installed seasonally for creek crossing during the winter months.
Unfortunately, that seasonal bridge often required early closure due to high water levels during the spring melting season, which forced the snow recreation season to sometimes end early. Building a new, permanent bridge has been a priority of the Chester Bowl Improvement Club.
Good news arrived this week when the City Of Duluth Parks and Recreation Department announced that a new bridge has been completed and a public ribbon-cutting ceremony has been scheduled.
The new bridge better supports recreation at Chester Bowl by restoring year-round access across Chester Creek and improving trail connectivity around Chester Bowl. The construction and installation of the bridge were funded through a Community Development Public Facilities grant, economic development funding from St. Louis County, and donations to the Chester Bowl Improvement Club. In-kind support was also provided by LHB, Inc. and the City of Duluth.
The City of Duluth and the Chester Bowl Improvement Club invite the public to the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, June 28 at 3:00 p.m. The ribbon-cutting event will take place at the Chalet at Chester Bowl, located at 1801 E Skyline Drive.
The bridge is the first phase of Chester Bowl Improvement Club’s capital improvements to Chester Park, ensuring that future generations continue to have the same or expanded recreation opportunities in the park.
Chester Bowl has also launched “Growing Up Chester,” a fundraising campaign to expand and renovate the Thom Storm Chalet. The current Chalet is too small to accommodate current programming levels, is not ADA accessible, and is not energy efficient. The new Chalet will use the current foundation while increasing the building’s footprint, adding an elevator, and completely modernizing the building.