Month: March 2022

‘Riverfront Talks’ Virtual Community Engagement Series Concludes

March 17, 2022 – ROCHESTER, MINN. – The City of Rochester and Destination Medical Center (DMC) are concluding the five-part community engagement series, Riverfront Talks, with an in-person event on Thursday, March 24 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Historic Chateau Theater, 15 1st SW. The focus of this final session will be on Urban Design and Programming. Design concepts for the space will be on display. The interactive session will bring forward community-based planning and design principles that will enable the Rochester community to evaluate alternative options for the space.

The conversation will be driven by a series of questions, including:
• What community-based themes have emerged in the first four Riverfront Talks?
• What is the spectrum of options for both development and open space?
• What are the programmatic and economic opportunities?
• How do east and west riverfront sites differ from one another?

A virtual option will be available for those unable to attend in person. Please visit riverfrontsap.com to register for the virtual session. Recordings of the first four Riverfront Talk sessions are also available for viewing on the website.

“The riverfront site is a major piece of downtown Rochester’s landscape,” shared City of Rochester Project Manager Jaymi Wilson. “Because of its importance, we wanted to ensure the renovation process is community driven. The feedback we have received so far has been incredibly valuable and informative, and we cannot thank the community members who have participated enough.”

The Riverfront Talks series is one of several engagement tools to gather feedback from the community to help inform the development of the small area plan for the central waterfront property. This space links together several civic, cultural, and government assets to the heart of downtown Rochester. The conversations will focus specifically on the area between Broadway Avenue and 2 Street SE and 4 Street SE. The goal of the site’s transformation is to establish a people-centric place that leverages natural and cultural resources and supports multi-modal connectivity to adjacent areas including the downtown.

“It’s exciting to see Rochester work to reclaim its relationship with the Zumbro River,” said DMC Executive Director Patrick Seeb. “Cities around the country are rediscovering their waterways as an extraordinary asset.”
An informal Open House will be held on Friday, March 25 at Fagan Studios, 324 South Broadway Avenue, from 8 to 10 a.m. This will be an informal gathering for those interested in reviewing the plans. The design team will be present to answer any questions.

Highway and Heavy Construction Training Starts on April 18

Free Highway and Heavy Construction Training Starts on Monday, April 18 in Rochester, Minnesota

(ROCHESTER, Minn.) March 15, 2022 – Workforce Development, Inc. and Laborers Local 405 are offering a free four-week highway and heavy construction training course for minorities, women, and disadvantaged individuals. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 15. Classes start on Monday, April 18 through Friday, May 13 from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The class will be held at Workforce Development, Inc. (WDI) located in Heintz Center at Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) in Rochester.

This training is provided by an award from Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) for highway and heavy construction training, recruitment, screening and placement with contractors and supported by the City of Rochester and Destination Medical Center (DMC) to help contractors meet workforce participation goals on publicly funded projects. Workforce participation goals for women (8%) and people of color (15%) have been challenging for local contractors to meet, especially on highway and heavy construction projects, due to a lack of minorities and women trained to work in the field.

During the training, Local 405 Laborers Union trainers will conduct OSHA 30 and CPR/First Aid/AED training. Participants will also receive flagger training, qualifying them for flagger positions on MnDOT projects. Local contractors will have the opportunity to interview class participants.

Jobs in highway and heavy construction pay a competitive wage with benefits. Minnesota Prevailing Wage Highway and Heavy region 6, effective November 1, 2021, Labors (101) basic hourly rate is $30.51, plus $20.84 fringe rate for a total rate of $52.35 per hour. Fringe benefits for Local 405 include medical/dental/life insurance, pension, and training.

 

Destination Medical Center Sees Increased Investment

(Rochester, Minn.) March 10, 2022 – The Destination Medical Center Corporation Executive Committee approved a report documenting 2021 private investment in the DMC district of more than $155 million. This brings the cumulative total to more than $1.3 billion in private investment since the beginning of the DMC initiative in 2013.

The 2021 figures include $110.6 million in Mayo Clinic investment and $44.7 million by other private investors. The 2021 private investment, along with the cumulative investment since 2013, will release approximately $29.2 million in state public infrastructure funding later this year.

DMCC Board Secretary Pamela Wheelock said, “These have not been the easiest couple of years to do any kind of investment in any community. This is something to pause and recognize and celebrate. So, congratulations to all of you who have done the heavy lifting to make that possible.”

The state aid supports many community benefits including new jobs and businesses, accessible public spaces, generational improvements to streets and sewers, increased mobility options, greater arts and culture programming and overall downtown vibrancy.

When asked about projections for 2022 and beyond, DMC Executive Director Patrick Seeb highlighted Mayo Clinic’s 5-Year Plan that documents future capital improvements for their Rochester campus, potential development in the proposed Link Rapid Transit corridor, as well as resources from the Main Street Grant program from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development as points of optimism. “Like all markets we may face headwinds due to commodity pricing, supply chain disruptions, interest rates, and workforce. One area we do address is workforce. With the mayor leading the way with the Bloomberg Global Challenge around women in construction, specifically BIPOC women, we will continue to see growth of our workforce in the built environment.”

2021 private investments, an $11 million improvement over 2020, were seen in housing, hospitality, and life science, as well as vital improvements to the rebounding downtown sector.

“I would just like to say how proud I am to pass along this report to the state. Along with leveraging private investment, we are seeing housing for our incoming workforce and small businesses and entrepreneurs reinvesting in Rochester. We can see that Destination Medical Center is working,” said DMCC Chair R.T. Rybak.

To release state funding over the span of the initiative, DMCC must present the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) with an annual accounting of qualified private investments from Mayo Clinic and other private investors in the DMC district. DEED is then responsible for certifying the investments and qualifying DMC to receive state funding for public infrastructure projects.

The next DMCC Board Meeting is scheduled for May 18, 2022 at 9:30 a.m.

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About DMC

Destination Medical Center (DMC) is the largest public-private economic initiative in Minnesota’s history. The 20-year plan to transform Rochester into a global destination for health and wellness will attract developers, investors, startups, and entrepreneurs to live, work and play in America’s City for Health. For more information, visit dmc.mn.