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THE Superior Telegram | Friday, January 24, 2025
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SUPERIOR HAPPENINGS
Business leaders seek solutions ahead of Blatnik closure BY SHELLEY NELSON Superior Telegram SUPERIOR — Traffic patterns are expected to change when the Blatnik Bridge closes for reconstruction, likely in early 2027. And that’s cause for concern for business owners and economic development professionals alike. And economic development professionals in Superior are working to develop solutions for businesses impacted by the change in traffic flow through the city. “Overall, businesses are concerned about it,” said Kelly Peterson,
director of the Superior Business Improvement District. “Northwest Outlet is certainly one of the businesses that benefits from Duluth traffic. They all do.” While attending meetings about the planned reconstruction project, Peterson said she learned that Duluth business owners are also concerned with how traffic patterns may affect their businesses. That prompted her to create a “pollinator” group with Duluth business districts like Canal Park and Lincoln Park to share ideas on how to support and promote businesses in both communities. The group
was scheduled to meet for the second time last week, she said. A primary concern is that people will drive past and not want to stay and deal with traffic, Peterson said. “We’re looking at ways we can support people once the traffic routes are for sure established,” she said. Traffic engineers working to mitigate the anticipated traffic issues say that Superior won’t bear the full brunt of the traffic pattern changes, but the city will bear a large brunt of the diversion issues when about 35,000 cars per day are shifted to the Bong Bridge. While
some of that traffic has already shifted because of the Twin Ports Interchange Project in Duluth, a 2018 study by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation looked at what happens in Superior when the Blatnik Bridge is closed. It found that traffic increases significantly on Belknap Street, the main detour route, and increases on other eastwest routes on Winter, North 21st and North 28th streets. To mitigate the higher traffic flow, engineers are recommending eliminating left turns at Banks and Ogden avenues on Belknap Street to keep
traffic flowing. Jim Caesar, director of The Development Association, has been working to develop a program that could provide financial assistance to businesses that demonstrate a loss of revenue due to the Blatnik Bridge reconstruction. Last year, the Superior Days delegation lobbied in Madison to fund such a program and will continue to lobby when they head to Madison again next month. Caesar said he worries 2027 will come and Superior is ill-prepared and businesses are failing. “That’s my biggest concern,” Caesar said. “And I’ve said this hundreds of
times — I’m more concerned about years two through five than I am about year one.” Minnesota and Wisconsin departments of transportation officialsexpect the bridge to be closed for about four years, but the project is expected to begin in 2026 and wrap up in 2031. Initially, people will still want to support local businesses, Caesar said, but he anticipates fatigue setting in with the hassle of traffic in subsequent years. “It’s more than the project itself,” Caesar said. “It’s more than the
CLOSURE on A12
Transportation company fills void, builds connections BY MARIA LOCKWOOD Superior Telegram SUPERIOR — C.W. Transportation Services opened in 2022, tucked into an office in the Alignment Brake Center building at 1201 Banks Ave. “I started out with four vans and we did minimal transports,” co-owner Warren Little said. “Then we got a contract, a big contract, with Inclusa, which is a very large managed care organization in Wisconsin.” Today, the business has 13 medical transport vehicles and 16 drivers at its new Superior location at 1619 Broadway St. The garage area is lined with specialized equipment, from stretchers to
to and from medical appointments, hospital stays and activities such as family get-togethers and grocery shopping. They also offer transportation for hospice and COVID-19 patients. “I cannot speak highly enough about the drivers and the staff,” said Greg Williams, of Superior. “They’re all top-notch people and they work around you. They make Jed Carlson / Duluth Media Group it happen for you.” Gary Myers, a mechanic and driver for C.W. C.W. Transportation Transportation Services, loads a wheelchair into a van Services’ hours of operaat the business’ headquarters on Broadway Street in tion, 6 a.m. to midnight, Superior on Jan. 2. seven days a week, meaning they’re available bariatric wheelchairs, to region here,” Little said, when Williams help bring clients home providing 75-100 rides needs them. following an emergency per day. “I get picked up about stay in the hospital. The business offers 20 to 6 in the morning to “We are one of the big- ambulatory, wheelchair go to dialysis. I feel bad gest companies in the and stretcher transports for them they have to get
up so early, but Warren is so accommodating. He made it work,” he said. Gail Trombley, of Superior, called the business, and the drivers, amazing. “They are very relatable, compassionate and they go out of their way to try to make sure that … my transportation is stress-free,” she said. When she travels to a medical appointment, whether down to the Mayo Clinic or through the construction in downtown Duluth, Trombley said, “It’s their headache, not mine.”
Door-to-door and beyond
C.W. Transportation Services drivers do more than pick up and drop off a client.
“What we do is make sure that they get to their appointment and they’re checked in before we walk away,” Little said. “We do not wheel somebody in and just leave. We call it door-to-door service, but it’s really more than that.” Drivers are crosstrained in multiple areas, CPR certified, and receive training on how to care for clients with dementia or traumatic brain injuries. “When we interview drivers, we want to hire people that are very vested in other people, because my motto is everybody you transport, treat them like it’s a family member, like it’s your
TRANSPORT on A12
Superior has resources for entrepreneurs seeking to start a business BY SHELLEY NELSON Superior Telegram
Contributed / City of Superior
The new C. Reiss Coal Company terminal between Hallott Dock and Midwest Energy Terminal in Superior is complete. The $22 million project has been in the works since 2020.
Superior dock ready for business C. Reiss Coal Company has a new terminal
BY SHELLEY NELSON Superior Telegram
The 55-acre site had to undergo major rehabilitation because it had gone unused for so long, SUPERIOR — The city’s industrious water- said Chris Niskanen, a spokesman for Stantec, front is going to be busithe design engineer for er when the shipping the project. season opens again. “A variety of past and C. Reiss Coal Compaadjacent uses resulted in ny’s new bulk commodity shipping terminal — a challenging environmen$22 million investment in tal issues for the design, permitting and constructhe western end of the tion,” Niskanen said. Port of Superior — Northland Construcis complete. tors of Duluth handled It’s been more than the construction and JF three decades since the Brennan Company of La site of the former BerCrosse, Wisconsin, was wind Coal Company the dredging contractor dock was operational.
for the project, Niskanen said. “C. Reiss accomplished both redevelopment of an idle dock in the port with significant capital improvement and removal of contamination dredge materials from the waterway working with a number of local, state and federal partners,” Niskanen said. Bringing the site back to life involved excavating 110,000 cubic yards of material, importing 100,000 cubic yards of
C. Reiss on A12
SUPERIOR — Starting a successful business isn’t as simple as having a good idea. Free resources are available in Superior to help entrepreneurs take those first steps into business ownership. “We get a lot of calls from people that want to start a business,” said Jim Caesar, director of The Development Association of Superior and Douglas County. “And, in most cases, they just have an idea. So our first question back to them is ‘Do you have a business plan?’ Typically, they don’t have one.” When that is the case, Caesar said they refer them to the Small Business Development Center at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.While center staff won’t write a business plan for someone, they can help develop one as well as help do financial pro forma and projections for a new business. Mike Hill of the Small
Jed Carlson / 2019 file / Duluth Media Group
The Superior Business Center on North Eight Street was built more than 20 years ago to give entrepreneurs a chance to turn their ideas into businesses. Business Development Center said he will work with entrepreneurs to get them to the bones of a business plan. “So typically, the first thing I need to do is figure out what they think they want to do,” Hill said. “Because it’s not always what they really think they’re going to be doing. … They’re trying to figure out, where do I start? Now they have this idea and it’s a big stew in their mind because it comes from all these different, disparate ideas. And what I try to do first is help them figure out
the components.” By putting the potatoes, carrots, meat and herbs in the right boxes, Hill said he can help create the elixir from the ingredients of the stew. “I’m leading you toward your zenith of your Everest,” Hill said. “You don’t even know what that looks like yet. It’s not my company, but I can get you there.” The process uses a business model canvas with a psychological approach because customers buy based on
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