DULUTH — Kathy Cargill may soon have a real estate competition in Park Point.
Travel and Leisure magazine lists the point's 11 miles of beach, which forms the world's longest freshwater sandbar, as one of the 25 best beaches in the country.
The magazine also praised the area's spectacular sunrises, citing its “marine locale” feel and views of the hillside town and Lake Superior.
The popular neighborhood has been the talk of the town in and around Duluth in recent months, with Cargill making a series of real estate acquisitions along the stretch.
For more than a year, a limited liability company run by Cargill has been buying up property after property on the sandbar that separates Lake Superior from the mouth of the St. Louis River. He has purchased over a dozen houses and nearly 20 parcels.
Cargill is the wife of the heir to the worldwide Cargill Corporation fortune. Her purchase led to a public spat with Mayor Roger Reinert, who tried to learn of her plans for these properties.
Some homes were demolished and many were purchased well above market value. Duluthians and residents of this point are concerned about the loss of public beach access, increased property values, and further erosion and damage to the delicate sandbar.
This isn't the first time the magazine has given the city some love. Park Point is on the 2022 Best Beaches list, and last year the city was ranked as one of the best adventure cities in the United States.
