These Are Now the Tallest Buildings in Rochester, Minnesota

While Rochester is the third-largest city in Minnesota, when it comes to tall buildings and city skylines, Minnesota's Med City is sometimes overlooked. But Rochester *does* have some tall buildings of its own. But which buildings are the tallest here in Rochester right now?

Many of the familiar buildings that make up Rochester, Minnesota's skyline are owned by Mayo Clinic. It's not surprising, considering that Mayo Clinic has called Rochester home for over 150 years and has routinely been ranked the number-one hospital in the country and around the world.

A Skyline Built by Medicine: The History Behind Rochester's Tallest Towers

For instance, Mayo's impressive Plummer Building, which opened back in 1928, contains 15 stories and was once the tallest building in the entire state-- before the Foshay Tower opened in Minneapolis, that is. Sure, it's tall-- but it's not the tallest in Rochester.

Speaking of Mayo Clinic, the world-famous medical center is in the middle of its massive, $50 billion Bold. Foward. Unbound. expansion that will add several new clinical buildings to the Rochester skyline. But none are expected to be taller than the current tallest building.

SEE ALSO: The Most Trusted Brand in America Has 11 Locations in Minnesota

Before that expansion was announced, Mayo was already expanding and had already constructed the futuristic-looking Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Building along 4th St. in downtown Rochester. That modern facility is an 11-story research facility that opened in  December 2023. But it, too, isn't the tallest in town.

The 32-Floor Dream: Why Rochester’s Gonda Building Expansion Was Scrapped

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As it currently stands, Mayo Clinic's Gonda Building is the tallest structure in the Mayo Clinic line-up, coming in at 21 floors. Before the pandemic, Mayo announced plans for an expansion of the Gonda Building that would have added another 11 floors, bringing its total to a sky-scraping 32 floors. That definitely would have made it the tallest building in Rochester. But those plans have now been scrapped.

So, if it's not the Gonda Building, just which building is the tallest in Rochester's ever-expanding skyline? Well, this Post Bulletin story said that while the Gonda Building is on the list, right now, it's actually the second-tallest building in Rochester.

Ranking the Reach: How Rochester’s Tallest Building Compares to the Twin Cities

The tallest is the Broadway Plaza building, which stands tall along South Broadway Avenue in Rochester. After that, it's the Gonda Building, followed by the historic Plummer Building (which, according to Mayo Clinic, is a full 15 floors), then the Mayo Building, and finally the Hilton Rochester Mayo Clinic, next to the Broadway Plaza. (Remember when it was named the Best Hotel in North America a few years ago?)

So do Rochester's tallest buildings compare to buildings in Minneapolis and St. Paul? While Med City's skyline is impressive for a city its size, the Twin Cities still have us beat. Wells Fargo Place is the tallest building overall in St. Paul, while Cray Plaza has the most floors, coming in at 46.

The IDS Center in Minneapolis, however, has 57 floors and stands 792 feet high, which makes it not only the tallest in Minneapolis but the tallest building in the entire state of Minnesota as well.

Now, do you know which neighborhoods in Rochester have the highest price tags? Keep scrolling to check out the 10 Richest Neighborhoods in Rochester!