Mayo Clinic Project Off To A Slow Start In Rochester

ROCHESTER (AP) - It's been nearly three years since Minnesota legislators approved state funding for Mayo Clinic's Destination Medical Center, a massive project that will overhaul the face of downtown Rochester.

But movement has been slow on one of the first pieces of the project, a mixed-use building of more than 20 stories a few blocks from Mayo headquarters, and some residents are beginning to wonder why.

Chairman Jeff Bolton of the medical center's Economic Development Agency says a slow start isn't necessarily a bad thing, and that he would be more concerned if projects started popping up quickly without intentional planning.

The developer, Titan Development and Investments, says it's close to finalizing major details on the project and expects to break ground this spring.