STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency (DMC EDA) is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) from interested and qualified communications consultants to research, create, and develop strategies for implementing a strategic communication plan for 1) creating key messages to targeted local audiences. 2) identifying the most effective tools and tactics. Responding firms should be experienced in assessing and developing proven, effective strategies for strengthening communications.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Destination Medical Center (DMC) is a unique 20-year economic development initiative. The $5.6 billion plan is the largest in Minnesota’s history. With the expansion of Mayo Clinic and DMC growth, Rochester is a global destination for health and wellness and so much more.

In 2013, state officials determined there was a compelling interest to authorize public investments in Rochester to help support Mayo Clinic in Rochester as a global medical destination center. These leaders worked together to develop DMC and create in statute the financing tools and public governance structure necessary to carry out the global destination vision.

With more than $5 billion in projected private investments over the next 20 years, DMC will provide the public financing necessary to build the public infrastructure and other projects needed to support the vision.

The DMC Initiative serves as a public-private partnership, combining private development by Mayo Clinic and other developers, as well as public funding from the City of Rochester, Olmsted County, and the State of Minnesota to facilitate and support public infrastructure.  DMC promotes the City of Rochester, and more broadly, the County, and the State as a world destination medical center, to assist the patients, caregivers, residents, employees, and visitors in fully experiencing Rochester as a premier destination medical center while providing extended economic development and opportunities for the city, the region, and the State.

DMC’s Goals

1. Create a Comprehensive Plan
   Create a comprehensive strategic plan with a compelling vision that harnesses the energy and creativity of the entire region.
2. Attract Private Investment
   Leverage public investments to attract more than $5 billion in private investments to Rochester.
3. Create Jobs
   Create more than 30,000 new jobs, with workforce development strategies that support that growth.
4. Generate Additional Tax Revenue
   Generate approximately $7.5–$8.0 billion in new net tax revenue over 35 years.
5. Become the Destination of Health and Wellness
   Achieve the highest quality patient, visitor, and community member experience both now and in the future.

 

The majority of DMC’s communications flow through the Communications Manager. This individual works closely with partners at the City of Rochester, Olmsted County, Mayo Clinic, and other community and state partners to curate unified messaging from our organizations.

DMC EDA typically communicates messages through:

• Local media
• DMC website
• Newsletter
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube
• LinkedIn
• Live streamed and archived Destination Medical Center Corporation board meetings
• Events
• Sponsorships
• Advertorials
• Op-Eds
• Conferences

The goal of this project is to develop and implement a strategic communications program with the primary goal of educating key audiences about DMC. These audiences include but may not be limited to state legislators, Mayo Clinic employees, local government and non-profit leaders, business leaders, and downtown stakeholders. These efforts might be through the use of traditional news media, social media and other communications tools.

SCOPE OF WORK

The scope of work presented below is an example of what meets the DMC EDA’s goals and objectives. This scope is not final until a consultant is selected, and negotiations are completed. Upon selection, the firm will be expected to propose additions and modifications to the scope of work as deemed necessary or advisable and to incorporate their expertise in the final proposal. The proposal should also include a projected timeline.

General Communication

• Assess, inventory, and evaluate DMC’s existing communications practices.
• Identify key target audiences including but not limited to state legislators, Mayo Clinic employees, local government and non-profit leaders, business leaders
• Review the current use of traditional methods of communication and establish their effectiveness and benchmark these methods with other local/regional/national agency practices.
• Recommend a unified communication strategy that educates our audiences in ways that are positive, personally relevant, and targeted to key audiences.
• Propose criteria for evaluating communication and provide an action plan for moving forward.

Social Media

• Assessment of online tools and social media platforms that should be considered by DMC. Identify programmatic needs for, market reach, and recommendations of usage guidelines by DMC staff.
• Provide case studies of similar agencies’ communications strategies for utilizing social media highlighting aspects that may be applicable for consideration by DMC EDA and why.
• Devise a long-term plan to 1) create and sustain a cohesive digital brand for DMC EDA and 2) maximize the digital presence of DMC EDA via websites and social media.
• Develop and implement processes to promote DMC EDA-related activities by optimizing the use of social media (trends, hashtags, etc.)
• Analyze (qualitatively and quantitatively) the effectiveness of online engagement campaigns.

 

SUBMISSIONS

Understanding the Scope of Work

A description of how the firm will carry out the scope of services, including the firm’s approach to achieving DMC’s expected goals and outcomes.

Similar Projects

Examples of similar successful projects performed with economic development agencies.

Organization and Credentials

Identify the principal staff who will be assigned to the project and a description of their responsibilities. Provide a work history of these key personnel, including descriptions of their previous projects and responsibilities. Describe the size of the firm and availability to perform the project work that could begin immediately and the availability to perform the work during the next three to six months.

Experience

A minimum of three (3) references of current or former clients and representative projects undertaken in the last five years demonstrating experience relevant to this request and which are related to public agency communications, marketing, or public relations. Provide the contact person’s name, title, address, phone number, and email address. Provide a list of current clients, including public agencies.

Litigation

Firms are required to list past, current, or pending litigation resulting from professional services rendered over the past five years. If a court or an arbitrator rendered a decision, state the results.

Fee

Proposed not-to-exceed fee and any related costs over and above the contract fee.

Contact Information

Please send the proposal as a PDF to [email protected] by 11:59 p.m. Monday, February 6, 2023.

DMC’s November Sustainability Series: Sketchbox – Simplified and Free Energy Modeling Tool

 

What:           Destination Medical Center (DMC) Monthly Sustainability Series

When:          Wednesday, November 16, 2022, 12-1 p.m.

Where:         Viewable by webinar only. Join the presentation here.

Details:        Join us for an interactive presentation by Slipstream, a mission-driven nonprofit organization, that recently launched a free version of its simplified energy modeling tool—Sketchbox.

If you’re not familiar with energy modeling, it is a software-based tool that architects, engineers and building operators use to make accurate energy-saving decisions on new and existing buildings. A user creates the initial building using an energy code baseline and then re-simulates the building using various energy conservation measures. Sketchbox can also be used to identify energy savings for existing buildings and retrofits.

For more information and to access Sketchbox, please visit https://slipstreaminc.org/sketchbox.

OUR PRESENTER
Ben Heymer
Slipstream—Director of Engineering, Chicago
Ben leads a team of energy engineers focused on decarbonizing the built environment.  He is an experienced engineering consultant, designer, researcher, and energy modeler. He leads technical assistance and program design for energy efficiency programs and builds tools to help owners and designers focus on high-impact solutions.

About the DMC Sustainability Series

The DMC Sustainability Series is a monthly seminar sponsored by Destination Medical Center and the City of Rochester. The purpose is to introduce sustainability concepts and best practices for everyone to consider. The series is held virtually the third Wednesday of every month at noon.

 

###

The City of Rochester and Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency are holding two in-person “Meet the Station Artists” events on Wednesday, November 2 and Thursday, November 3. The in-person events will provide basic information on Link Rapid Transit and will introduce the community to plans for integrating public art into the transit stations. The six artists will highlight their respective conceptual designs based on input collected during previously held community stakeholder sessions.

The events will be an opportunity for members of the community to ask questions of the project staff and artists, as well as share their concerns and aspirations for their neighborhood and for how the art will be represented in transit.

The two events are:

Meet the Station Artists – Open House #1
Wednesday, November 2, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm
Riverside Central Elementary School, inside the cafeteria
506 5th Ave. SE, Rochester, MN
Poster boards with project details and artists’ conceptual designs will be available.
Light refreshments will be provided. Parking is available.

Meet the Station Artists – Open House #2
Thursday, November 3, 11 am-1 pm
Café Aquí
1811 2nd St SW Suite B, Rochester, MN 55902
Poster boards with project details and artists’ conceptual designs will be available.
Light refreshments will be provided. Parking is available.

For more information, view the event flier or visit the Link BRT webpage.

Link Rapid Transit is a generational investment in Rochester’s public transit infrastructure, which promises to deliver an entirely new level of service and rider experience to the Rochester Community. The 2.6-mile bus rapid transit (BRT) line will provide high-capacity transit along 2nd Street and 3rd Avenue SE, and is expected to begin service in 2026.

With the newly unveiled mural Sol Flowers by local artist Jenna Whiting on display, the Rochester community gathered in a most unlikely spot for Destination Medical Center’s 2022 Annual Meeting. At the corner of 1^st Avenue and 1^st Street Southeast, guests enjoyed music from local duo True North, food from The Duck Truck and Infuzn, and a perfect southeast Minnesota evening. DMC partner organizations lined the tunnel next to the railroad tracks, showcasing the myriad ideas and activities that make downtown Rochester a vibrant, welcoming environment.

The location may have seemed unusual at first – located next to three parking ramps and an undeveloped city block – but, as DMC Executive Director Patrick Seeb described, it’s at the nexus of several potential development sites, as well as a future extension of the Heart of the City, connecting Peace Plaza with the Mayo Civic Center and the Zumbro River. “That is the conversation we want to begin tonight is thinking about the future of this site, thinking about the public realm potential of 1^st Street connecting the downtown to Mayo Civic Center,” said Seeb.

Reasons for Optimism

DMC EDA President Dr. Clark Otley spoke about the continued optimism for the future of DMC and Rochester. He pointed to the continued expansion of the Mayo Clinic Downtown campus with the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Building and Proton Beam facility expansion, as well as the completion of Two Discovery Square as reasons for enthusiasm. “When we think of facilities, we think about building world-class facilities for world-class doctors and researchers and nurses and technicians for patients from across the world who have the toughest diseases in the world,” stated Otley.

Dr. Otley shined a spotlight on another significant project. “Earlier this year, we opened up the Peace Plaza to a renewed, beautiful state,” he noted. “Those of you that made it down through the summer saw little kids stomping in water, families having fun… It’s a really beautiful space.” He also prefaced the excitement of Discovery Walk construction as it will connect Peace Plaza to Soldiers Field Memorial Park.

The Riverfront presents another area for optimism. “It’s going to be an opportunity to be a legacy for our community,” he continued. “DMC has been a very good partner with the City, the County, and lots of other agencies, to do a community discovery process to really get input. What does that mean for us? What can we make that space into really speaks to our vision as a community? A community that is focused on health and equity and diversity and sustainability moving forward.”

Capacity Building

Mayor Kim Norton spoke about the importance of ensuring all members of our community participate in the prosperity of the DMC initiative. “Not only are we designing and building the infrastructure necessary for Rochester’s successful growth,” Mayor Norton said, “we are also designing and building the systems necessary to ensure that how we build is just as important as what we build.”

Mayor Norton spoke about the goals that the City of Rochester and DMC share to make sure that women and minorities have opportunities to participate in publicly funded projects. She also spoke about the community co-design process which is an approach to encourage, compensate, and prioritize the inclusion of diverse populations throughout the design and development process. Community Co-Design has become a valued and effective community-centric approach to developing healthy and equitable projects, policies, and practices in the Rochester region. It has been used for projects like Discovery Walk, LINK Bus Rapid Transit, and Riverfront Small Area Plan development. Norton stated, “We use co-design to ensure that there would be inclusive, accessible, and welcoming spaces that encourage health and cultural belonging.”

Attention was also brought to collaborations with the local business community including the Business Forward strategy that has been employed on several recent construction projects like Heart of the City Phase I and Discovery Walk. Business Forward is meant to mitigate the impact of construction by prioritizing the needs of businesses and other stakeholders in the construction process.

The Main Street Economic Revitalization Grant Program was also highlighted. It is a partnership with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development designed to help our downtown businesses recover from the pandemic, as well as elevate opportunities for BIPOC, veteran, and disabled business and property owners. “To date, 30 organizations have been recommended for funding totaling over $1.6 million,” announced Mayor Norton. “These funds will help to leverage over $48 million in private investment into Rochester’s downtown. Our local businesses are the lifeblood of our community. We are eager to support them in whatever ways we can.”

Vision for the Future

DMC Corporation Chair Pam Wheelock pointed to the “persistence, resilience and spirit that is woven into the very fabric of this community” for an optimistic view of the future. She called attention to the way Rochester’s business community responded to the pandemic by pivoting to find new ways to safely reach their customers and to those that caught the entrepreneurial spirit and brought their ideas to life.

“The persistence, resilience, and community spirit already in evidence in Rochester bodes well for achieving Destination Medical Center’s vision of making Rochester America’s City for Health,” said Wheelock. “We are already attracting new investment from outside the area, including new commercial development and new life science and technology companies.”

She referenced the significant infrastructure improvements in the past and on the horizon, as well as a continued focus on community engagement as reasons why Rochester has a bright future. She also stressed the importance of telling Rochester’s story to the world as not only a destination for the world’s best medical care but also a great place to live, work and raise a family.

“On behalf of the Destination Medical Center Corporation’s board of directors, I want to express profound thanks and gratitude for the myriad partnerships and collaborations that have enabled the progress we have seen through DMC’s first years,” Wheelock avowed. “I firmly believe that what we have accomplished together so far grants us the right to think very boldly and optimistically about Rochester’s future and to fulfill our ambition to be America’s City for Health.”

Final Surprise

Patrick Seeb again took the stage to introduce the evening’s final speaker, one that was not on the agenda when the Annual Meeting was being planned. As part of the “leave behind” to continue bringing attention to the meeting space, a mural was painted on the blank wall of the Civic Center Ramp. There were many amazing artists that submitted ideas but none of them were better than Jenna Whiting. “I would like to give the last words to Jenna Whiting to describe this piece of art that will now be permanently part of our community,” said Seeb. “Perhaps it will be an inspiration for how we can use other blank walls in our community, to start enlivening and connecting.”

Jenna Whiting was born and raised in Rochester, MN. As a self-taught artist, she specializes in mural work, digital design, children’s book illustrations, and acrylic painting. Her designs reflect a sense of whimsy and childlike wonder but are also balanced with simplistic and sophisticated methods.

Here is Jenna Whiting’s description of her piece in her own words. “My inspiration for Sol Flowers literally came out of thin air. As I was reaching for my drawing tools to sketch out some ideas, three sun prints I had recently created fell to my feet in a perfect layout. I’m pretty sure a beacon of light was shining somewhere. I immediately imagined the facade of this building covered in botanical images on a vivid cyan background. The images are inspired by native grasses and flowers growing throughout our city – which are just as captivating to see on the ground as they are five stories up.”

A perfect end to a perfect southeast Minnesota evening.

---

Thanks to our sponsors

Gold Sponsors

 

 

 

---

Silver Sponsors

 

---

Bronze Sponsors

Alatus LLC, Home Federal Savings Bank, SRF Consulting Group, Inc., Knutson Construction, Premier Banks, Benike Construction, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A., Mortenson, Camegaran, Ryan Companies US, Inc., RSP Architects

Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency and the City of Rochester celebrated the culmination of over two years of work with the publication of the Community Co-Design Toolkit. It is a booklet of tools and tactics for “equitable community engagement and action”.

“This is a celebration of an approach that has been used to help create new places and programs, answer particularly difficult questions, and open up opportunities for many community members to participate in public decision-making processes,” said DMC Executive Director Patrick Seeb.

Ten local community co-design pilots have been completed over the last two years to help guide local projects. One of those pilots led to Rochester winning a $1 million grant as a 2021 Global Mayor’s Challenge Champion City. This project created a set of programs to address the challenges encountered by workplaces and members of the BIPOC community in the construction industry. It combined the experiences of industry, educators, and the experiences of BIPOC women to develop ideas to increase the chance of successful and meaningful employment.

Mayor Kim Norton added, “One of the reasons we were selected for this award was the use of the co-design process and forming solutions in collaboration with the community to increase their likelihood of success.”

Other co-design pilots include:

• Discovery Walk
• Channel One Food Bank
• Greater Rochester Advocates for Universities & Colleges (GRAUC) Healthcare Simulation Center
• 6^th Street Bridge
• Riverfront Reimagined
• Link BRT Station Design
• Senior Housing (with Rochester Area Foundation)
• BIPOC Home Ownership (with Rochester Area Foundation)
• Rochester Public Schools Students Belonging

What is Community Co-Design

Community Co-Design is an approach to encourage, compensate, and prioritize the inclusion of diverse populations throughout the design and development process. Community Co-Design has become a valued and effective community-centric approach to developing healthy and equitable projects, policies, and practices in the Rochester region.

This process was developed as an alternative to traditional engagement practices that limited participation and focused on short-term relationships. Co-design seeks to focus on challenges and the people impacted by them by prioritizing lived experiences and investing in long-term relationships, trust building, and networking.

The Community Co-Design Toolkit was authored by Jess Roberts (Culture of Health, LLC & University of Minnesota), Kevin Bright (DMC EDA & City of Rochester), and Wafa Elkhalifa (DMC EDA).

For more Co-Design information and resources, please contact DMC Equitable Development Coordinator Wafa Elkhalifa.

Community Co-Design Toolkit download