Innovations, frustrations on display as task force seeks to grow downtown Rochester

ROCHESTER — Business owners and residents here have a message for city government: Get out of our way and help support our goals.

More than 50 residents at the first of four Downtown Rochester Task Force meetings last week shared innovations and frustrations as people chimed in on how to improve business conditions downtown and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among the innovations business owners shared: more social media and online opportunities, a better understanding of customers, and new outlets to conduct business.

Among the frustrations: constant construction, burdensome taxes, too much red tape and a slow-moving city bureaucracy that feels like it doesn't care about business.

"Our city government, the people that are in positions in our government … including the mayor, we've never had them in our businesses," said Thomas Kramer, who works at Hanny's, the menswear retailer with four stores downtown. "They've never come around and asked us how we're doing."

Like other major cities, Rochester's downtown has suffered over the past few years as office workers do their jobs from home, reducing foot traffic. The downtown lost more businesses than it gained in 2022, a reversal from the year before.

Mayo Clinic shifted about 2,900 officer workers to work-from-home at the start of the pandemic. Mayo officials said in December there were no plans to bring those workers back to the office, but the medical center is looking into expanding into office spaces downtown.

City leaders are hoping to change that economic churn with the task force, a continuation of a 2020 idea to review the downtown business climate.

The task force, composed of several groups ranging from Destination Medical Center (DMC) and the city of Rochester to the Rochester Chamber of Commerce and the Rochester Downtown Alliance, will hold three more meetings online and in person over the next few weeks to gather feedback on issues and solutions.

From there, the task force will distill feedback into short-term and long-term goals. If all goes well, the group will start work on some of those goals in May.

Some residents want more skyway connections to better encourage foot traffic. Some want more green space and art like the Heart of the City project that transformed the Peace Plaza. Others want to change the perception of downtown as not accessible and without parking.

Former Republican state Rep. Nels Pierson said he hoped for fewer barriers from city staff when building owners and businesses try to expand or change their space. University of Minnesota, Rochester Chancellor Lori Carrell said the city should concentrate on more businesses and attractions for students.

And many agreed downtown needs more events, as well as a central attraction like the Historic Chateau Theater.

DMC Executive Director Patrick Seeb said he was pleased to see so many people offering feedback and ideas.

"Our downtown is a special place in Rochester," he said. "It's a place where you can go to Thursdays on First, or concerts at Mayo Civic Center, or unique restaurants. These are one-of-a-kind places."

Former Mayor Ardell Brede, who served from 2003 to 2019, said he could understand the frustration some business owners have dealing with city codes. Yet Brede said he was hopeful the city would enact some of the ideas residents put forward.

"There should be more events going on here," he said.