North Star Port

2 | NORTH STAR PORT | SPRING 2026 PHOTOS / Kate Ferguson, Paul Scinocca T he U. S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced April 28 that it awarded the Duluth Seaway Port Authority $27.5 million through its Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) to fund the Duluth Lake Port pier redevelopment project. The award, which received bipartisan support from Minnesota's congressional delegation, is the largest MARAD grant ever received by the Port Authority. It will be supplemented by $10.8 million in secured state and local funds, bringing the total proj- ect investment to approximately $38.3 million. The project will transform the 7.5-acre Duluth Lake Port pier on Rice's Point—a strategic waterfront property the Port Authority acquired in 2020—into a future-ready supply chain asset. Work will include reconstruction of approximately 1,150 linear feet of dock wall, demolition of grain elevators out of service since 2015, and the installation of new water service and stormwater management systems to prepare the site for freight-related redevelopment. "This MARAD grant represents a major investment in the Port of Duluth-Superior and the region's supply chain infrastruc- ture," said Kevin Beardsley, executive director, Duluth Seaway Port Authority. "It will be the catalyst in revitalizing a strategic pier complex in the heart of Duluth's working waterfront, and positioning it to be a vibrant asset for the port, the surrounding region, and the nation as a whole. "We're grateful and excited about the positive impact this investment will have throughout our community, and broadly, for our nation's supply chain and maritime infrastructure." The revitalized pier will leverage three strategic advantages: on-dock rail service connecting to multiple Class I railroads, vessel berthing capacity on two docks at Seaway depth, and a location at the heart of North America's farthest-inland seaport. A 2020 study from the U.S. Committee on the Marine Trans- portation System found that marine infrastructure investment returns to the broader economy $2 to $3 for every $1 spent, amplifying the impact of this award well beyond its face value. The project builds on a proven model of pier redevelopment at the Port of Duluth-Superior. The neighboring Clure Terminal Expansion pier—also a former grain facility—was redeveloped over three decades through sustained investment into a ver- satile 26-acre heavy-lift and project cargo hub. In early April, that pier welcomed its newest berths into service after a $10.5 million reconstruction, marking another milestone in the Port Authority's strategy of converting legacy industrial waterfront property into modern, productive maritime assets. Construction at the Duluth Lake Port pier can begin once a grant agreement is finalized with MARAD, a process that can take multiple months. The site work timeline is approximately two to three years. 2 | NORTH STAR PORT | SPRING 2026 PHOTOS / David Schauer (aerial), Duluth Seaway Port Authority SEASON UPDATE Largest MARAD grant in port history will prepare strategic 7.5-acre Rice's Point pier for next generation of cargo use This out-of-service grain complex on Rice's Point will be razed and recycled as part of a $38.3 million refurbishment and freight-related redevelopment of the Duluth Lake Port pier.

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