Tag: America’s City for Health

Design Thinking Links DMC and Minnesota State University, Mankato

February 8, 2019General

The Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency (DMC EDA) and the Minnesota State University, Mankato (MNSU) Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) are recent recipients of a $10,000 economic development grant through the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF). These funds will be used to develop and implement a design thinking workshop in the Mankato area to spur innovation and entrepreneurial thinking.

The CIE is housed within the MNSU College of Business. The organization aims to cultivate the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovative thinkers in south-central Minnesota by providing entrepreneurial education, supporting student startups, and facilitating impactful student project work in the community.

The overall goal of the workshop is to increase the number of innovative projects submitted to the Big Ideas Challenge, a venture competition for current and recent Minnesota State University, Mankato students and to the DMC Assistive Tech Challenge, a competition to develop new products and services for persons with disabilities. The inaugural Assistive Tech Challenge debuted in November 2018 as a partnership between Destination Medical Center Discovery Square, The ARC Minnesota SE Region, and the disABILITY Mayo Clinic Employee Resource Group. Three MNSU teams submitted applications to the Challenge; two of the submissions were accepted into the competition.

“The founding of the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship by the University College of Business was spurred by a variety of things, including a Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation report about the potential of this area and need for coordination and the types of things the Center now provides,” explains CIE Director, Dr. Yvonne Cariveau.

Cariveau says students come to the CIE interested in entrepreneurship but sometimes cannot identify the next immediate step in development of their concepts. She hopes this design workshop will give her students tools to generate ideas and to act.

DMC EDA aims to expand the Assistive Tech Challenge to additional universities across the region. “This collaboration with the CIE serves as a critical pilot project to bring a quality design thinking workshop to the Mankato area and also functions as a test for future expansions of the workshop to other communities,” said Chris Schad, Director of Business Development for DMC Discovery Square. “The ultimate goal of the collaboration is to provide a framework through which students can develop additional business ideas and eventual products.”

Cariveau and Schad both hope the workshops ultimately ignite interest in assistive tech and health care innovation, building strong connections between Rochester and Mankato’s entrepreneurs.

Historic Chateau Theatre Renovations Well Under Way

January 30, 2019General

There is great excitement and passion in the Rochester community for the re-opening of the historic Chateau Theatre – currently under renovation and planned to open summer 2019.

The Destination Medical Center Corporation (DMCC) Board and Rochester City Council approved $1.1 million in DMC funding for this renovation. Indoor improvements are progressing, with roof repair planned for the spring.

“The Chateau Theatre is an important community asset and this renovation for initial reuse is the first step to realize the long-term vision of the Chateau Theatre,” says Patrick Seeb, DMC EDA director of economic development and placemaking and member of the Chateau Theatre reuse task force.

This renovation preserves the historic architecture of the building, removes the second floor and escalators, and improves restroom facilities, transforming this now-vacant space into a venue that can be used for many forms of entertainment including concerts, movies, comedy shows, lectures, weddings, and dinner events.

In tandem with updates being made to the Chateau Theatre, the City of Rochester and DMC EDA are seeking RFPs for programming, operations, and management of the facility. A pre-proposal meeting will be held on January 31, 2019, from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at the Chateau Theatre for interested parties wanting to learn more about the opportunity. RFP responses are due to the City of Rochester by February 15, 2019.

The opening of the Chateau Theatre is part of a milestone year for DMC, notes DMC EDA executive director Lisa Clarke. “The Chateau Theatre is truly at the heart of downtown Rochester, and it will create more culture and entertainment options for Rochester patients, visitors, and community members, adding to the vibrancy of the downtown and the city as a whole,” says Clarke.

To keep the community updated, DMC EDA is developing a Heart of the City web page with a highlight section on the Chateau Theatre (soon to launch). In addition, the City of Rochester has created a Chateau Theatre timeline of activity.

“

City of Rochester Opens RFP for First-of-Its-Kind Mixed Income Housing

January 18, 2019General

The City of Rochester and Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency are inviting developers to submit proposals for a potential affordable or mixed-income housing development to be constructed in the air rights above a new city parking ramp. This development project is the first of its kind for the City of Rochester.

The City is seeking an affordable or mixed-income housing development that provides for 50 percent or more of the units to be at rents affordable to persons at 60 percent of the area median income.

“The City of Rochester is especially proud of this parking ramp project given the opportunity to work with the development community to create more affordable housing in the downtown, says Terry Spaeth, Rochester Assistant City Administrator. “We look forward to the creative ways in which a developer may approach this project. We know that providing affordable housing is vitally important to the City’s success.”

A successful development project will promote the ideals of smart growth to create the following:

Provide affordable housing opportunities for persons at 60 percent area median income desiring to live close to employment, shopping, entertainment, without the necessity of relying on an automobile
Encourage the most efficient use of the downtown location
Establish a quality of sustainable design that will set a standard for future development in the area and integrates well with the current facility
Create a project that contributes to the goal of a walkable downtown
Implement innovative solutions/alternatives to address and reduce parking demand

“Workforce housing is a critical component of the Destination Medical Center (DMC) strategy as we continue to create a viable urban core for Rochester,” adds Lisa Clarke, executive director, Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency. “This parking ramp is a DMC-funded ramp and the potential to develop a mixed-use project is an excellent opportunity to meet multiple needs – parking and housing – in downtown Rochester.”

The deadline to submit proposals is June 14, 2019.

The future of Rochester’s workforce needs

August 15, 2017General

In 2017, Rochester was ranked by ZipRecruiter.com as “One of the 10 Easiest Cities to Find a Job,” proof that the city is not only attracting new investment – it’s also the ideal place to build your career.

DMC planning estimates indicate that more than 30,000 jobs could be created in Rochester by 2035. Supporting this job growth will require sustained efforts from education, business, labor, and civic leaders.

While health care will account for many of the jobs, hospitality and construction will be important components in supporting the growth of America’s City for Health.

DMC Storyteller Video Series: In the Middle of Recreation with Nicole Rawlings

August 9, 2017General

Rochester is alive with activity. We keep residents moving with more than 85 miles of paved walking and biking trails, scenic Bluff Country, Blue Ribbon trout streams, more than 100 parks, immaculate golf courses, cross-country skiing, and so much more. Rochester is also a huge draw for sporting events, hosting major tournaments in soccer, hockey, softball, basketball, and volleyball.

To help illustrate the many ways individuals are transforming Rochester, DMC has created a video series called “DMC Rochester, MN Storyteller Videos.” These snapshots of forward-thinking people and approaches showcase the opportunities that exist in Rochester as DMC sets in motion a new future for America’s City for Health.

In the Middle of Recreation

Nicole Rawlings is a Worksite Wellness Coordinator for the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center at Mayo Clinic who gets to live out her passion every day by empowering clinic employees to be healthier and happier.

“I took a chance on Rochester to pursue my dream job at Mayo Clinic,” Rawlings says. She thought packing up and moving away from family and familiar surroundings of St. Paul would be difficult, but it wasn’t long until she found her place in the community.

DMC Storyteller Video Series: In the Middle of Community with Sunny Prabhakar

August 2, 2017General

We love where we live. DMC will make sure of it. Small-town vibe. Big-city amenities. Rochester is a vibrant urban center for people to live, work, and play, full of entertainment, arts, and culture. Plus, it’s easy to get around with safe, walkable streets, a network of bike trails, and efficient public transportation. In fact, the average commute time to work is only 15 minutes. Add in the fresh, local foods, quaint neighborhoods, and job opportunities, and you’ve got an ideal place to call home.

Press Release: Progress and excitement build around Discovery Square as DMCC board supports Mortenson’s $35 million project in Rochester

July 27, 2017Press Releases

ROCHESTER, Minn. (July 27, 2017) – The Destination Medical Center Corporation (DMCC) Board of Directors voted to approve the $35 million Mortenson project in the Discovery Square sub-district under the DMC Development Plan. The building is one in a series of DMC projects in the sub-district. The project will receive $4.9 million in DMC tax-increment financing.

“Today we take an important step forward with Discovery Square, a place where Minnesota’s next successful medical technology start-ups will be launched. This project will help diversify Rochester’s economy, create great jobs, and ensure Rochester remains America’s City for Health,” said Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, Chair of the DMC Board of Directors. “I thank Mortenson, Mayo Clinic, and the Rochester community for their work on this Discovery Square project. We have taken another important economic development step for the Destination Medical Center, Rochester, and Minnesota.”

DMC Storyteller Video Series: In the Middle of Growth with Nick Pompeian

July 26, 2017General

Rochester is primed for dramatic growth and development. We are building office space, contemporary living environments, education centers, and retail space to attract start-ups, small businesses, expansions, and the great minds to go with it all.

Sharing the DMC story throughout the state

July 26, 2017General

DMC is changing the face of Rochester, and the state of Minnesota is taking notice.

The past few months have brought a new visibility to America’s City for Health as statewide publications have begun to share the story of Destination Medical Center.

In May, journalist Matt McKinney and photographer Glen Stubbe from the Star Tribune joined DMC Economic Development Agency executive director Lisa Clarke on the 189-foot Kraus-Anderson construction crane at the site of the future Titan Hilton Hotel to get a birds-eye view of the development taking place across the city of Rochester and discuss what’s to come for the burgeoning city.

DMC Storyteller Video Series: “In the Middle of Investment” with Traci Downs

July 13, 2017General

Private investment is critical to the balanced growth of a city’s economy and workforce, and a growing number of Americans are investing less in Wall Street and more in their local communities. Rochester is no different.

In the Middle of Investment

Companies, non-profits, and individuals – local and global – have demonstrated confidence in the future of the Destination Medical Center (DMC) initiative by investing in projects throughout the DMC District. In March, that investment resulted in DMC not only meeting but exceeding the $200 million threshold required to release state infrastructure dollars, with investments at that time totaling $297 million.