The busiest block of West Lake Drive, from Rossman Avenue to Minnesota Avenue, is closed to through traffic until about October 30. Walkers and cyclists can still cover the whole project corridor, on the new multi-use trail, the beach walk, or both. The sand beach is open from end to end. For the next few weeks, people on foot have the full length of City Beach and drivers have pieces of it.
That was the plan from the start. The joint West Lake Drive and City Beach project, budgeted at about $9.8 million with costs split between the county and the city, was scheduled in phases so the beach and the businesses on the drive could stay reachable the whole time. So the useful question this month is which mode of travel gets you where, block by block.
The Corridor, West to East
The project's StoryMap lists every phase with tentative dates. As of early October, the shoreline breaks down like this:
| Stretch | Street | Shoreline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legion Road to Rossman Avenue | Open to traffic since September 4 | New trail and plazas complete | Done |
| Rossman Avenue | Closed to through traffic | Boat launch fenced for rebuild | In progress |
| Rossman to west side of Summit Avenue | Closed | Sand and turf open | Street work through late October |
| Summit Avenue to Minnesota Avenue | Closed | Sand open, new plazas under construction | September/October work |
| West side of Minnesota Avenue to Lake Avenue | Open | Sand and turf open | Done |
| Lake Avenue to South Washington Avenue | Open | New plaza, benches, picnic pads | Done |
The table shows a pattern. Each finished street phase brought its own piece of new trail with it. Phase 1 rebuilt the street and added trail between Minnesota Avenue and South Washington Avenue, and it also redid the parking area between Lake Avenue and Washington. Phase 2 did the same between Legion Road and Rossman Avenue. The section closed now is the middle link that joins them. It is getting new watermain, storm sewer, a rebuilt street, and the last stretch of trail.
The Schedule Has Been Running Early
The Legion Road to Rossman Avenue section reopened to cars on September 4. KDLM reported that this was about three weeks ahead of schedule. Crews then moved right into the Minnesota-to-Rossman section, with work expected through the end of October.
That early finish affects October planning. The StoryMap labels its dates tentative and says they will be updated as work moves along. October 30 is a target for the street, not a promise. If the closure lifts early, you'll most likely see it on the project page before you see it on the barricades.
The boat launch next to Rossman Avenue is less certain. The StoryMap scheduled the rebuild for September 8 through 30. On September 9, KDLM described the new boat access as starting "soon." No public reopening date turned up in our research, and the area is fenced while the work goes on. If you plan one more launch before you pull the boat, use another access point.
What the Finished Sections Are Getting Next
The walking route is open, but it isn't fully furnished yet. KDLM reported that crews will add benches, picnic tables, outdoor showers, drinking fountains and trash receptacles to the finished parts of the beach. Two more pieces are on the October list: new plazas at Summit Avenue and Minnesota Avenue, and improvements to J&K Marina. The beach is scheduled to stay open during both.
The planting will take longer to fill in. The project removed 104 of the corridor's 159 trees, or about 65 percent. The city plans 58 replacement trees, about 140 shrubs and more than 1,500 perennials along City Beach and West Lake Drive. The Detroit Lakes Tribune covered the canopy change in March. This fall's walk is the most open view of the lake the corridor will have for years. Young trees and new perennials will start to soften it over the next few growing seasons.
Getting to Dinner Without the Drive
The street closure changes how you reach the lakefront restaurants. It doesn't change whether they're open. Business access is maintained throughout. Most places can be reached from side streets, and the rest have designated construction access roads.
The project page singles out one business. Zorbaz, at 402 West Lake Drive, is reached from Summit Avenue, and a back entrance is provided while the sidewalk in front is rebuilt. The other West Lake Drive addresses on the regular rotation:
- Lakeside Tavern & Brewery, 200 West Lake Drive, described by the local chamber as a year-round tavern and brewery
- Hub 41, 104 West Lake Drive, at the corner of Washington Avenue. Confirm fall hours before you go.
- Mi Cartagena Café, 702 West Lake Drive, a daytime café that posts morning-to-late-afternoon hours. Call ahead, since its website shows two different schedules.
- Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites, 102 West Lake Drive, steps from City Beach, for out-of-town guests who want to walk to the water
For parking, on-street spaces are open on West Lake Drive from Legion Road to Rossman Avenue and from Minnesota Avenue to Washington Avenue, plus on every side street. The public lots are at the Fairgrounds, Peoples Park, City Park and the American Legion. One easy evening this month: park near Legion Road, walk the finished trail east past the fenced section on the beach walk, and eat at whichever end you reach first.
The Space Where the Pavilion Stood
City Park has the biggest gap on the shoreline. Demolition of the 1915 Pavilion began June 24, 2026, as part of what the Tribune called an approximately $17.5 million replacement and lakefront project. The city's project memo describes the replacement:
- A new Pavilion of 17,800 square feet, including a 7,670-square-foot event hall
- A smaller, family-oriented bathhouse
- An event lawn
- A splash pad and outdoor showers
Since then, the plans have shifted toward the water. After review by the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, designers shrank the splash pad footprint by 15 to 20 percent, moved the playground off the hillside toward the waterfront, and switched the event lawn to natural grass.
The cost is the next thing to watch. A 2024 sales-tax referendum approved roughly $17.3 million. At the council's August 26 meeting, the base estimate came in at $19.7 million, about $2.4 million over that amount. Funding every add-alternate could bring the total to roughly $21.2 million. The Tribune reported that a final construction-cost amendment was expected in mid- to late October, so that decision is weeks away. The completion estimate depends on the source. The Tribune's June demolition story said fall of 2027, and the city memo issued the same day said winter 2027/2028.
So the shoreline won't be finished at the same time. By next summer, West Lake Drive should have its full trail, its plazas and its new beach amenities. The Pavilion next door is likely to be under construction for at least one more season.
Between Now and the Holidays
Two dates are left on the shoreline calendar. The first is the West Lake Drive reopening, targeted for the end of October. The second is the Pavilion cost amendment in mid- to late October. After that, the next big lakeside gathering moves indoors. Visit Detroit Lakes lists the 10th annual Festival of Trees for November 20 at the Holiday Inn. The hotel sits on the lake at 1155 Highway 10 East.
Until then, the sand at City Beach is open, the new trail runs past the fences, and Summit Avenue gets you to Zorbaz.
If your home is near the West Lake Drive corridor and you've wondered how a rebuilt shoreline and a new Pavilion might figure into its value, Monica Kaiser is glad to walk through it with you, using the same block-by-block local detail you just read. Request your home valuation and we'll start with your stretch of the lake.
