Rochester

[bubzki2]

For the Ronald McDonald house, I think you mean "The council approved an incentive development final plan for Ronald McDonald House to construct a three-story, 30-unit addition to its Rochester facility" so it's not adding additional stories, just to be clear.

[matthew5080]

oh goodness, you're right. I really should've been paying more attention. Thank you!

On a sidenote, Nice Ride Minnesota will be launching its Rochester program in August. Two rental stations will be placed in the downtown area, with one in the Peace Plaza and the other near the Peoples Food Co-op

http://www.themedcitybeat.com/news-blog ... ing-august

[matthew5080]

Some changes are being made to the Alatus project near Saint Marys to appease the zoning commission, as well as the nitpicking neighborhood association. The Rochester Planning and Zoning Commission have delayed its vote until August 10th.

The change eliminated any contract parking from the ramp, but still supported the projects 359 apartments and townhouse, commercial businesses and 70 public parking spaces. In response to city staff critiques, Alatus team also proposed to increase the distance the buildings were set back from the street and eliminate a 52-foot spire on top of the building. There was concern the spire might cause problems for the Mayo One helicopter, which flies from the nearby Saint Mary's Hospital

http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/ ... 0d19a.html

[bubzki2]

"Developer proposes 162-unit apartment building overlooking Mayo Field"

http://www.themedcitybeat.com/news-blog ... mayo-field

[matthew5080]

Looks great! It's nice to see such an interest in building more than just single family homes in Rochester. However, I'm having difficulty placing where this is/will be located?

[go4guy]

Between the stadium and Center Street, if I am reading the comments section correctly. Even though you have to be ready for comments about affordable housing. Some of these people just have no clue why a developer won't put up affordable housing as new housing on the riverfront downtown.

[matthew5080]

Food news from Rochester...

They've been talking about this for years, but it sounds like the fast-food chain Sonic will be looking at Rochester again come this fall.

http://www.postbulletin.com/business/he ... 369cf.html

Macs and the Half Barrel will be starting Food Truck service soon.
http://www.themedcitybeat.com/news-blog ... -rochester

[bubzki2]

Rochester might be auto centric (it is), but I have to say, Sonic is a match made in heaven for that town and I bet it will go gangbusters.

[Minneboy]

Build the Sonic where Henry's used to be. I see that's not possible but what about across Civic Center Drive in one of those bump out areas of the HyVee's parking lot. Yea there are probably multiple places in town to go. The reason I was thinking Henry's though is to bring back a little history to that location, even though Henry's wasn't a drive in. Still the bestest cheap hamburgers ever.

[bubzki2]

More info on Mayo Field area apartment proposal now dubbed "Riverwalk Downtown City Apartments"

http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/ ... e63a6.html

Also, I still can't quite pinpoint where this is proposed ...

"a redevelopment of four residential properties on East Center Street, on the north side of the block at the entrance to Mayo Field"

Isn't the north side taken by the field itself? Maybe they mean to the east?

[go4guy]

This is going to replace about 5 homes between the field and East Center Street.

[matthew5080]

Any idea of what's being built between the Think Mutual Bank building and the Mayo Support Center on West Circle Drive?

[mattaudio]

Sprawl

[gcm]

Any idea of what's being built between the Think Mutual Bank building and the Mayo Support Center on West Circle Drive?

http://postbulletin.typepad.com/kiger/2 ... rowth.html

http://postbulletin.typepad.com/kiger/2 ... -park.html

[matthew5080]

So the Star Tribune released a random article about the Zumbro... interesting read.

http://www.startribune.com/rochester-s- ... 388754451/

[FISHMANPET]

I remember when the Zumbro flooded once in the late 90s, we were stranded with our house on one side and the rest of Zumbrota and access to 52 on the other.

[matthew5080]

Some news about the Saint Mary's project...

The Alatus project by Saint Mary's has trimmed down the parking ramp to 560 spots, originally 883. The amount of housing units is down to 347, originally 359, due to a reduction of townhouses. As for traffic congestion...

Also, there'll be an entrance and exit on both the 14th and 15th avenue sides of the ramp. Initially it was exit-only onto 15th, which caused some to worry about a torrent of new traffic in that residential area. There'll also be a "vehicular choker," as it's called, so no traffic can go southbound on 15th Avenue exiting from the ramp.

According to Chris Osmondson of Alatus, who shared these details with one of my Answer Man I-Team associates late Monday, the parking reductions means the project will "only contribute a 5 percent increase in congestion" in that area, based on their updated traffic study.

Also in the article is a bit of news about future development at Miracle Mile Shopping Center.

A well-informed little birdie tells me that notifications are going out to business owners in Miracle Mile Shopping Center regarding the long-awaited plan for redevelopment there. No one will speak on the record, but there's enough chatter to persuade me that it's true, that tenants at the south end of the center are being informed that change is coming.

The center was sold last year, for $10.4 million, to investors apparently linked to Oronoco health care executive and developer Javon Bea, and there was talk of a Whole Foods grocery at the south end. That didn't come to fruition, but there's been talk of a similar type of grocery store, possibly topped by apartments.

Everyone's mum, but perhaps not for long.

http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/ ... 5c0ba.html

[matthew5080]

The Library is looking at space on the University of Minnesota - Rochester's property...

"They don't need all that space but they have land that they could put a building on and they could share that space with other organizations like the public library, like the YMCA, the children's museum; there could be other people too," Ohly said.

The university's master plan includes a 10-acre expansion on the south side of Rochester, near Soldier's Field Park. It demolished two buildings on South Broadway Avenue in 2011 and last year improved the site with landscaping last year.

It's sounding as if this would be done, as well as the two story expansion at the existing location?

http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/ ... 05632.html

[matthew5080]

Harbor Bay Real Estate Advisors, the firm behind a 26-story tower project near the University of Minnesota has bought a restaurant building near the heart of Rochester's Destination Medical Center.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... ester.html

[go4guy]

Great location for a medium tower. I assume they will have the first few levels be an extension of the University Shoppes and then a tower above. Pretty small lot. With the price they paid, I assume they are planning a pretty decent tower. This is across the street, and would connect via skyway to the new 22 story tower which is next to the other tower.