Rochester

[mattaudio]

Regarding Rosa Parks building (ex Red Lobster space): According to a Roch CM contact I have, Mayo tried to lease out the space for two years. Not sure how much they tried, or how much they were willing to open up to the streetscape. But apparently they tried.

[uptowncarag]

Regarding Rosa Parks building (ex Red Lobster space): According to a Roch CM contact I have, Mayo tried to lease out the space for two years. Not sure how much they tried, or how much they were willing to open up to the streetscape. But apparently they tried.

Once the DMC gets going there will be more plans for development downtown. I am really surprised how much Rochester is growing. It has doubled in size since the late 1980's.

[go4guy]

So I heard that the new commercial building going up is where all the offices in the Associated Bank building are going, and that the rumor is that the Middle East developer is moving forward with their plans for the bank site. Those are just rumors from some friends who work at Mayo. I havent seen anything in the news. So take it for what it is worth.

[mattaudio]

Referring to their 6 story building at 206 S Broadway? I hope they redevelop a parking lot rather than a midrise.

[Mpls9]

Was in my hometown today for the first time in almost 10 years. The 206 Broadway building is topped out and they're putting the finishing touches on the facade. I was pleasantly stunned at all the commercial and retail growth (or sprawl) from Broadway south of 52. It's filling in nicely all the way down to I-90 now. Downtown is so much denser than I remember, even if some of it is parking structures.

Also, went to the Dunkin Donuts in the Kahler.

[Minneboy]

Was in my hometown today for the first time in almost 10 years. The 206 Broadway building is topped out and they're putting the finishing touches on the facade. I was pleasantly stunned at all the commercial and retail growth (or sprawl) from Broadway south of 52. It's filling in nicely all the way down to I-90 now. Downtown is so much denser than I remember, even if some of it is parking structures.

Also, went to the Dunkin Donuts in the Kahler.

Stewartville?

[Mpls9]

Was in my hometown today for the first time in almost 10 years. The 206 Broadway building is topped out and they're putting the finishing touches on the facade. I was pleasantly stunned at all the commercial and retail growth (or sprawl) from Broadway south of 52. It's filling in nicely all the way down to I-90 now. Downtown is so much denser than I remember, even if some of it is parking structures.

Also, went to the Dunkin Donuts in the Kahler.

Stewartville?

...??..

[Minneboy]

I wasn't sure if you're from Roch or as you put in your comments south to I90 which would be Stewartville.

[Wedgeguy]

Stewartville is basically next to the intersection of I90 and 52. If Rochester keeps moving south with development and annexing, Stewartville will be a suburb of Rochester.

[Mpls9]

I wasn't sure if you're from Roch or as you put in your comments south to I90 which would be Stewartville.

....OK. Still confused how me commenting on development lead to to wonder if I was from Stewartville....I'm actually from Rochester.

[Mpls9]

Stewartville is basically next to the intersection of I90 and 52. If Rochester keeps moving south with development and annexing, Stewartville will be a suburb of Rochester.

It already is a suburb. So is Byron, Kasson, Dodge Center, Plainview, Pine Island, etc.

[acs]

Two new F&C articles about Rochester today. Anyone want to give a quick summary?

Report: Rochester needs 2 new transit lines
http://finance-commerce.com/2014/09/rep ... sit-lines/

Rybak questions retail in Rochester’s subway level
http://finance-commerce.com/2014/09/ryb ... way-level/

[FISHMANPET]

Just looking at the lead on that first article, I'd say Rochester needs to walk before they can run. I don't think they're ready to jump streetcar, when basically what they want is a circulator to bring people from park and rides into Downtown.

[Silophant]

I realize that they're totally just spitballing, but I'll be cranky if Rochester manages to somehow get grade-separated transit through downtown when neither Minneapolis or St. Paul was able to swing it.

[MNdible]

There was a presentation to the Regents for the master plan for the future UM Rochester campus.

Apparently, they already control quite a bit of land in this area.

[Mpls9]

I realize that they're totally just spitballing, but I'll be cranky if Rochester manages to somehow get grade-separated transit through downtown when neither Minneapolis or St. Paul was able to swing it.

WHat Mayo wants, Mayo gets...

[mattaudio]

True, sadly. Example: Mayo is pushing for a MSP terminus for ZipRail rather than a SPUD terminus (with future extension to Target Field). Short-sighted, self-interested is fine.... but not when it's the primary voice.

[acs]

True, sadly. Example: Mayo is pushing for a MSP terminus for ZipRail rather than a SPUD terminus (with future extension to Target Field). Short-sighted, self-interested is fine.... but not when it's the primary voice.

I think the zip rail debate is all the more reason why Rochester needs light rail from its airport to downtown and why we need riverview LRT from MSP to SPUD. That way, no matter what happens with the zip rail route the result won't be too bad.

[mattaudio]

At least the Rochester station will be downtown rather than RST.

[mulad]

The first F&C article about the transit lines suggests that the DMC project will bring 35,000 new workers. I'm fairly dubious that they'd be able to get that many, particularly in downtown, but they're probably conservative with the next statement that they'd need 120 acres of parking to handle that many people -- that's the equivalent of the entire downtown area of Rochester.

People often assume that parking lots are just the size of a stall multiplied by the number of stalls -- but there's aisle space between them, corners are unusable, and there are often extra areas used for islands for landscaping, walking paths, or whatever. The real area used is probably 350 square feet or more per stall when the extras are included, so we're talking about something like 280 acres of parking for 35,000 new workers. They mentioned it taking up 10 blocks of land if it's all in 6-story parking ramps, but I figure it's closer to 20 blocks.

That's a lot of land that could be used for housing, businesses, and the medical complex itself.

Olmsted County's property map isn't quite as easy to use as those for Hennepin or Ramsey Counties, but I have been able to determine (by punching the PARID number into this site) that the Gonda Building and the land below it is assessed to $242 million -- that's one single block in downtown worth almost exactly the same as the high-end estimate for the elevated rapid-transit line.

I'm pretty sure that's the high-water mark for properties in the city, though the cumbersome method for correlating things makes it hard for me to check. Still, there are a number of nearby properties valued at several tens of millions. Saving just a few blocks from being parking would really help to pay back the cost of transit and other public investments related to the whole DMC idea.