Mayo's multibillion-dollar Rochester expansion to include 'at least seven years' of projects

ROCHESTER — Mayo Clinic updated city officials here for the first time on its multibillion-dollar expansion that will upend downtown with "at least seven years" of projects.

In a presentation to the Rochester City Council on Monday, Mayo officials said they're already meeting with local groups and neighborhoods, including the Kutzky Park Neighborhood Association and the Rochester Downtown Alliance, to get feedback and concerns about how projects will affect the area.

"We're at the front end of this," said Randy Schubring, a public policy expert with Mayo.

Mayo, which is still finalizing plans, expects to submit finalized proposals to its board of trustees by the end of the year and potentially start building in 2024.

The hospital system will come back to the council in the coming months with an update to its five-year construction plan mandated by city ordinance. Mayo last reported on its plans to the city in 2021.

New clinical space would extend west from the Gonda Building, Mayo's recognizable tower, and loop around the north side of Calvary Episcopal Church before stretching two blocks. Parking, infrastructure support and logistic buildings are planned north and south of the clinical additions, including on the site of the former Lourdes High School.

The construction update is part of a bevy of issues to come before the council over the next 12 months related to Mayo's expansion. Council members will likely review traffic impact reports, an economic impact study that will include the number of jobs Mayo plans to create, and a historic preservation committee report on the Lourdes site.

The council appeared supportive of Mayo's expansion plans, though several members questioned how the projects would affect downtown traffic and area housing stock.

"This is exciting," Council Member Shaun Palmer said. "A great, wonderful investment in our community."