Potential Mixed-Use Projects Announced For DMC Discovery Square District

Preliminary plans for two retail and residential developments are under review, the Destination Medical Center Corporation (DMCC) said Thursday.
 
Mixed-use proposals by Titan Real Estate and Investments and the Opus Group involve a 156-unit apartment complex to be built on a First Avenue surface parking lot in the heart of Rochester. The development would include retail and parking within the structure.
 
The Hammes Company also provided details about a potential 200-room hotel and 120-unit apartment building at the nearby intersection of West Center Street and First Avenue NW. Included in the proposal were 14,000 square-feet of retail space and a structured parking facility.
 
Both developments would be nestled within the Discovery Square district, which is already expected to include the Mayo Clinic’s “first-of-its-kind bioresearch campus” and other “transformational centers.”
 
These latest proposals are complementary efforts to Mayo’s ambitious Destination Medical Center project—a 20-year, $6 billion plan to transform Rochester into America’s health care capital. DMC is made possible by private investments and $585 million in taxpayer support, making it the largest public-private partnership in state history.
 
“New and diverse residential options are highly valued additions to our districts, particularly as we anticipate the development of significant life science and mixed-use projects in the coming months and years,” said Lisa Clarke, executive director of the DMC Economic Development Agency. “We continue to see significant progress within our sub-districts, keeping us on track to achieve our long-term goals.”
 
In addition to the new proposals, DMCC said it is moving forward with its transit infrastructure plans, which are critical to the design and construction phases of the DMC project.
 
According to Richard Freese, Rochester’s public works director, there will be a number of transportation studies taking place throughout the rest of the year and in 2017. The research will cover transit, parking and transportation management, street use and operations, and the potential for a “city loop,” or above ground rail system.
 
“The studies are needed to assess alternatives for vehicular, transit, pedestrian and bicycle travel,” Freese said, “and enable the DMCC and City of Rochester to make needed decisions on capital investments.”
 
The next meeting of the DMCC board of directors is set to take place on December 15.