HomeMy WebLinkAboutDMCC Resolution No. 114-2021 (Approving Expanded Construction Bid Documents - Discovery Walk)DESTINATION MEDICAL CENTER CORPORATION
RESOLUTION NO. 114-2021
Approving an Expanded Scope of Construction Bid Documents
for the Discovery Walk Project
The following Resolution was offered by James V. Bier, seconded by Kim Norton.
BACKGROUND RECITALS
A.Extensive planning and effort has been devoted to the a four-block linear parkway
project along 2nd Avenue SW (“Discovery Walk”). This significant project, led by the staff of
the City of Rochester (the “City”) and the Destination Medical Center Economic Development
Agency (“EDA”) and their consultants, researched successful community health initiatives, and
pursued schematic design, detailed design, and on-going community engagement.
B.The DMCC has made significant approvals for Discovery Walk. In the 2020 Five
Year Capital Improvement Plan, (the “2020 CIP”) approved by the DMCC on September 26,
2019, the DMCC preliminarily approved the next steps of the design of Discovery Walk in the
amount of $2,800,000. In the 2021 Five Year Capital Improvement Plan, (the “2021 CIP”),
approved by the DMCC on August 27, 2020, the DMCC preliminarily approved design and
implementation of Discovery Walk in the amount of $7,000,000. The total projected budget for
Discovery Walk is estimated to be $16,800,000. The 2020 CIP and the 2021 CIP declared
Discovery Walk to be a public infrastructure project, consistent with the Development Plan
adopted by the DMCC on April 23, 2015, as amended. The DMCC reserved final approval upon
final determination of scope, costs, and availability of funds. By Resolution No. 110-2020,
adopted on November 19, 2020, the DMCC approved the design development drawings for
Discovery Walk and authorized proceeding with construction documents and bids.
C.Staff of the City and the EDA have continued to seek community input and to
evaluate options for Discovery Walk.
D.On March 1, 2021, subject to DMCC approval, the City approved additional
funds of $1,977,745 for Discovery Walk to fund a project contingency according to the City’s
contingency policy, and authorized including a snowmelt system and weather shelters as add-
alternates within the construction bid documents, subject to final approval of the award of
construction bids. The City staff report and request for City Council action is attached as Exhibit
A. The EDA Board on March 12, 2021 approved the add-alternates within the construction bid
documents, and requested review of the responses to the construction bids before considering the
add-alternates or determining a contingency amount.
E.Staff now request that the DMCC approve an expanded scope of the construction
bid documents for Discovery Walk to include add-alternates of a snowmelt system and weather
shelters. The final project and award of any bid for construction will come back to the DMCC
REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION
DISCOVERY WALK DESIGN APPROVAL AND BUDGET
AMENDMENT
MEETING DATE: ORIGINATING DEPT:
March 1, 2021 City Administration
AGENDA SECTION: PREPARED BY:
Reports and Recommendations Joshua Johnsen
COUNCIL ACTION REQUESTED:
1. Approving the design for Discovery Walk and authorizing a budget amendment of $1,977,745 to fund
project contingency for a total project budget of $18,777,745. (Budget reconciliation conditional on
DMCC Board joint approval.)
2. Approving the addition of snowmelt as an add-alternate with a conditional budget amendment
subject to bid results and DMCC Board approval of budget reconciliation of $2,171,000. (Final approval
of snowmelt to occur as part of the bid award.)
3. Approving the addition of weather shelters as an add-alternate with a conditional budget amendment
subject to bid results and DMCC Board approval of budget reconciliation of $1,089,936. (Final approval
of the weather shelters to occur as part of the bid award.)
4. Approving continued engagement on the connection and improvements to Soldier’s Field as part of
ongoing master planning, the Council’s strategic planning, and future DMC Capital Improvement Plan
prioritization.
COUNCIL PRIORITIES:
Enhance quality of life
Manage growth and development
Balance public infrastructure
POLICY CONSIDERATIONS:
Does the Council want to move forward with the Discovery Walk project including a combination of add-
alternate items, to proceed with the development of construction documents with a plan to go out for
bidding April 2021?
REPORT NARRATIVE:
Discovery Walk is a four-block linear parkway along 2nd Avenue SW that will serve pedestrians as well
as vehicular traffic. This multipurpose public space and streetscape is the first of its kind in Rochester.
The vision for this project is to create a high amenity landscaped street that prioritizes pedestrian
experience, while also replacing utility infrastructure to support future development. The project design
maintains access for bikes and vehicular access, as well as provides flexibility for programming civic
events. This linear public space is a key element of a larger downtown system of pedestrian
connections and multi-modal transportation options. At the northern end of Discovery Walk is the
proposed location for the new Rapid Transit Stations. The alignment of these projects will not only help
support transit-oriented development along the Discovery Walk corridor, but also provide a one-of-a-
kind experience for people entering our downtown. Another recent addition to our downtown transit
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EXHIBIT A
system is the recently constructed City Loop bike lane project that provides additional micro-mobility
options along 3rd Avenue and intersects Discovery Walk using the reconstructed 4th Street bike
improvements. Discovery Walk will be an experience that links Annenberg Plaza to north and Soldier’s
Field on the south and functions as an extension of Heart of the City public realm. In just a short 10-
minute walk, you can go from an urban downtown experience to the natural amenities of Soldiers Field
Park and recreational facilities - or vice versa.
Social Benefits:
Recent events have revealed the importance of flexible public spaces and integrating resilient design
when reconstructing our public realm. The impacts of Covid-19 have demonstrated the need for
rethinking the idea of private and public spaces to create outdoor retreats for all incomes and all
housing types. Recently, team members from across departments and organization have come
together to review and reconsider the areas primarily reserved for cars and reimagine them as places
for all people to safely socialize, reconnect either individually or socially, in a place that feels
welcoming. The principles identified by our community members incorporated into the design of
Discovery Walk include:
1. Feel like a park
2. Be flexible for access and events
3. Promote health, wellness and innovation
4. Connect Soldiers Field to Heart of the City
5. Provide a unique program and experience
6. Be accessible, safe and inclusive to everyone
7. Support future development
Through engagement with local stakeholders and in partnership with the Community Co-designers and
local artists, the design focus is for adaptive and responsive public space including amenities and
experiences people are seeking. Project elements and key principles were co-developed with
community members from diverse cultural, religious, mobility, mental health, and socio-economic
backgrounds. Project themes and design considerations based on engagement feedback include the
following:
1. Welcoming: public art, cultural representations
2. Accessible: going beyond ADA, consider transportation
3. Safe: lighting, programming, street safety
4. Peaceful: digital-free zones, water features
5. Interactive and adaptable: digital components
6. Diverse: variety of space types
7. Cultural considerations: prayer spaces
8. Multi-generational: infant considerations, cost-free activities
9. Long-term vitality: materials, flexibility, programming
10. Climate considerations: climate control/accommodating
These principles help produce a flexible and multi-functional space for events and coordinated
community celebrations. Future discussions will include residents, the RDA and other community
organizations to help develop activation strategies to create family focused events for everyone to
enjoy. The space is also design to promote more passive programming such as food trucks, interactive
art, and nearby food/retail, as well as places for individual reflection.
Economic Development Tool:
Beyond the positive social impacts listed above, there are also major economic benefits of well-
designed public spaces. This corridor along 2nd Ave has tremendous economic development potential
and we view Discovery Walk as lead investment to attract talent and significantly enhance our tax base.
In 2018, the Olmsted County Assessor’s office conducted an analysis of the underutilized land
surrounding Discovery Walk and estimated that these blocks could support an anticipated
$299,926,900 in new assessed property value. As part of the Transit Oriented Development study, SB
Friedman conducted a market study to identify key areas for growth. In that study, the consultants
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identified the Discovery Square area as a critical component to the vitality and future success of the
downtown growth strategy. Since preliminary design concepts, Discovery Walk has been used as a
recruitment tool to attract new development to the Discovery Square sub-district. One Discovery
Square and Two Discovery Square are great examples of developments that utilize Discovery Walk as
marketing tool to attract tenants to Downtown Rochester.
Budget Amendment Request:
The original Discovery Walk project budget was based on preliminary design concepts created in 2018.
At the time the initial budget was established, the City had not adopted the policy that all projects must
include at least a 10% contingency on construction related items. The current cost estimates are based
on 75% construction documents, so we are currently carrying a 12% contingency of $1,977,745 to
cover additional unknowns until we get to 100% CD’s. As a result, we are asking City Council to provide
conditional approval for a budget reconciliation of $1,977,745. This amendment increases the total
base budget to $18,777,745. This recommendation will then go to the next DMCC Board special
meeting on March 25 for authorization.
Snowmelt Add-Alt: Cost Estimated at $2,171,000
Including snowmelt within the public right away offers several community and environmental benefits.
However, there tradeoff to these benefits based on the significant upfront capital costs as well as
considerable ongoing operating costs. In addition to the $2.2 million installation cost, is will cost
approximately $87,500 for annual energy consumption (energy estimate is based on preliminary design
details). City Council could support a conditional budget amendment to proceed with bidding and then
make a final approval when staff brings it back for Bid Award. This allows a decision to be based on
either favorable or unfavorable bid conditions.
A few examples of the benefits that snowmelt provides:
1. Accessibility and Safety - Sidewalks clear of snow and ice provide a more accessible passageway for
people with mobility limitations and wheel assisted devices such as wheelchairs and strollers. This also
makes our sidewalks safer by reducing the chance of ice buildup preventing slip and falls.
2. Environmental Benefits - The snowmelt system contemplated for Discovery Walk would utilize excess
steam from the Franklin Heating station to heat the system. This would cut down on the use of salt in
the winter reducing the amount of chloride runoff into our storm-water system and then into our rivers
and streams.
3. Longevity - Snowmelt reduces the need for maintenance on the sidewalks for snow and ice removal.
Less reliance on corrosive salts also reduces deterioration of the hardscape and increases the health of
surrounding plants and trees.
Weather Structures Add-Alt: Cost Estimated at $1,089,936
Due to the lack of subway and skyway connectivity in this area of downtown, there was considerable
discussion on how we make this corridor comfortable and inviting during Minnesota’s extreme seasons.
The concept proposal is to construct freestanding weather structures that are open and inviting, but
also provide shade and protection from the elements. Weather shelter features include additional
comfort amenities such as built-in heating elements and misting components to provide a cooling effect.
A recent comment provided at a stakeholder meeting was that the project area can feel quite open to
the elements and the weather structures provide a desirable sense of human scale that make the
spaces more inviting to come together or find solitude. City Council could support a conditional budget
amendment to proceed with bidding and then make a final approval when we bring it back for Bid
Award. This allows a decision to be based on either favorable or unfavorable bid conditions.
Soldier’s Field Connection: Cost Estimated at $4,040,310
A consistent theme expressed by the community during engagement was that Discovery Walk should
not terminate at 6th Street, but extend into Soldier’s Field to create a true connection. Based on that
feedback, we included a design scope for northern Soldiers Field within the Discovery Walk project
scope. At this time, we are recommending that we do not proceed with construction as part of the
Discover Walk project. In the meantime, we will continue to advocate for the project and receive
community feedback on the design. We will also continue to work with the DMCC Board and the Parks
Board to find the right time to bring this project forward.
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Operation and Maintenance:
An important consideration beyond the upfront capital improvement costs, are the ongoing operation
and maintenance expenses (O&M). Based on early estimates, the O&M could cost around $370,000
annually. This estimate includes a wide range of potential costs from administrative costs, capital
replacements funds, planting replacements and maintenance, etc. Another consideration is the
additional expenses related to energy costs associated with the snowmelt system and weather
structures. Annual expense for electricity and energy for the snowmelt system and portions of the
weather shelters are estimated at around $123,000.
- A recommendation for Operation and Maintenance financing will be presented to the City Council in
conjunction with the authorization to advertise for bids to receive Council approval.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
- (2015) DMC Master Plan: Discovery Walk was identified as a crucial infrastructure and public realm
project in the 2015 DMC Master Plan.
- (2017) Schematic Design Charrettes: Community participants met to inform the design and programing
for initial schematic design.
- (2019 - Ongoing) Discovery Walk Stakeholder Meetings: Beginning in May 2019, the DW Project team
has met with many of the area stakeholders to engage in project discussions. The project team
currently facilitates monthly meetings with civic & business leaders & community members.
- (2019) Discovery Walk Experience: As part of the DMC annual meeting, Discovery Walk was
prototyped with temporary art & activities. Volunteers also surveyed participants to receive feedback on
elements that people would like to see integrated into the design.
- (2020 Ongoing) Community Co-Designer Initiative: Initially part of the America’s City for Health
Initiative, a group of community Co-Designers have been engaged in the project providing unique
perspectives from their diverse backgrounds.
- (2020 - Ongoing) Local Community Artist Team: A selection process including 11 local artists took
place to assemble a final team of three local artists to participate in the design of the project and put
their unique touch on it.
- (2020) Discovery Walk - Walk: The Project Team led a walk with community members to experience
Discovery Walk and discuss its potential.
- Links to Engagement Videos:
o <https://dmc.mn/destination-medical-center-creates-equitable-design-process-for-public-
spaces/>
o <https://dmc.mn/envisioning-the-future-of-discovery-walk/>
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
1. The Council could decide not to approve additional DMC funds for the project and direct staff to value
manage the project within original project budget.
2. The Council could decide to proceed with a combination of base project and add-alternates by
recommending additional allocation of DMC funding to be approved by the DMCC Board.
3. The council could decide not to move forward with Discovery Walk at this time.
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL AND COMMISSION ACTIONS:
Past engagement and simultaneous decisions by DMCC Board and City Council include:
2015 - DMC Development Plan Adopted including initial vision for Discovery Walk
2017 - Approval for Discovery Walk Schematic Design Phase
2018 - Discovery Walk Schematic Design Phase Approved
2019 - Approval for Discovery Walk to progress to Design Development
2020 - City Council Approval of Scope of Services
2020 - City Council Approval of Owner’s Representative and Cost Estimating Services
2021 - DMCC Board Project Update and Design Approval
2021 -Presentation and feedback from Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee
2021 - Ongoing City Council and DMCC Board Feedback and Listening Sessions
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FISCAL AND RESOURCE IMPACT:
Funding, of $16,800,000 has been included in the DMC Capital Improvement Program for 2020-2023
(J#8904). Budget amendments for the base project and add-alt costs would require further allocated
DMC funding. An identified potential funding source is the use of unallocated DMC Capital
funding/General State Infrastructure Aid (GSIA). Any repurposing of DMC funds is contingent on DMCC
Board approval.
- Base Project contingency and escalation: $1,977,745
- Snow-melt system: $2,171,000
- Weather structures: $1,089,936
- Soldiers Field Connection: $4,040,310
ATTACHMENTS:
2021-03-01-DiscoveryWalkPresentation(2)Reduced
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DISCOVER NATURE / DISCOVER INNOVATION / DISCOVER COMMUNITY / DISCOVER PLAY
Knutson
Kimley-Horn
Latent Design
White Space
Community Co-Designers
Artist Team
EZ Fabricating
DISCOVERY WALK
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PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE BY CREATING A CONNECTED CITY!
DISCOVERY WALK
St. Mary’s Place
Central Station
DiscoverySquare
Annenberg PlazaPeace Plaza
Gonda Building
• Connecting people to the outdoors
• Connecting Mayo and 2nd Street to Soldiers Field
• Connecting people through improved public transportation
• Connecting our community through new pedestrian friendly public spaces
• Connecting our community through a new and improved trail system - City Loop
• Connecting our community to the Zumbro River
Future BRT line
One & Two Discovery Square Buildings
Hilton & Guggenheim Buildings
Heart of the City: Phase 1
Heart of the City: Phase 2
Discovery Walk
City Loop Trail
People’s Food Co-op
Zumbro River
YMCA
Soldiers Field Park
UMR and Recreation
DowntownWaterfront
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SOLDIERS FIELD
HILTON
BUILDING
FRANKLIN
ENERGY
PLANT
STABILE
BUILDING
ZUMBRO RIVER
1. Feel like a park
2. Be flexible for access + events
3. Promote health + wellness + innovation
4. Connect Soldiers Field, Heart of the City, Mayo Clinic, and 2nd Street
5. Provide a unique program + experience
6. Be accessible and inclusive to everyone
7. Support future development
DISCOVERY WALK WILL...
PROJECT GOALS
DISCOVERY WALK
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CONNECTING IT ALL IN A 10 MINUTE WALK.
2N
D
A
V
E
SOLDIERS
FIELD
PARK
Gonda
Building
One and Two
Discovery
Square
Soldiers Field Park
Zumbro River
Mayo Clinic and Annenberg Plaza
EXISTING ASSETS PROPOSED ASSETS
One and Two Discovery Square
A welcoming and accessible gateway
A new food truck plaza with outdoor dining
A pedestrian focused street for connecting
Soldiers Field new gardens and public art by local artists
DISCOVERY WALK
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View of 2nd Ave looking south from 5th St
DISCOVERY WALK HAS A LANDSCAPE THAT CELEBRATES THE LOCAL ECOLOGY
WHILE PROVIDING PLACES TO SIT, DINE, WALK, AND CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER.
DISCOVERY WALK
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DISCOVERY WALK BUILDS UPON INVESTMENT IN A NEW INNOVATION DISTRICT,
PROVIDING A NETWORK OF OUTDOOR WORK AND PLAY SPACES TO SUPPORT
THOSE WHO WORK AND VISIT.
View of 2nd Ave looking north from 5th St
DISCOVERY WALK
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DISCOVERY WALK CREATES A NEW CENTRAL FOOD TRUCK PLAZA FEATURING
LOCAL CUISINE AND UNIQUE OUTDOOR PUBLIC DINING SPACES SURROUNDED BY
GARDENS.
View of 2nd Ave looking north from 4th St
DISCOVERY WALK
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INVESTING IN A NEW NETWORK OF UNDERGROUND SERVICES TO MAKE
THE CITY RUN.
View of 2nd Ave looking south from 2nd St
ELECTRICAL DUCT BANKS
STORMWATER STRUCTURES
SANITARY SEWER
TELECOMMUNICATIONS / FIBER OPTICS
HOT AND CHILLED WATER
ELECTRIC SUPPLY LINES
GAS LINES
SNOW MELT SYSTEM
DISCOVERY WALK
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DISCOVERY WALK I COMMUNITY C0-DESIGNERS
DISCOVERY WALK
• Represent diverse communities
• Develop ideas for inclusive design
• Develop ideas for inclusive programming
• Ensure accessible and welcoming spaces
• Create unique experiences
• Create a sense of cultural belonging
• Create places that encourage health
ROCHESTER IS MODELING A NEW AND INFORMED DESIGN PROCESS BY
COLLABORATING WITH A TALENTED AND KNOWLEDGABLE TEAM OF
LOCAL CO-DESIGNERS.
Communty engagements with the broader community and the stakeholder group have informed the project
since it started in 2017.
DISCOVERY WALK
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Zoe Cinel
Zoe Cinel is an interdisciplinary artist and curator. Her interdisciplinary art practice is relational, participatory, and political and uses art to
help people feel ownership of the public sphere, with the ultimate goal to connect them.
Cinel's background is in industrial design and fine arts, while her most current work focuses on public art, performance, new media, and
deals with issues around global migration, multicultural identity and national borders. She often works collaboratively in her hometown,
Florence, Italy, and in the US, as part of the artist collective CarryOn Homes.
Cinel is used to living life on the virtual edge. “We exist in a world that is augmented constantly by the presence of screens,” she said. “We
don’t even notice them anymore —it’s just something we have to deal with.” To her, screens have become an element of the human urban
landscape and the way people interact. She uses technology to stay in touch with friends and family back in Italy. For her, reclaiming
technology is a community-building tool —and it all infiltrates her practice. Cinel is currently teaching live performance and digital media at
Carleton College. She’s also working on “Can’t Take My Eyes Out of You,” a campy short film about the surveillance of screens, set to the
tune of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.” In the film, instead of having real objects in space, she’s going to real places and putting
augmented-reality objects there —computer screens pop up on tree branches, for example. Eventually, people will be able to go to the
actual locations and view scenes from the movie through the augmented-reality app Aero.
Sophia Chai
Sophia Chai is a Korean-American artist based in Rochester, MN. Chai received her M.F.A. in photography from the University of Illinois at
Chicago and her B.A. in chemistry from the University of Chicago. Before relocating to Rochester in 2017 from Brooklyn, Chai has shown
her work at various venues in New York City, including Trestle Projects, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, The Knockdown Center, A.I.R.
Gallery, and TSA Gallery amongst others. Her last solo show was at 106 Green Gallery in Brooklyn, New York in 2016. Chai is a 2019
recipient of the SEMAC (Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council) grant for advancing artists and a 2019/20 MCAD-Jerome Foundation Fellow
for Early Career Artists.
As a teenager I immigrated to the US from South Korea with my family and having to negotiate different languages and cultural barriers at
that adolescent age has been a significant experience in shaping my identity. The feelings of contradiction, confusion, and ambivalence that
my work can incite can be seen as a metaphor for that unsettling experience. I have always made my work out of a need to communicate
what is not possible in words. What compels me to photography is the interplay, or push and pull, between what one can control vs. the
incidental. While the initial experience for the viewer of my work may be the illusory effect of the photograph, I am more interested in letting
the viewer seeing the process with which how the photographs are made. Moreover, the photographs are enlarged to a size that
approximates the actual scale, thus allowing all the marks of the hand to be visible and palpable.
AYUB HAJI OMAR
I am a multicultural artist with a wide perspective on a lot of matters, from religion to
immigration. I have traveled the world and been all over the place, experiencing different
cultures, customs and ways of life. It really gave me an idea of how people are living outside of
the United States and gave me a sense of where I fit in the world. It added a lot to my
personality and the way I perceive the world and everything around me. It made me more
conscientious, caring, and more confident and aware. Which, by default, changed the way I
make art.
I try to be a voice for those who are being silenced through injustice. I address topics that
people misinterpret. I try to show people that some of their fears are artificial, but some are
strikingly true. As an artist, I try to bridge the gap between the misunderstood and those who try
to understand them.
Zoe Cinel
Originally from Italy, Zoe is an
interdisciplinary artist and curator. Her
interdisciplinary art practice is relational,
participatory, and political and uses art to
help people feel ownership of the public
sphere, with the ultimate goal to connect
them.
Sophia Chai
Shaped by her experience immigrating
to the U.S. from South Korea as a
teenager as well as years in New York,
Sophia’s work often explores these
feelings of contradiction, confusion,
and ambivalence as a metaphor for that
unsettling experience.
Ayub HajiOmar
Ayub is a multicultural artist particularly
influenced by his background and travels.
As an artist, he tries to bridge the gap
between the misunderstood and those
who try to understand them.
LOCAL ARTISTS WITH GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES CREATE INTEGRATED PUBLIC ART.
DISCOVERY WALK
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Art: PUNCTUATED ASYMPTOTE, by Sophia Chai
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Punctuated Asymptote is an installation of pedestrian lights in bright blue, spanning the entire length of Discovery Walk. All the lights have
different lengths, yet reaching the same height from the sea level, bringing awareness to both social equity and acknowledging the undulating
topography of the Driftless Landscape.
inspiration photo
Bodies in Space by Asuka Goto
DISCOVERY WALK
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Art: POEMS IN THE PARK, by Ayub HajiOmar
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Using language and light, Poems in the Park is a collection of uplifting poems that creates a dialogue with those passing by.
DISCOVERY WALK
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Art: PHOTOSYNTHESIS by Zoe Cinel
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Powered by human interaction, Photosynthesis is a light installation on the 200 block of Discovery Walk. Inspired by the natural phenomenon of
photosynthesis and by grounding practices of breathing, this artwork has the goal to welcome and attract visitors and the community to downtown
Rochester and to connect people with themselves, with others and with the city.
DISCOVERY WALK
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SEATING: 65 LF
LANDSCAPING: 7,000 SF
PUBLIC SPACE: 2,000 SF
TREES: 39
WEATHER SHELTER AREAS: 0 SF
SEATING: 1,000+ LF
LANDSCAPING: 28,000 SF
PUBLIC SPACE: 30,000 SF
TREES: 300+
WEATHER SHELTER: 2,800 SF
EXISTING PROPOSED
View of existing 2nd Ave looking north View of proposed 2nd Ave looking north
DISCOVERY WALK
THE DISCOVERY WALK TRANSFORMATION WILL PROMOTE WELLNESS, THE LOCAL
ENVIRONMENT, AND OUR UNIQUE COMMUNITY.
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• Glass roof protects from rain and snow
• Wood screen to provide dappled shade
• Cooling system during the summer
• Heaters during the winter
• Integrated bench seating
• Swings (tethered) for fun!
• Integrated lighting
• Power outlets (work outside!)
DISCOVERY WALK
DISCOVERY WALK PROVIDES A SERIES OF WEATHER SHELTERS THAT EXTEND THE
LENGTH OF TIME PEOPLE WILL WORK, DINE, AND PLAY OUTDOORS TOGETHER.
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CONNECTING DISCOVERY WALK TO SOLDIERS FIELD AND THE ZUMBRO RIVER
THROUGH NEW GARDENS AND LOCAL ART INSTALLATIONS.
View of Soldiers Field Park looking south from 6th St
DISCOVERY WALK
CONCEPTUAL DESIGN
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SNOW MELT SYSTEMS MAKE PUBLIC SPACES SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE
DISCOVERY WALK
• Create safer sidewalk conditions for all & maintains ADA accessible routes
• Reduces salt and chemical pollution from ending up in the Zumbro River
• Sidewalks last longer
• Healthier for plants in the streetscape
Proposed snow melt in Discovery Walk
Existing snow melt in Rochester
Gonda
One and
Two DS
6th Street
4th Street
2nd Street
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DISCOVERY WALK
POSSIBLE PROJECT INCLUSIONS
Soldiers Field North Connects Discovery
Walk to the Zumbro River
Snow melt in sidewalks create a safer and
environmentally friendly tomorrow
Weather shelters for outdoor work
and play through all seasons
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DISCOVERY WALK TIMELINE
DISCOVERY WALK
Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug
2020
18 weeks
APPROVALS & PROCESS
50%DD 75%CD
4 wks
to summer 2022
20 weeks
Board Approvals for CDs Council Approval for Bidding
Bid Award
2021
Development & Documentation
2015 - DMC Development Plan adopted
2017 - Approval for Discovery Walk Schematic Design Phase
2018 - Discovery Walk Schematic Design Phase approved
2019 - Approval for Discovery Walk to progress to Design Development - Bidding phases
2020 - Design Development began
Construction Documentation
Bidding
Construction
Communications / Engagement
Cost Estimating
2023
Since 2015 the DMCC Board and City of Rochester have collaborated to create the vision and funding
for Discovery Walk to become a reality.
DISCOVERY WALK
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DISCOVERY WALK
DISCOVERY WALK - INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE
Requested Council Actions
The request in front of council is to adopt and endorse project final design.
Staff would like direction on the following motions:
Motion #1: Approve the Design for Discovery Walk and authorize a budget amendment of $1,977,745 to fund project contingency for a total project budget of $18,777,745. Budget reconciliation conditional on DMCC Board joint approval.
Motion #2: Approve motion to add snowmelt as an add-alternate with a conditional budget amendment subject to bid results and DMCC Board approval of budget reconciliation of $2,171,000. Final approval of snowmelt to occur as part of the bid award.
Motion #3: Approve motion to add weather shelters as an add-alternate with a conditional budget amendment subject to bid results and DMCC Board approval of budget reconciliation of $1,089,936. Final approval of the weather shelters to occur as part of the bid award.
Motion #4: Motion to support continued engagement on the connection and improvements to Soldier’s Field as part of ongoing master planning, the Council’s strategic planning, and future DMC Capital Improvement Plan prioritization.
Council endorsed budget adjustments are contingent on DMCC Board authorization at a March 25th
Special Meeting.
H.6.a
Packet Pg. 195