Tag: In the News

DMC EDA and Experience Rochester recognized at Explore Minnesota Conference

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Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency (DMC EDA) has been awarded the “Marketing Partner of the Year,” presented by Explore Minnesota, the state’s tourism promotion agency at its annual conference in Saint Paul on February 5. DMC EDA was nominated by Experience Rochester.

The “Marketing Partner of the Year” award recognizes outstanding marketing or special projects executed by an individual business which enhances the overall visibility of a community and directly impacts visitor travel to the area.

In its nomination of DMC EDA, Experience Rochester noted:

The staff members of the Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency (DMC EDA) work tirelessly to make Rochester, MN an exceptional place to work, live, and visit. Experience Rochester MN is nominating DMC EDA because of their dedication to always including Rochester’s 3.3 million annual visitors — many of whom are visiting Mayo Clinic — in their mission and vision for a vibrant, innovative community. A recognition of the importance of travel & tourism is integrated into everything the DMC EDA pursues.

The award judges felt this partnership is like no other; it’s an example of economic development at its finest. An innovative concept in an innovative destination.

“It’s a wonderful honor to receive this award,” said Lisa Clarke, DMC EDA executive director. “DMC is unwavering in its commitment to providing an exceptional experience for Rochester residents and visitors. We are proud to be a collaborator with Experience Rochester and many other organizations in promotion of this great destination.”

Experience Rochester also received some hardware at the conference, winning the “Special Projects” award for its website, minnesotasrochester.com.

“We’re honored to be recognized by our peers in the state tourism industry,” said Mary Gastner, Experience Rochester interim executive director. “Our website is the number one resource for visitors. Our partnership, with Simpleview, allowed us to focus on creating a data-driven and personalized website. The new site allows guests to easily find what they are searching for and inspires exploration of our locally-owned businesses and Only-in-Rochester experiences.”

 

Destination Medical Center Corporation Board Green Lights Mobility Hub Locations in Rochester

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“Our vision is for mobility villages where people can live, possibly work, and park for the day,” ~ R.T. Rybak.

The Destination Medical Center Corporation (DMCC) Board of Directors at its February meeting, approved a resolution supporting two preliminary mobility hub locations in Rochester, MN, and authorizing up to $400,000 in financial support for additional studies and engineering.

The two recommended mobility hub locations – approximately four miles apart – will be connected by bus rapid transit (BRT). This high-capacity circulator will transport commuters, community members, and visitors into and around downtown Rochester in a safe, reliable, and efficient manner.

“We have chosen sites for transit hubs, but our vision is they are mobility villages where people can live, possibly work and park for the day,” said DMCC Board Chair R.T. Rybak. “We don’t just want to build ramps. We want to build communities.”

Proposed Mobility Hub Locations, Rochester, MN

In addition to the significant progress with the DMC transportation plan, nine private development projects, totaling more than $300 million, have planned openings in the DMC district in 2019. They include: Hilton hotel, First Avenue parking ramp, One Discovery Square, Urban on First apartments, Residence at Discovery Square apartments, Hotel Indigo (Holiday Inn renovation), Wells Fargo renovation, Chateau Theatre short-term use renovation, and the Ronald McDonald House expansion.  

“2019 is a remarkable year for Rochester, noted DMC Economic Development Agency Executive Director Lisa Clarke. “We are well on our way to achieving the DMC vision and creating a livable, sustainable and vibrant city.”

In his new role as Mayo Clinic President and CEO, Dr. Gianrico Farrugia, a 30-year veteran with Mayo Clinic, met with DMCC Board members and provided a few remarks.  

“Mayo Clinic’s commitment to Rochester, the state of Minnesota and DMC is very strong,” said Farrugia. “Mayo has experienced significant growth over the last five years, and we expect even more economic growth and development going forward.”

Farrugia noted that Mayo Clinic will invest over $1 billion in Rochester facilities and equipment between now and 2021.

Following the board meeting, DMCC hosted a collaborative session with the Destination Medical Center EDA Board, Rochester City Council and Olmsted County Board of Commissioners.

 

Design Thinking Links DMC and Minnesota State University, Mankato

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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

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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.

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Five Questions with Ken Nelson, Publisher Rochester Post Bulletin

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Ken Nelson joined the Post Bulletin as publisher in August 2018.  He has a stellar career in the newspaper industry, including more than 20 years at the Orange County Register in California.  Prior to joining the Post Bulletin, Nelson served as chief executive officer and publisher of the Erie Times-News in Pennsylvania.

Nelson has spent his first several months in Rochester getting to know the community, including a meet and greet and walking tour with Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency Executive Director Lisa Clarke to learn more about the DMC initiative.

In this blog, Nelson discusses the Post Bulletin’s priorities and what sets Rochester, Minnesota, apart from other cities.

DMC: What path brought you to your current position with the Post Bulletin?

Nelson: A longtime friend of mine mentioned that the Post Bulletin was seeking a publisher.  She shared that the owners and employees are great people, Rochester is a wonderful community and that the organization was looking for someone to help the company meet the needs of a growing and changing community.

DMC: What are some of the top priorities for the organization in the coming year?

Nelson: Our top priorities are informing and engaging readers in the platform they prefer, whether in print or online, and helping local businesses thrive by connecting them to their target markets.  

DMC: What do you feel sets Rochester apart from other cities?

Nelson: Rochester is similar to many of the wonderful communities you will find across the Midwest.  It is filled with many friendly, helpful, hard-working families. The main difference is that those other communities don’t enjoy the benefits that come with having the economic foundation provided by having Mayo Clinic as a neighbor.

DMC: Why is the Destination Medical Center initiative so important to the future of Rochester?

Nelson: Mayo Clinic is a major driver of our economy.  We need to nurture and grow that economic engine.  Without DMC we don’t have the structure, the strategy or plans that will enable us to capitalize on the growth inherent in being home to the premier medical facility in the world.

DMC: What advice would you give to someone thinking about building a life, starting a career, and/or raising a family in America’s City for Health?

Nelson: Move now.  This is a great community, and the opportunities are endless.

Editor’s Note: For the second consecutive year, the Post Bulletin has been recognized by the Minnesota Newspaper Association as the Daily Newspaper of the Year.

 

Press Release from Gov. Dayton’s Office: Governor Reappoints Rani and Rybak to DMCC Board

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Governor Mark Dayton announced the reappointments of Susan Park Rani and R.T. Rybak as members of the Destination Medical Center Corporation Board of Directors. Both are appointed to six year terms, expiring on January 3, 2023.

“I am pleased [to] reappoint Susan Park Rani and R.T. Rybak to the Destination Medical Center Corporation Board,” said Governor Dayton. “Their respective prior experiences in the private sector and local government have been critical to the success of the Destination Medical Center initiative thus far. I thank Ms. Rani and Mr. Rybak for their willingness to continue serving.”

“I am excited to see my colleagues, Susan and R.T. remain on the board,” said Lt. Governor Tina Smith, DMCC board chair. “They provide invaluable perspective and play an integral role in shaping our efforts to ensure Rochester remains ‘America’s City for Health’ for generations to come.”

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Post Bulletin: Design team chosen for Discovery Square

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Discovery Square diagram

A new design team was chosen Thursday to map out Mayo Clinic’s largest downtown DMC project, Discovery Square.

RSP Architects and St. Louis, Mo.-based HOK were selected design Discovery Square, which could include up to 2 million square feet of research and education space in the Destination Medical Center’s Discovery Square district. The 20-block subdistrict is between Fourth Street Southwest and Sixth Street Southwest bordered by South Broadway and Fifth Avenue Southwest.

Discovery Square is anticipated to be a major driver of the $6.5 billion DMC initiative’s projected job growth and private spending. M.A. Mortenson Co. of Minneapolis is leading the development of the project for Mayo Clinic.

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ABC 6 News: Transportation Continues to Expand with DMC

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Since Rochester City Lines stopped their commuter route from Le Roy and Grand Meadow to Rochester in 2014, the demand has not stopped. Le Roy has tried a couple options, but it thinks their new bus service is the key to meeting that demand.

“It was a nice grassroots effort – It just proves you only need a handful of people,” said Axel Gumbel who is part of Le Roy’s Economic Development Authority.

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Post-Bulletin: Interviews reveal design conundrum for DMC

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In leading a public space design project for Destination Medical Center’s Heart of the City district, RSP Architects and RSP Principal Jon Buggy have promised solutions that are “authentic” to Rochester.

As the consultant team has found out in the research and interview stage of its design process, “authentic” might mean a few different things to Rochester’s mix of residents, employees and the millions of people who visit the city each year.

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MPR News: Wanted: Workers to fill Rochester’s growing labor shortage

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The high school kids in Aaron Davis’ construction tech class are busy helping build a two-bedroom, two-bathroom house that’s likely to be snapped up quickly in the Rochester area’s fast moving real estate market.

The same can also be said for Davis’ students. Market forces can’t wait for them to graduate. A recent state survey found nearly 500 construction positions available in southeastern Minnesota with some 8,000 total jobs open in a region with a minuscule 2.4 percent unemployment rate.

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