In the next two decades, Rochester leaders will face the largest public infrastructure decisions in the city’s history. In tandem with the Destination Medical Center initiative, about $1.8 billion in infrastructure projects are on the city’s near horizon.
Of the estimated $1.8 billion in infrastructure identified in the DMC Development Plan, about $720 million is targeted to create 16,000 new structure parking spaces; $348 million is envisioned to create a downtown transit circulator; and $112 million is planned for other transit, streets and city loop improvements, according to city documents.
Assistant City Administrator Gary Neumann laid out the projects and the onerous local and federal planning efforts that would be required in a report to the DMC Corporation Board of Directors at a Monday meeting.
The DMCC board will, in partnership with the city and Olmsted County, be responsible for aligning these infrastructure projects with available revenues. State General Infrastructure Aid included in DMC legislation will provide $327 million, to be matched with $128 million in local contributions.
Private funds will be responsible for many of the expenditures included in the whopping $1.8 billion vision, Neumann said.
Even including private, state and federal funds, local contributions will represent historic infrastructure investments in the city.