Getting around downtown Rochester will get ugly this summer, city warns

ROCHESTER – The madness begins.

Downtown Rochester may soon turn into an obstacle course for residents and visitors alike as long-promised construction on a variety of projects kicks off at the end of February.

To help folks get around, the city is partnering with a number of organizations including Mayo Clinic, the Rochester Downtown Alliance and Rochester Area Economic Development Inc. on everything from dedicated construction update websites to signs and marketing campaigns for businesses affected by the construction.

“We’re really maximizing the opportunities available,” said Erin Sexton, a director of external relations at Mayo Clinic.

The city will host a website that goes live at the end of the month and will feature up-to-date construction information. Mayo Clinic has its own version geared toward patients at mayoclinic.org/rochester-construction, which shows how visitors can navigate construction to get to appointments.

Mayo Clinic estimates more than 1.3 million visitors receive treatment each year in Rochester, about 10 times the city’s population.

Construction kicks off as the exterior of the Ozmun building starts demolition in a few weeks, followed by the former Lourdes High School site in March. Demolition on those sites are expected to last through the rest of the year, while other projects start, including entrance remodels at the east of the Gonda and Mayo buildings and an expansion of the Prospect Utility Plant.

Construction on parking ramps at St. Marys and the West Transit Village (site of the future rapid transit bus line set for construction next year) will begin this spring. At St. Marys alone, about 1,000 new stalls are expected for staff.

And utility work will take place throughout downtown to prepare for future construction.

In other words, some days it’s going to be difficult to get around.

Yet Rochester officials are trying to remain positive, promising to keep residents informed through ongoing updates, media outreach and public meetings.

“No other city in Minnesota is experiencing the level of investment in such a short period of time as we are in Rochester,” said Cindy Steinhauser, deputy city administrator. “I would argue, no other city in the U.S. is experiencing this.”

Steinhauser acknowledged there will likely be surprises but said the city would work closely with businesses and residents to make “construction as smooth as possible.”

Downtown businesses are already preparing for construction season, according to Shawn Fagan of the Downtown Alliance. Fagan said RDA members are in the early stages of creating signs, events and marketing campaigns to get people downtown thanks to a $500,000 grant from Mayo Clinic. At the same time, Destination Medical Center officials are offering a “playbook” of strategies they’ve collected over the past few years to help downtown business owners navigate construction issues.

“We get a lot of people weighing in and a lot of people offering suggestions,” said Patrick Seeb, DMC’s executive director.

Fagan noted downtown Rochester had more than 250 live music performances last year; he expects to exceed that number in 2025.

“We want to create those opportunities there,” he said. “It’s going to be an incredible investment.”