Big Week for DMC

And we’re off… Last week we got our first look at the complete proposed DMC development plan, and we liked what we saw! Now it’s a race to spring, when the DMCC Board aims to break ground on infrastructural improvements in late March/early April.

Aerial Rendering of DMC
An aerial rendering looking from east to west of downtown Rochester 20 years from now. An intermodal transit station accommodating light rail service can be seen in the upper-right corner. The Gonda and Mayo Buildings of Mayo Clinic appear at center-top. The proposed city improvement project makes dramatic use of the Zumbro River and capitalizes on existing landmarks, like the Chateau Theater on Peace Plaza

The proposal calls for spending nearly $205 million in the first 5 years of a 20-year plan, with the largest spend ($79.2 million) going toward construction of a shared parking system that would serve all of downtown Rochester, including Mayo Clinic. Plazas, parks and cultural spaces constitute the second-largest investment at $36.3 million. For a more detailed breakdown of spending, check out one of Wednesday’s posts from the DMCC Board meeting.

In printed form, the plan is a bear. It’s 694 pages of visual renderings, proposed investments and timelines, backed by detailed market research, economic forecasts, and design strategies–not exactly something we can drop in the mail for everyone to read. Even the digital version is a bit unwieldy at 101 MB. It’s too large to post here (we tried really hard), but you can view online or download as a pdf from our consultant Hammes Company.

That said, we really are proud of it, and we encourage you to read through this first draft. Our current timeline aims for implementation starting in spring, and there’s still ample opportunity to offer input. The DMCC Board has 6 weeks to review before the plan moves to the Rochester City Council. The city then has 60 days to review and solicit further public input. The goal of all of this is to achieve what DMC set out to do from the start: develop a plan that all stakeholders support and are excited to see through to the end.

So, please, spend some time with this draft and learn something new about DMC. If nothing else, the artistic renderings of downtown and the various subdistricts within the DMC development area really are stunning! (At least we think so.)

A map of DMC and the five subdistricts, which constitute the areas of focus. A draft plan submitted this week calls for the first round of spending to take place in the "Heart of the City" subdistrict, the area surrounding Mayo Clinic and Peace Plaza
A map of DMC and the five subdistricts, which constitute the areas of focus. A draft plan submitted this week calls for the first round of spending to take place in the “Heart of the City” subdistrict, the area surrounding Mayo Clinic and Peace Plaza.

Speaking of learning more, immediately after Wednesday’s DMCC Board meeting, hundreds of Rochesterites, representatives, and the generally curious public dropped into the Mayo Civic Center’s Grand Ballroom for an informational session to learn more about the proposal and ask questions of the planning team.

The atmosphere in the room was casual and upbeat, as visitors ambled among various informational stations, pausing occasionally to chat with each other and the plan’s developers.

Visitors discuss an aerial rendering of downtown Rochester about 20 years from now at a community information session on Wednesday afternoon.
Visitors discuss an aerial rendering of downtown Rochester about 20 years from now at a community information session on Wednesday afternoon at the Mayo Civic Center.

Speaking at the opening of Wednesday’s information session, Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede called the event “the a major milestone” for the city, county, state, and Mayo Clinic.

Wednesday marked the first chance the public has gotten to review the complete proposed draft.

Here at DMC headquarters, we hope you take the time to take in as much as you can about the proposal and share your thoughts with us. With your help, this plan has been many years in the making. Let’s make the years count!

Watch the full December DMCC Board meeting, including a presentation of the draft plan here:

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream