Tag: Patrick Seeb

A bold vision for Heart of the City

At the heart of every destination city is a vibrant downtown, where signature spaces, diverse programming, and enticing events encourage residents and visitors to linger a little longer.

In downtown Rochester, the bold vision for the true Heart of the City is coming to life as designers unveil a new future for the Destination Medical Center (DMC) sub-district where residents and visitors come together to celebrate life, community, health, and wellness 365 days a year. 

From Discover and Dream to Design and Do

The Heart of the City Design Team recently unveiled plans for the much-anticipated core of downtown. Their forward-thinking vision for this integral part of the DMC district was received with excitement and anticipation by the DMC Corporation Board of Directors, the Rochester City Council, and the community at-large as they learned of the new plans for the sub-district.

DMCC board applauds progress in DMC sub-districts

With all the activity taking place in the Destination Medical Center (DMC) District, the recent DMC Corporation Board of Directors meeting agenda was a full one and included updates on DMC’s top development priorities, such as Discovery Square and Heart of the City.

Financial update

At the end of 2016, private investment in the DMC district surpassed $200 million, the threshold required to trigger the release of State dollars to support Rochester’s infrastructure needs. It was reported at the meeting that the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) certified the report and has authorized the release of $2.6 million of the state money for local infrastructure improvements by September.

“This is the reason we’ve been doing this for the past several years,” says DMCC board vice-chair R.T. Rybak. “I encourage the staff to take time to celebrate this achievement.”

Discovery Square Developments

One of six DMC sub-districts, Discovery Square will be a live-work environment organized around attracting and retaining the best and brightest to our community. While there is progress taking place in all of six sub-districts, Discovery Square is a board-identified priority for DMC, as are Heart of the City and transportation.

Sharing the DMC story throughout the state

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.

Photo credit: Glen Stubbe, Star Tribune

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.

Transportation planning key to strategic growth

Smart growth means anticipating what lies ahead, and that’s exactly what local leaders did at the recent DMC Transportation Work Session.

Members of the DMC Corporation Board of Directors, the DMC Economic Development Agency (EDA) Board of Directors, the Rochester City Council, and the Olmsted County Board of Commissioners came together with nearly 40 community members for a highly-engaged exchange of information about the future of transportation for Rochester.

Transportation: By land or by air

Transportation is at the forefront of urban planning and growth, and Rochester leaders are exploring how to best meet the needs of all as the Destination Medical Center initiative continues to take shape.

Transportation goals for Rochester include moving 23-30% of the workforce downtown via transit by 2035, connecting downtown districts with a circulator, and creating a world-class place for regional transit arrival and departure.

By air

The first United Airlines flight into RST

Rochester International Airport recently welcomed its first-ever United Airlines flight bringing the city another step closer to creating the high quality of service necessary to support the growth expected as a result of DMC.

Developer and investor interest in Rochester grows

First Avenue Flats Ribbon-Cutting

From groundbreakings to grand openings, Rochester is flourishing as developers and investors from around the world take notice of the opportunity that exists in America’s City for Health.

In the last two weeks alone, First Avenue Flats opened to 75% occupancy; the first building in Discovery Square was introduced; public funding raising efforts have begun for the Ronald McDonald House expansion; and the Mayo Civic Center celebrated its grand opening. Diverse construction projects like these offer the infrastructure needed to support Rochester’s projected growth.

DMC presents Real Estate Development & Investment Summit

As developments progress in the DMC District and throughout the city, the confidence of investors and developers in the future of Rochester is becoming more and more apparent. Over the next 20 years, DMC will continue to drive the city’s growth and position Rochester as the ideal place to grow a business, invest in a development project, or raise a family.

At the Rochester Real Estate Development and Investment Summit – to be held on May 4, 2017 – attendees will learn how DMC is shaping the market forces in the city, region, and state and the impact the initiative is making on real estate and investment.

Dare to DREAM: Giving life to Heart of the City

Heart of the City Concept Development

From Discover to Dream, the Destination Medical Center’s Heart of the City public space design team is taking their direction from you.

On March 9, the design team invited community members to take part in the second phase of the design process at a Community Workshop at the Rochester Art Center. More than 130 people attended the 2 ½ hour interactive event.

“The turnout was great,” says Adam Ferrari, owner of the Rochester-based architecture and design firm 9.SQUARE and a member of the design team. But what struck Ferrari was the engagement by the group. “With events like this, it usually goes one of two ways,” he says. “People either react negatively – or they roll up their sleeves and get to work.” This group, according to Ferrari, did the latter.

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

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+Partners9.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.”

Community members weigh in on the future of downtown transportation

A sustainable transportation model is pivotal to the success of the DMC vision. And from practical solutions like dedicated bus lanes to more futuristic ideas like driverless shuttles, the topic brought dozens of community members together for the first of four Public Conversations highlighting transit for Rochester’s downtown.

The informal open house, held on January 24 at the University of Minnesota Rochester, provided the public with a chance to hear from transportation consultants about the four integrated transit studies being conducted and offer their feedback on what they see working best for Rochester’s future.