Completing the Heart of the City Project

(ABC 6 News) – The last phase of the Heart of the City Project begins today in Downtown Rochester and along with that, comes more construction.

This project is focused on the redevelopment if three areas downtown, so lets break this all down for you.

It will impact first avenue southwest from center street west to south of peace plaza.

If pedestrians plan to go through the area, you’re asked to follow the signs as access through this area will be shifting as work progresses on the project.

Crews will be installing eight 50 foot catenary poles.

By the end of the month, attached to catenary poles will be a steel cable web system and lights with mesh sleeves used to house wiring.

Destination Medical Center says this project is designed to create an active and engaging area for anyone who passes through it.

“Creating a great center of gravity for our community is really important. We heard that from our patient visitors and our community members that they wanted a space where they could come and gather that’s destination worthy, so it’s really exciting to see this last phase come together,” Jamie Rothe, Director of Community Engagement at Destination Medical Center said.

And there are a handful of businesses in Peace Plaza.

Mickey Swenson, the general manager at Moka, says her location spent the last two years closed because of pandemic-related shutdowns and other construction work that took place right outside the door.

Since they’ve reopened, they’re looking forward to the changes.

“It’ll be really exciting to have a city back up and running again and ready for as many visitors as possible. I’m at the clinic I feel like this area is busy year round turtle. Be nice to have a bit more easier to navigate and kind of taking the sides, and it’ll be more welcoming to have the construction out of site,” Swenson said.

The project is going to cost over 18 million dollars and will be funded by Destination Medical Center.