The person heading up the Destination Medical Center development arm tells Minneapolis business officials the expansion will boost demand for workers and help sell them on Rochester.

A proposed compromise at the Capitol would allow Rochester to tap a pair of local sales taxes rather than resort to a property tax hike to cover costs associated with the Destination Medical Center.

Some say goal for women and minority contractors working on Destination Medical Center projects should be higher.

The city and an economic development agency linked to the Destination Medical Center are close to finalizing a formal application process designed to provide prospective projects a clear path.

The city has set a 4 percent target for women and minority contractors working on state-backed projects, including public infrastructure upgrades tied to the Destination Medical Center.

A legislative fix for Destination Medical Center spending faltered, fanning concerns that Rochester could have to find additional funding streams down the line – possibly though a property tax hike affecting its 110,742 residents.

Bills in both chambers aim to broaden what counts toward the $128 million the city has to spend on the ambitious Destination Medical Center project.

Bloom International Realty wants exclusive negotiation rights to buy a two-block strip of city land for a riverfront project that could include a hotel, offices, and apartments.

The Destination Medical Center Corporation board approved submitting the development plan to the city of Rochester to kick-start the development process for the multi-billion dollar project.

A federal income tax conformity bill and a “quick fix” to the DMC legislation are both zipping through the committee process in the House and Senate.