Rochester, Minn., home to the famed Mayo Clinic, is about to embark on what would be the largest economic development initiative in this state’s history.
The state government, the Mayo Clinic, and private investment partners are prepared to spend $6.5 billion on a 20-year plan whose goal is to elevate Rochester into a global biotech hub. The plan is also intended to rejuvenate Rochester’s downtown, promote open transit, and reconnect the city with its waterfront.
On April 23, the Board of Directors of the Destination Medical Center Corporation formally adopted the development plan for Destination Medical Center (DMC), which would be comprised of six districts spread across 550 acres. The vertical construction would support a diverse mixed-use environment that complements Mayo’s existing facilities, which already provide care for one million patients annually.
The state government, the Mayo Clinic, and private investment partners are prepared to spend $6.5 billion on a 20-year plan whose goal is to elevate Rochester into a global biotech hub. The plan is also intended to rejuvenate Rochester’s downtown, promote open transit, and reconnect the city with its waterfront.
The six districts identified in the development plan include:
• The Heart of the City: The plan would convert the downtown area into a place of “connected urban experiences” that build off of the city’s existing walkable attributes, with enhanced areas and mixed-use buildings
• Discovery Square: Steps from Mayo Medical School, this would be the address for the expansion of science, research, tech, and entrepreneurism;
• Downtown Waterfront: This would be located where the Zumbro River and Second Street intersect. It would be a cultural and historical center, and provide live-work opportunities;
• Central Station: A nexus of transportation for the downtown area, with an intermodal transit station that is incorporated into mixed-use development;
• UMR and Recreation Area: On the south edge of downtown, this location would encompass the University of Minnesota-Rochester campus and Soldier’s Memorial Field; and
• St. Mary’s Place: A new public space in the downtown’s western corner.
Peter Cavaluzzi, FAIA, Principal and Board Member for Perkins Eastman, this project’s lead designer, thinks The Heart of the City will be the most critical component, and have the biggest impact, early on. “The first phase of every large-scale project has to be bold enough to have an impact, but at the same time be small enough that it can be achieved.”
Perkins Eastman says the initial phase will start at the city’s 1st Street and 1st Avenue, in the middle of Peace Plaza, where a grand dining terrace will span the Avenue and connect to the historic Chateau Theater.
A breakdown of Destination Medical Center shows that it would have 6.8 million sf of healthcare facilities, 1.02 million sf of biotech, 310,000 sf of offices, a 1,380-room hotel, 2,850 units of residential, 354,000 sf of educational space, and 117,000 sf of transit, which would include 22,850 new parking spaces. Fast Company reports that there is also a possibility of a rail link between Rochester and Minneapolis, 90 miles away.
Rochester officials see this project as a way for their city to get out from under the shadow cast by the Minneapolis-St. Paul metroplex. DMC could also give Mayo Clinic a leg up on other healthcase hubs like Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins that are all vying for what’s known as medical “tourists,” affluent foreign patients seeking the best treatment available.
Lisa Clarke, DMC’s executive director, estimates that this development would create between 25,000 and 40,000 jobs over 20 years, plus significantly more tax revenue.
Fast Company reports that $6 billion of the project’s cost would be raised from the private sector, and state and local taxpayers would contribute $585 million. Foreign companies, many with ties with Mayo Clinic, are expected to provide much of the private funding.
The Destination Medical Center, though, is controversial. For one thing, the plan calls for the downtown area to be “winterized” with skywalks, heated sidewalks, and underground passageways. There’s nothing in the plan that stipulates construction of affordable housing (which could be a real problem if, as estimated, this urban development project causes Rochester’s population to double from its current 111,000 people). And some residents fear that local cultural structures, like the public library and downtown theater, could ultimately be destined for the wrecking ball.
Related Stories
| Oct 12, 2014
AIA 2030 commitment: Five years on, are we any closer to net-zero?
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the American Institute of Architects’ effort to have architecture firms voluntarily pledge net-zero energy design for all their buildings by 2030.
| Oct 8, 2014
Massive ‘healthcare village’ in Nevada touted as world’s largest healthcare project
The $1.2 billion Union Village project is expected to create 12,000 permanent jobs when completed by 2024.
| Oct 3, 2014
Designing for women's health: Helping patients survive and thrive
In their quest for total wellness, women today are more savvy healthcare consumers than ever before. They expect personalized, top-notch clinical care with seamless coordination at a reasonable cost, and in a convenient location. Is that too much to ask?
| Sep 29, 2014
10 common deficiencies in aging healthcare facilities
VOA's Douglas King pinpoints the top issues that arise during healthcare facilities assessments, including missing fire/smoke dampers, out-of-place fire alarms, and poorly constructed doorways.
| Sep 25, 2014
Look to history warily when gauging where the construction industry may be headed
Precedents and patterns may not tell you all that much about future spending or demand.
| Sep 24, 2014
Architecture billings see continued strength, led by institutional sector
On the heels of recording its strongest pace of growth since 2007, there continues to be an increasing level of demand for design services signaled in the latest Architecture Billings Index.
| Sep 23, 2014
Cedars-Sinai looks to streamline trauma care with first-of-its-kind OR360 simulation space
The breakthrough simulation center features moveable walls and a modular ceiling grid that allow doctors and military personnel to easily reconfigure the shape and size of the space.
| Sep 22, 2014
4 keys to effective post-occupancy evaluations
Perkins+Will's Janice Barnes covers the four steps that designers should take to create POEs that provide design direction and measure design effectiveness.
| Sep 22, 2014
Sound selections: 12 great choices for ceilings and acoustical walls
From metal mesh panels to concealed-suspension ceilings, here's our roundup of the latest acoustical ceiling and wall products.
| Sep 20, 2014
Healthcare conversion projects: 5 hard-earned lessons from our experts
Repurposing existing retail and office space is becoming an increasingly popular strategy for hospital systems to expand their reach from the mother ship. Our experts show how to avoid the common mistakes that can sabotage outpatient adaptive-reuse projects.