At the November 10, 2022 meeting, the Destination Medical Center Corporation (DMCC) Board of Directors commended the process the City of Rochester and Rochester City Park Board have undertaken in working toward an equitable, sustainable, inclusive final design. The Rochester Parks Board adopted the Short-Term Soldiers Field Master Plan at their October 4, 2022 meeting.
There are several key features within the 2022 Soldiers Field Master Plan that align with the DMC Development Plan
- Continues to define Soldiers Field Memorial Park as an anchor and signature public space of the Education and Recreation Sub-district.
- Equitably designed spaces that are created with the specific needs of users.
- Provides a welcoming and inclusive park for a growing and diverse community.
- Incorporating sustainable design practices.
“We have a great opportunity with this project, the Riverfront, and key infrastructure, most notably Discovery Walk to differentiate us from our competitors,” said board member R.T. Rybak. “I strongly support putting funds into this project and making sure the City and Destination Medical Center are in alignment on how this incredible redesigned asset connects to Discovery Walk and the Riverfront.”
An update on the Main Street Economic Revitalization grant program was also provided to the board. To date, funding has been awarded to 36 different projects for a total award of $2.01 million with an average award of $56,000. 42% of the awardees are Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color (BIPOC), woman-owned/led, and or/veteran-owned businesses.
The board also received an update on DMC’s equitable economic development strategies. DMC EDA staff members Kevin Bright and Wafa Elkhalifa were joined by Chao Mwatela, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director Chao for the City of Rochester, and Dee Sabol, Executive Director of the Diversity Council to highlight this collaborative effort by the Rochester community toward ensuring that everyone in Rochester is included in the economic prosperity associated with the DMC initiative.
“This is what sets DMC apart from many other economic development initiatives; the buy-in from the DMC team and our partners,” said board member Brooke Carlson. “This is a collective community responsibility. It takes engagement and partnership across so many different sectors and representatives and leaders in our community as well as those living and breathing and experiencing the inequities in our community to come together. Thank you for setting the gold standard for how we do our work at the City and DMC through this co-design process and being the catalyst for how this work can be done across the state and across the country.”
The next DMCC Board meeting is set for Thursday, February 2, 2023 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.