Tag: Mayor Ardell Brede

Heart of the City: Discover. Dream. Design. Do!

General

RSP Architects, the Minneapolis-based firm charged with championing public realm design for DMC’s Heart of the City sub-district, received accolades from the DMC Corporation board of directors on February 8 when they presented findings from the first of four phases of the design process. The RSP-led design team includes Coen+Partners, 9.Square, HR&A Advisors, and Kimley-Horn.

The Discover Report was the result of 17 days of interviews, surveys, and pop-ups conducted by the Heart of the City public space design team and the culmination of their first phase of design work. During this process, the design team met with hundreds of people – visitors, patients, and community members alike – recognizing that they must understand the community well because “solutions for Heart of the City need to be authentic to Rochester.”

Mayo Clinic selects developer for Discovery Square

General

MortLogo_400x400The DMC vision moved another step closer to becoming a reality today when Mayo Clinic announced today that it will collaborate with M.A. Mortenson, a Minneapolis-based real estate development and construction firm, on the DMC sub-district Discovery Square.

Over the next 20 years, Mayo Clinic will add 2 million square feet of space in Discovery Square for research, education, and product development.

“With [Mortenson’s] experience, they will be a fantastic partner with Mayo to spearhead the development of the six-block Discovery Square, the bioscience research, education and medical innovation campus that is the core of the DMC,” says Lt. Governor Tina Smith, DMC Corporation Board Chair. “Discovery Square, which will include Mayo and other private businesses, is a key milestone for DMC.”

Flats on 4th: Coming soon to the DMC district

General

As the Destination Medical Center economic development initiative takes off, so has Rochester’s housing market.

Case in point: new mixed-use apartment complexes are under construction in or on the outskirts of the DMC district which include Flats on 4th, Lofts at Mayo Clinic, 501, and 1st Avenue Lofts.

DMC Executive Director Lisa Clarke said these projects demonstrate that investors and developers see promise in Rochester’s future.

IMG_6905
Flats on 4th rendering

“If you want to measure the DMC’s momentum, just look at how many construction trucks and hard hats you see around the city,” said Clarke. “Every groundbreaking represents progress toward our ultimate goal, which is to transform Rochester not only into a health and wellness destination for patients, but a place that attracts talented, diverse workers from all over the world.”

Press Release: Committee Named – Destination Medical Center and City of Rochester Establish Heart of the City Community Advisory Committee

Press Releases

Destination Medical Center and City of Rochester Establish Heart of the City Community Advisory Committee

Fourteen Volunteer Members Named to Assist with Design for Public Spaces

ROCHESTER, Minn. (April 5, 2106) –The Rochester City Council has approved the membership of the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) for the Heart of the City public space design.

Formed through a collaboration between the City of Rochester and the Destination Medical Center (DMC) Corporation, the 14-member volunteer CAC will assist with the design for public spaces of the Heart of the City DMC sub-district at the intersection of First Street SW and First Avenue SW. As envisioned by the DMC Development Plan, Heart of the City will bring together Mayo Clinic, commercial, hospitality, retail and residential sectors, while also serving as a gateway to other DMC sub-districts.

DMC seeks volunteers for Heart of the City Public Space Design Community Advisory Committee

General

The Destination Medical Center (DMC) development plan identifies six sub-districts, each of which is anchored by a dramatically new or enhanced public space. The sub-district called Heart of the City lies at the intersection of Rochester’s medical environment and the hospitality/entertainment district. At the “heart” of Heart of the City is the Peace Plaza, home to many of the community’s most popular public events.Heart-of-the-City-Patient-Exp

A public skating rink, stunning light and glass features, and attractive portals to other districts are among the concepts used to illustrate the future of the public spaces in Heart of the City.

Encouraged by community support for these ideas, the board of Destination Medical Center Corporation (DMCC) and the City of Rochester are working together to identify a design team to lead the public space design process. With anticipation for a completed design in 2016 and a phased implementation in 2017, a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is being established to aid in the Heart of the City public space design.

KIMT: Mayor: DMC project takes big step forward

General

The Destination Medical Center continues to move forward, and on Thursday, Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede said it might have taken a big step.

DMC, which is backed by Mayo Clinic and the state of Minnesota, is expected to transform areas of Rochester and add up to 40,000 jobs over the next two decades.

One of the sections expected to be worked on is called “The Heart of the City” which is located near Peace Plaza.

Mayor Brede says the city is putting together an advisory committee made up of nine to 12 people to help guide the project. Their job will include getting proposals from companies and possibly making suggestions to the City Council.

Brede says it’s time to start acting on DMC.