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Re: Rochester

Posted: January 18th, 2021, 9:32 am
by bubzki2
Hue apartments downtown are basically done and the VFW site project is also just about to wrap up.

Re: Rochester

Posted: January 24th, 2021, 2:27 pm
by gcm
The new hotel on the VFW site looks great. The hotel on at Virgil's site is also nearing completion and looks good. Looks like they are starting on phase 2 of Discovery Square.

Re: Rochester

Posted: January 25th, 2021, 9:57 am
by bubzki2
I still find the VFW project so odd in that the RR tracks just go right by it with no fencing or visual separation at all. I still hope they somehow someday can find a way to better integrate the downtown tracks snafu.

Re: Rochester

Posted: January 26th, 2021, 6:40 am
by mattaudio
Those downtown tracks are likely to just go away in a few years. Most of the customers have closed recently.

Re: Rochester

Posted: January 26th, 2021, 9:02 am
by bubzki2
Great news -- I suppose the follow-up question is could they be repurposed in their current state for passenger rail? Perhaps a few cut and covers with existing ROW?

Re: Rochester

Posted: January 26th, 2021, 7:29 pm
by Mdcastle
Those downtown tracks are likely to just go away in a few years. Most of the customers have closed recently.
I guess people don't really eat canned vegetables any more.

Re: Rochester

Posted: February 18th, 2021, 12:50 pm
by Minneboy
Google opening it's first MN Office in Rochester.

Re: Rochester

Posted: March 20th, 2021, 6:00 pm
by StandishGuy
It's been a few years since I've been to Rochester, so I'm curious to know whether all the new structures make it feel more urban. It's always seemed like an odd place with some density, but lacking personality. Is it the absence of a major University that makes Rochester seem a bit bland compared to smaller cities like Duluth, LaCrosse or St. Cloud?

Re: Rochester

Posted: March 23rd, 2021, 8:12 am
by bubzki2
Rochester should try to woo a college or larger UMN campus to help its vitality (maybe they did/are trying?). But I think it's mostly just a company town stuck in its old ways and the huge upper-middle class populations and good tax revenues paper over the massive car dependency and sprawl despite a pretty nice downtown core area. This town has some nice features and so much unrealized potential but I predict it remains unrealized for many years, sadly. Passenger rail would help.

Re: Rochester

Posted: March 23rd, 2021, 9:40 am
by SurlyLHT
Rochester should try to woo a college or larger UMN campus to help its vitality (maybe they did/are trying?). But I think it's mostly just a company town stuck in its old ways and the huge upper-middle class populations and good tax revenues paper over the massive car dependency and sprawl despite a pretty nice downtown core area. This town has some nice features and so much unrealized potential but I predict it remains unrealized for many years, sadly. Passenger rail would help.
I think they may be better off trying to build more high knowledge jobs; which may include University Research Facilities. I've heard complaints that Doctors move to Rochester and their spouse who is in another high paying career can't find a job in their small market. The work-from-home trend may be helping this.

I also think they need better connections to the Cities since we do have a big research industry, an entertainment industry and Corporate HQ. I wonder if there would be a way to do a BRT?..or just let private companies do their thing?

Re: Rochester

Posted: March 23rd, 2021, 11:55 am
by VacantLuxuries
I also think they need better connections to the Cities since we do have a big research industry, an entertainment industry and Corporate HQ. I wonder if there would be a way to do a BRT?..or just let private companies do their thing?
We could always go back to the Zip Rail plans we abandoned when we were suckered into thinking a private company was going to build elevated HSR between the MSP and Rochester airports.

Re: Rochester

Posted: March 23rd, 2021, 12:11 pm
by SurlyLHT
I also think they need better connections to the Cities since we do have a big research industry, an entertainment industry and Corporate HQ. I wonder if there would be a way to do a BRT?..or just let private companies do their thing?
We could always go back to the Zip Rail plans we abandoned when we were suckered into thinking a private company was going to build elevated HSR between the MSP and Rochester airports.
That would be ideal. Technically would the biggest issue be getting municipal consent from the communities along the line?

Has anyone done long-distance BRT? I don't know where it would have stops at. Would a St Paul one be worth it? Target Field Station or Greyhound Stations in Minneapolis? Seems like once people get to Mpls they can Uber or take LRT where they want to go. I'm probably getting off-topic for this thread.

Re: Rochester

Posted: March 23rd, 2021, 1:13 pm
by Nick
I also think they need better connections to the Cities since we do have a big research industry, an entertainment industry and Corporate HQ. I wonder if there would be a way to do a BRT?..or just let private companies do their thing?
We could always go back to the Zip Rail plans we abandoned when we were suckered into thinking a private company was going to build elevated HSR between the MSP and Rochester airports.
Never forget!

Re: Rochester

Posted: March 23rd, 2021, 5:04 pm
by Trademark
I also think they need better connections to the Cities since we do have a big research industry, an entertainment industry and Corporate HQ. I wonder if there would be a way to do a BRT?..or just let private companies do their thing?
We could always go back to the Zip Rail plans we abandoned when we were suckered into thinking a private company was going to build elevated HSR between the MSP and Rochester airports.
That would be ideal. Technically would the biggest issue be getting municipal consent from the communities along the line?

Has anyone done long-distance BRT? I don't know where it would have stops at. Would a St Paul one be worth it? Target Field Station or Greyhound Stations in Minneapolis? Seems like once people get to Mpls they can Uber or take LRT where they want to go. I'm probably getting off-topic for this thread.
I think instead of calling it BRT it's easier to say intercity bus because that's what it would be. I can't possibly see any demand for 15 minute service. Even hourly would be pushing it. I think the best we could hope for would be something like 8-10 daily round-trips. Adding the branding of BRT would just water down the label. Also I wonder if St. Paul would be a better destination.

Re: Rochester

Posted: March 23rd, 2021, 8:27 pm
by Silophant
For what it's worth, the existing Jefferson Lines intercity bus has a route from Minneapolis to Milwaukee with intermediate Minnesota stops at the U of M East Bank, St Paul, Rochester, and Winona. They appear to only have one round trip a day, but maybe it was more frequent pre-COVID?

Re: Rochester

Posted: March 24th, 2021, 8:44 am
by matthew5080
The attached link has some basic information regarding investment in the DMC area in 2020. Additionally there’s more information regarding the new 6 story apartment building proposed at Civic Center and Broadway, the Discovery Walk, and the Downtown Waterfront Southeast Small Area Plan. Getting the old AMPI and Kmart sites cleaned up would be phenomenal for the city.


https://dmc.mn/wp-content/uploads/2020/ ... ations.pdf

Re: Rochester

Posted: March 24th, 2021, 10:03 am
by Tcmetro
There's at least two van shuttle companies that operate between MSP airport and Rochester. There's probably 20 trips or so each way daily.

There's also a commuter route between the Bloomington 28th Ave light rail station and Rochester.

Re: Rochester

Posted: March 24th, 2021, 1:06 pm
by Trademark
There's at least two van shuttle companies that operate between MSP airport and Rochester. There's probably 20 trips or so each way daily.

There's also a commuter route between the Bloomington 28th Ave light rail station and Rochester.
20 shuttle vans could easily equal 10 buses capacity wise. I just have a really hard time believing a state subsidised bus route that would weaken the branding of BRT even more provides any value over the private market current setup.

Now if we are talking rail then that's a different story because there would be a different rider base that would ride rail and not bus (completely understandable over this long of a distance)

Who would we not take any of the current options but take a bus that was run by the state. Maybe a few people because it might be cheaper but are we really serving a need by that? I am completely fine sceeding intercity bus to private companies. Maybe you could make the argument of a PPP type system where in order to run a bus company in MN you must serve a list of cities with at least one trip bus route a day. But that's as far as I'd be willing to go unless we make monumental progress on the multitude of issues currently facing public transit (and societal issues as a whole)

Re: Rochester

Posted: March 24th, 2021, 2:03 pm
by Tcmetro
I believe the state of Minnesota subsidizes some intercity service. Wisconsin does as well.

I think the van and commuter services are already getting the job done. It seems that frequency is valued over capacity, which is why vans are used. I would guess that the companies operating the routes would not have qualms about using buses if demand increases.

Re: Rochester

Posted: March 25th, 2021, 8:15 am
by matthew5080
More information regarding the small area plan by AMPI and the former Kmart.
Potential development in what’s been called a mixed-use warehouse district includes the creation of 1,500 housing units with half defined as affordable and half at market rate, 140 hotel rooms, 70,000 to 100,000 square feet of retail space, and 50,000 to 70,000 square feet of office space.
Additionally, the 20-year vision would include a riverfront promenade, a bridge over the Zumbro River at Sixth Street, and traffic controlled by roundabouts through the area, as well as added green space throughout the area.
https://www.postbulletin.com/news/gover ... O5KAFlq9dE