building a tactical revitalization plan for downtown albany

Rochester, Minnesota
Market-Based Downtown Plan (2004)
Downtown Master Plan (2010)
The 2004 Rochester Market-Based Downtown Plan
encompassed 40 blocks of the city’s central business district,
adjacent to the world renowned Mayo Clinic. The marketbased
planning approach was completed within eight months
and included three key parts, including:
• Competitive Analysis, based upon a variety of market
analyses, interviews and community surveys;
• Niche and Development Strategies, providing an overall
niche strategy for downtown and guidelines for
development in several downtown sub-districts;
• Implementation, offering prioritized and sequenced tactics for economic development, environmental improvements,
parking management, marketing tactics, policies and incentives, financing and organization.
P.U.M.A. managed all facets of the project, including market analysis, community outreach, development of plan
recommendations, client communications and management of sub-contractors. The plan was adopted and endorsed by the
Rochester City Council, along with authorization to create a local tax abatement district that generates $1.2 million in annual
revenues through 2020 to implement plan recommendations. A business improvement district was also subsequently formed by
downtown property and business owners to finance ongoing marketing and economic development initiatives.
Peace Plaza, a formerly underutilized downtown plaza that now serves as a community gathering place between the newly
renovated University Square (which houses the new University of Minnesota-Rochester), the Mayo Clinic campus, hotels and
other businesses in downtown Rochester, completed an extensive $3.5 million renovation in the summer of 2008. Since then,
weekly events from markets to concerts draw year-round crowds to enjoy the fountains, artistic benches, and sidewalk cafes that
line the Plaza. The University has a long-term lease on the third and fourth floors of the former Galleria shopping center complex
as its’ master planning process is underway for a permanent downtown location. A total remodel of the lower two floors of the
shopping center, called the Shops at University Square has resulted in 100% occupancy.
In 2010, P.U.M.A. was part of a team hired by the City, Mayo Clinic and University of Minnesota to create a 20-year Master Plan
for downtown. The Master Plan builds upon the framework provided by the 2004 Market-Based Plan and offers a roadmap to
accommodate the anticipated growth of both the expanding world-class Clinic and a new University of Minnesota campus that
will eventually enroll 5,000 students.
Key tasks completed by P.U.M.A. during the 2010 Master Plan
process include:
• Compiling an economic profile with trend analysis
• Conducting an online community survey that received nearly
5,000 responses
• Constructing program projections for future development in
downtown, including housing, retail, office and hospitality
sectors.
• Implementation plan for a new public-private partnership
that includes the City, downtown BID and anchor
institutions.
Doug Knott
Development Administrator
City of Rochester
507.285.8233
dknott@rochestermn.gov