Mayo Civic Center Name Change on City Council Agenda
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Rochester City Council is scheduled to discuss and possibly vote tonight on a controversial recommendation to rename the newly expanded Mayo Civic Center. The Mayo Civic Center Commission and the Rochester Convention and Visitors Bureau is recommending a change to the Rochester Convention and Events Center in hopes of improving the marketing of the facility outside of this region.
The recommendation to the City Council also includes proposals to recognize the contributions and legacy of the Mayo brothers that were developed during discussions with the Mayo Clinic and Mayo family. The original Mayo Civic Auditorium and Presentation Hall were given to the city by the Mayo Clinic under the leadership of Doctors Charles and William Mayo in 1939 to enrich the community’s cultural offerings and provide construction jobs as the nation was still struggling during the Great Depression.
The recommendations call for continuing the use of the name Mayo Civic Auditorium for the original facility and renaming Presentation Hall as the Dr. Charles H. Mayo Presentation Hall. The current McDonnell Foyer would be renamed the Dr. William J. Mayo Reception Hall and the concourse connecting the two internal venues would be known as the Mayo Community Gallery and would feature rotating exhibits of historical artifacts and other museum quality displays.
The announcement last week about the name change recommendation sparked a lively discussion on the KROC-AM Facebook Page.
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