Tag: Lisa Clarke

Tailoring technology to fuel our workforce

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Regardless of company size or type, technology is vital for improving productivity, enhancing convenience, and providing increased opportunity for growth. Whether you’re a business owner or a software developer, collaboration will be key to meeting the Rochester area’s collective technology needs.

To assess the state of local tech-related training needs and ensure this critical component of workforce and economic development is being addressed, Destination Medical Center (DMC) is partnering with Winona State University–Rochester (WSU-R) to host an Information Technology (IT) Open House.

The event, scheduled for January 16, will include a gallery walk, a panel featuring IT professionals, and reveal the results of last year’s research and discovery work identifying the IT training needs required to meet our growing workforce demands.

A collaborative commitment to housing affordability

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As growth and development continue throughout the Rochester area, local leaders are making housing affordability a top priority for 2018.

A new collaborative community initiative was announced on Thursday, December 21, 2017 at a press conference at the Rochester Area Foundation (RAF) where more than 40 community leaders and residents came together to learn more about this important effort.

From left: Randy Staver, City of Rochester; Jeff Bolton, Mayo Clinic; Jennifer Woodford, Rochester Area Foundation; Ken Brown, Olmsted County

The Coalition for Rochester Area Housing will bring together public and private sector organizations to acquire, invest, manage, and distribute funds and resources to create and preserve affordable and workforce-priced housing. The group will be led by the Rochester Area Foundation and supported by founding partners from the City of Rochester, Olmsted County, and Mayo Clinic. The group will rely on the community to bring forward ideas and proposals and will leverage local expertise to identify and address gaps in today’s housing market and use resources efficiently.

Focus group: Meeting our future workforce needs

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Ranked as the 16th Best College Town in America by Business Insider, southeastern Minnesota’s reputation for talent development is recognized nationally. But what’s not as widely known is the unique collaboration taking place between higher education and the business community to help address the area’s growing workforce needs.

Now, with construction for DMC’s signature Discovery Square building officially underway, working together to ensure Rochester has the skilled workforce to meet the needs of the region is becoming increasingly important.

DMC is partnering with Winona State University-Rochester to conduct research into the gaps that currently exist in the local educational offerings and how to be intentional about filling those gaps as we develop future programming, specifically related to entrepreneurialism.

Take the Commuter Challenge

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Driving alone may seem like the most convenient way to get around Rochester, but traveling solo is not always the best – and certainly not the only – travel option.

Currently, about 40,000 people travel downtown for work each day, and local transportation studies show that around 75% of those employees drive to work. But with DMC expected to attract 30,000 additional jobs during the course of the initiative, planners have been looking at other modes of transportation to reduce traffic congestion and parking issues.

“What we learned time and time again from other cities across the nation is that transit is number one,” says DMC Economic Development Agency Executive Director Lisa Clarke. “It’s really critical to get it right on the front end.”

Short-term and long-term planning efforts to enhance Rochester’s transportation are underway. The week of November 13, the city of Rochester is promoting a fall Commuter Challenge to encourage workers and residents to explore different means of transit to get to work or around the community.

Momentum and Discovery Square Groundbreaking Highlighted at DMCC Board Meeting

Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Rochester, Minn. (Nov. 2, 2017) – The Destination Medical Center Corporation (DMCC) Board of Directors today recognized significant progress toward several private developments, public infrastructure, business development, and planning goals of the Destination Medical Center initiative.

A significant highlight shared with the Board focused on job growth. More than 3,300 jobs were added since 2014 and construction activity at the four DMC-funded projects will result in more than 1,000 combined construction jobs.

The Board specifically acknowledged today’s groundbreaking by Mortenson on their Phase 1 building at Discovery Square.

“Discovery Square will be the place where Minnesota’s next generation of medical start-ups will want to be. It will create new opportunity for jobs, innovation, and economic growth and represents a major step toward fulfilling our mission of building America’s City for Health,” said Lt. Governor Tina Smith, chair of the DMCC Board of Directors. “I thank Mortenson, Mayo Clinic and the Rochester community for their work on the Discovery Square project. This is great news for Rochester and our state.”

Share in the excitement of Discovery Square

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As part of the groundbreaking ceremony for a new, innovative life-science building in Discovery Square, Destination Medical Center (DMC) is hosting the Discovery Square Community Celebration and Innovation Showcase Thursday, November 2, 2017, from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

This event will be held in the Discovery Square sub-district, on 5th Street SW between 1st and 2nd Avenues SW (just west of Pasquale’s restaurant).  It will bring together art, science, and community to celebrate the progress that’s already taken place in Discovery Square, and look forward to its promising future.  It’s also an opportunity to meet the innovators and entrepreneurs that are already creating great innovations in Rochester.

Local investments pay off as state funds for infrastructure arrive

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This past spring, DMC reached a major milestone when the private investment threshold required to release state dollars for public infrastructure improvements was not only met but surpassed.

The unique economic development model set forth by the legislature in 2013 required that $200 million in private investments be committed to the DMC initiative before state funds could be released, and multiple projects of varying dollar amounts contributed to the threshold being exceeded by nearly $97 million. The Department of Employment and Economic Development certified the investment dollars so the state money could be released and used for local infrastructure improvements. With that certification now complete, the first of the state DMC funds are now available.

City leaders gather for site visit to Twin Cities

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Cities at any stage of development can benefit greatly from sharing ideas with and learning from other communities.

For the second year in a row, more than 40 leaders from organizations in and around Rochester traveled to the Twin Cities for a DMC-organized site visit. This year’s trip focused on topics of transportation and public spaces and included discussions and presentations from key experts in those fields. Attendees included staff from the DMC Economic Development Agency (EDA) staff, the City of Rochester, Mayo Clinic, Coen+Partners, RSP Architects, the University of Minnesota, the Rochester International Airport, and other local organizations.

The future of Rochester’s workforce needs

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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.

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

Press 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.”