The Rochester City Council has approved plans to move forward with design development, engineering work and construction bidding for Destination Medical Center’s (DMC) Discovery Walk, a five-block linear parkway along 2nd Avenue SW in downtown Rochester that will serve pedestrians as well as vehicle access. The design process is led by Coen+Partners.
Tag: Rochester City Council
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.
DMC Transportation Work Session Provides Space for Fruitful Public Input
ROCHESTER, Minn. (June 14, 2017) – The Destination Medical Center Corporation (DMCC) Board of Directors held a Transportation Work Session today to provide an update on findings since the DMC Transportation Workshop in April.
“A sustainable, comprehensive transportation plan is essential to the success of DMC. Today, we had a valuable discussion about Rochester’s needs, now and in the future,” said Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, chair of the DMCC Board. “Together with the Mayor, City Council, Olmsted County Board, and the EDA Board, we looked closely at design options, with the goal of making transportation work better for people in the DMC district and throughout Rochester and the region.”
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
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.
Post-Bulletin: Chateau Theatre renovation plan to go to city council
A $21.3 million plan to expand the Chateau Theatre is headed to the Rochester City Council later this month for approval.
Called Option E, the plan by Miller Dunwiddie Architecture calls for expanding the theater east into the alley and excavating below the existing footprint of the building to add a lower level. Denita Lemmon, a Miller Dunwiddie associate principal, presented the proposed plan to the Chateau Theatre Re-use Task Force on Tuesday.
The alley expansion, Lemmon said, is to enlarge the theater’s lobby space. The entrance and lobby would be on the south side of the building, facing the Peace Plaza, with theater seats facing a stage on the north end of the theater.
Planning for the future of the DMC district
The development activity in each of the DMC District continues to show progress with investment and projects underway at various phases. The Destination Medical Center development plan identifies six sub-districts: Heart of the City, Discovery Square, St. Marys Place, Waterfront, Central Station, and the UMR/Recreation area. Each sub-district is organized around a signature public space and public realm experience.
The Peace Plaza, for example, serves as the signature public space in Heart of the City. Recently, a Request for Qualifications/Proposals process was launched to identify a team to design enhancements to the Heart of the City sub-district. In the next few weeks, a Community Advisory Committee will be established to help steer that design process.