Peace Plaza seen as renewed place to gather

May 19—ROCHESTER — An Onalaska, Wisconsin, couple found themselves in the middle of Wednesday's Peace Plaza commemoration and said they'll likely return.

"We'll probably come down here," Tim Jones said, referring to future visits to Rochester.

On Wednesday, he brought Nicki Dayton to Rochester for a massage appointment followed by lunch.

As they left the Galleria At University Square and entered Peace Plaza, the commemoration ceremony was shifting into an afternoon celebration with music and poetry performances, tours and a variety of other activities.

Jones, who said he'd watched a portion of the construction from the nearby Gonda Building during a Mayo Clinic appointment, said he sees the benefit for people who might need a distraction.

"This can kind of lighten up the day," he said, pointing specifically to live performances and watching people go barefoot in the scrim pond.

Marlyn and Erma Andresen said they were discovering that benefit.

As some of the activity waned, they found a table near the center of the plaza and had a chance to rest between clinic appointments that are expected to last for an extended period.

"I'm impressed," Marlyn Andresen said. "I'm glad it's here."

His wife speculated that they'd likely return for morning coffee if they have a chance.

Across the plaza, Moka customers were having similar thoughts, but with an afternoon twist, as they went in and out of the business.

Manager Kirsten Rueb said Wednesday was among the business' most active days since reopening after the major Peace Plaza renovations started wrapping up.

Plaza renovations started amid COVID shutdowns, and tweaks continue to be made as the majority of the space is open.

Rueb said she's enjoyed watching customers and others engage in the new features outside the Moka door.

"Now that it's open, I really like it," she said. "It's very welcoming."

A floor above, Knight's Chamber's Svaar Vinje said the welcoming aspect of the finished project is important, since retail businesses rely on people being drawn to the area.

While construction and other factors have been a challenge and he questions the $17 million price tag, Vinje said he's happy with how the plaza looks and sees opportunities to work to attract more people to the surrounding businesses, as long as efforts continue in the right direction.

"You have to have a holistic understanding about everything that is going on," he said, acknowledging that some concerns exist, especially with the "Song for Water" pavers designed by Columbus, Ohio, artist Ann Hamilton.

The pavers, along with others across the Heart of the City renovation that stretches along two blocks of First Avenue, have been the subject of social media criticism and negative comments to city and Destination Medical Center officials.

Jamie Rothe, community engagement and experience director for DMC's Economic Development Agency, said inferior pavers continue to be replaced as they are identified, but some residents don't see the effort as enough.

"I fear that is going to be torn out in the future because it was such a boondoggle," downtown business owner John Kruesel told the Rochester City Council Monday, expressing concerns about mobility-challenged patients needing to navigate the area.

On Wednesday, Rochester poet and artist Danny Solis said he's also heard concerns about the pavers, which he said is unfortunate but doesn't directly negate the benefits of the artwork.

He said the artwork, which joins several other public displays in the plaza, including Peace Fountain, will draw residents and others, while hopefully inspiring more people to engage with public art.

"The more art the better," he said, adding that the biggest challenge will be making people aware of how the space can be used.

During the commemoration ceremony, Mayor Kim Norton pointed to Peace Fountain as the artistic centerpiece of the plaza.

"The fountain is what sets the stage for everything else," she said.

Paige Jahnke, owner of Jahnke Gear and a Rochester Downtown Alliance board member, said gathering near the fountain has been a long-time tradition.

As a Rochester native, she recalls meeting friends in the plaza as a youth and sees that potential continue with the new look.

"I think the art offers a different type of value," she said.