DMC Comprehensive Plan Taking Shape
The Destination Medical Center Corporation Board and the DMC Economic Development Agency were updated Thursday on the work of the consultants hired to develop a comprehensive plan for transforming Rochester into a world-class destination for those seeking medical care.
Much of the discussion involved transportation issues as the consultants grapple with developing plans to make downtown Rochester more pedestrian friendly, while also addressing the need to bring a growing number of visitors and employees to the Mayo campus.
A rough concept of a so-called “transit circulator” was part of Thursday’s presentation. The first phase of the system would stretch from Highway 52 to near the government center on 2nd Street southwest; connecting a remote parking facility near the St. Mary’s Hospital complex to the hospital, the downtown Mayo campus, and a stop on the east side of South Broadway. The plan envisions later expansions of the system that would link a proposed Intermodal transit hub on the north side of the downtown to the planned University of Minnesota-Rochester campus to the south.
The consultants indicated they are studying a number of options for the mode of transportation, including modern streetcars, advanced buses, and even some sort of elevated automated personal transit system.
They plan to return in November with a more refined report.
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