Mayo Clinic recently leveraged an international bio science conference in California to announce the Discovery Square development that will double its research footprint in downtown Rochester.
That venue was selected over a hometown press conference in hopes of making a splash with the media horde and the 14,000 attendees, which included 75 heavy hitters from the bio science industry who got exclusive invitations to attend Mayo Clinic’s special event on June 7.
It’s too early to determine whether that very public effort will pay off by attracting sought-after national and international health care businesses, researchers and inventors, but the unveiling of the first tangible step of the ambitious $6 billion Destination Medical Center project has already drawn effusive praise.
Month: June 2016
DMC’s Lisa Clarke to be featured in digital healthcare conversation
Destination Medical Center Executive Director Lisa Clarke will be featured in a live online interview sponsored by Medicom Health on Tuesday, June 28th – and you can join the conversation!
“Healthcare: Innovation and Impact” is an online interview series featuring leading healthcare executives who share their perspective on developing trends, industry challenges, and successes.
Post Bulletin: Transit tops DMC leaders’ to-do list
In a first of its kind joint planning session on Destination Medical Center Thursday, the topic on the tip of every tongue was transportation.
The Destination Medical Center Corp. board of directors hosted the meeting with the Rochester City Council and the DMC Economic Development Agency board. It was the first time the three boards had convened.
The agenda was wide-ranging, but transit issues were the consistent theme. City staff is preparing to request an amendment with its transit management consultant, SRF, at a July 6 council meeting. The amendment would allow the city to expand its contract with SRF to move forward with studies of four key transportation areas.
New website connects the right people to the right jobs
With growth comes opportunity. The Rochester Chamber of Commerce Foundation, in collaboration with DMC and J2G, is excited to present the solution for our workforce challenges by creating hubworks.mn, a website dedicated to connecting the right talent to the right employment for our SE Minnesota region. And your input is needed.
DMC Corporation board discusses Discovery Square and design
Discovery Square and updates on the Destination Medical Center design guidelines were among the highlights in this week’s Destination Medical Center Corporation board meeting.
Earlier this month, Mayo Clinic and DMC made a major announcement about the next steps for Discovery Square, an urban research center where doctors, researchers, and scientists can work together on advancements in medical research, technology, and patient care.
“Mayo Clinic’s investment in Discovery Square is an exciting step for the city of Rochester. Discovery Square will propel the development of innovative ideas, products, and businesses in southeast Minnesota,” said Lt. Governor Tina Smith, DMC Corporation Board Chair.
The first building will break ground in 2017, and Mayo Clinic is currently searching for a real estate development firm to take on the project.
Destination Medical Center Corporation Board Discusses Major Milestone for Discovery Square and other DMC Progress
ROCHESTER, Minn. (June 23, 2016) – At today’s board meeting, the Destination Medical Center (DMC) Corporation Board of Directors discussed Mayo Clinic’s recent announcement of a major milestone for DMC’s Discovery Square; highlights from this year’s BIO International Convention; DMC urban design guidelines; and updates on DMC priorities, including Heart of the City and transportation.
“Mayo Clinic’s investment in Discovery Square is an exciting step for the City of Rochester. Discovery Square will propel the development of innovative ideas, products, and businesses in southeast Minnesota,” said Lt. Governor Tina Smith, DMC Corporation Board Chair. “We are well-positioned to make Rochester ‘America’s City for Health’ and the world’s premier destination for health and wellness.”
Maintaining a diverse workforce as DMC evolves
Rochester is growing – and that means there’s no shortage of work to go around.
DMC, the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, Mayo Clinic, the Diversity Council, the City of 
Rochester, and others want to make sure businesses owned by minorities, women, and veterans have access to that work.
That’s why the Chamber will be hosting a Supplier Diversity Summit & Business Expo on August 3rd at the Mayo Civic Center to connect small and diverse firms with companies and organizations with contract opportunities.
Post-Bulletin: Our View: Multilingual signage points to future
We want people from throughout the world to fall in love with our community. We want our community to love them back.
Including languages other than English on pedestrian signage is a simple, effective way to show openness, respect and that our city is ahead of the curve.
Wayfinding, or helping pedestrians get around via signage, is already something Destination Medical Center planners will need to address.
Troy Henikoff: Supporting a culture for innovation
Chicago-based entrepreneur Troy Henikoff has a go-to recipe for fostering communities that supports innovation.
Ingredients include investors, co-working spaces for collaboration, and an inclusive attitude.
Henikoff should know. He is the Managing Director for TechStars Chicago, an organization that is part of a global entrepreneurial network helping people with good ideas start a business by giving them access to accelerators, mentors, and capital.
In fact, Techstars already has a presence in Rochester, allowing health care-oriented entrepreneurs who have been through the program to spend several weeks in the city exploring business opportunities with the Mayo Clinic.
DMC Design Guidelines
With Mayo Clinic defining its landscape, Rochester has always been a place where health is front-and-center.
But a primary goal for the Destination Medical Center is to transform Rochester into America’s City for Health where residents and visitors will, literally, walk the walk when it comes to wellness.
Guidelines developed by the University of Minnesota Design Center that are meant to help DMC and the City of Rochester meet those goals will be open for public comment Thursday.
“We want Rochester to be a place where local infrastructure encourages a healthy lifestyle,” said DMC Executive Director Lisa Clarke. “That may mean designing neighborhoods streets that promote walking over driving, for instance.
Click here to read more about the guidelines and how to view them.