We are delighted to announce that the City of Duluth and Chester Bowl are recommended for $2,312,000 in funding from the Legislative Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, known as LCCMR, for our project to expand and renovate the Thom Storm Chalet!
This is a monumental day for Chester Bowl and the City of Duluth, as it brings our vision for the Chalet that will serve the next generations so close to becoming a reality!
Thanks to those that love and support Chester Bowl, we have already raised about $950,000 during the Growing Up Chester fundraising campaign, which provided the match that allowed the City of Duluth to apply for and be recommended for LCCMR funding through the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund. With a total projected cost of $3,850,000, we are less than $600,000 from having a fully funded project!
While announcing this funding, Chester Bowl Executive Director Dave Schaeffer says, “We are delighted to be recommended for funding from the LCCMR. We have seen so much local community support in our fundraising work so far in the campaign. This LCCMR funding is a significant step in turning our dream of an expanded and renovated Chalet into a reality! We know the local community will support our final fundraising push so the new Chalet can serve children and families for generations to come. Participation in our outdoor recreation and environmental education based programming has been steadily growing to a point where we have outgrown the building, so this project is necessary to allow Chester Bowl to serve more people, and to serve them better.”
Mayor Roger Reinert says, “The recommendation by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources to fund the “Growing Up Chester” project is a testament to the strong partnership between our City of Duluth Parks and Rec staff, and the Chester Bowl Improvement Club. Their work and commitment are reflected not only in this substantial award, but also the $950,00 already raised in private contributions. We are excited to work with the Chester Bowl Improvement Club to see this project completed. The new chalet will continue to represent what’s possible when passionate individuals partner with the City to achieve a public good.”
What’s next? Official legislative approval of the recommendations is expected during the 2025 legislative session. LCCMR funds will be available in July 2025, which is when we can start the next phase of design work for the expanded Chalet. Our goal is to complete the design work in 2025 and begin construction in spring 2026. We hope to be based out of the renovated space when our alpine season opens in December 2026.
To make that happen, between now and July 2025 Chester Bowl needs to raise the final 15% of the project cost. We need your support to get us across the finish line. If you love Chester Bowl and our work to make sure everyone in Duluth has the opportunity to participate in programming in Chester Park, we hope you will support Growing Up Chester with a donation towards our Chalet renovation and expansion project. You can give online or find out about other options by using the “donate” button at the top of this page.
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