Destination Medical Center Plan Has Been Submitted for Review
The DMC development plan is now in the hands of the Rochester City Council.
The DMC Corporation Board Thursday submitted the huge, conceptual plan to the Council, which has 60 days to review it and then act on the proposal.
Before voting, the board discussed the proposal. Some members suggested the proposal calling for a bio-technology district be developed before the other four phases. Others suggested the Heart of the City district be developed first because it would be more visible. The board also agreed the Chateau Theater building should be at the heart of that district’s development.
Some members also expressed concern about the city’s hospitality atmosphere. Former Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak said the city is “ way behind in the hotel experience.”
All members agreed the proposal is not a definitive plan, but rather a tool to guide the planning process and that changes are possible. They also emphasized the need for the DMC’s Economic Development Agency to hire a director and begin working on the plan.
Mayo Clinic Chief Administrative Officer Jeffrey Bolton - who is also the chair of the Economic Development Agency - addressed the board. He said Mayo’s commitment to the DMC initiative hasn’t changed and that it remains at the center of its long term plans.
The city’s Planning Commission will hold a hearing on the plan February 23rd. The Council will hold another hearing March 23rd and a vote is expected to take place March 30th.
The DMCC Board will then take up the Council’s decision at its next meeting in April.
More From KROC-AM
