University of Minnesota paid $2.1 million for more land for a future Rochester campus

Oct. 10—ROCHESTER — The University of Minnesota paid $2.1 million for almost an acre of open land this week as the latest step in its 14 year project to build a Rochester campus along First Avenue Southwest.

The University bought the 34,000-square-foot former YMCA parking lot at 709 First Ave. SW on Oct. 10. The seller was the Young Men's Christian Association of the North in Minneapolis, which closed the Rochester YMCA in January 2022. Olmsted County estimated the total market value of the parking lot at $2.1 million for 2023-2024.

"This parcel is part of the University of Minnesota's land assembly in the 'Education district,'" according to a statement sent by UMR's Molly Olson. "Planning for future facilities with the support of consultant Sasaki —

the 'Campus & Climate Action Plan'

that will replace the 2014 Campus Master Plan — is under way and scheduled to be completed in time for presentation to the UMN Board of Regents in June 2024."

This land purchase is the latest in a string of real estate deals in that area dating back to 2009. While the University of Minnesota Rochester is working on an updated master plan for a Rochester campus, the vision has always to build some sort of campus between First Avenue Southwest and Broadway.

In 2022, the university paid $770,000 for

the former Running Room building and land,

which is near the YMCA lot.

At least nine buildings, including the China Dynasty restaurant, a former Burger King/Rico Mex restaurant, the former home of KTTC-TV, the Fourth Street Boxing Gym, the former Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1215, Benny's R-Tic drive-in, a halal meat market and others in the neighborhood have been purchased and demolished as the university worked to acquire the land for the future campus.

UMR made many of those earlier purchases with $14 million from the city of Rochester's local-option sales tax money that was earmarked for establishing a downtown campus. However, the recent buys of the Running Room property and the YMCA parking lot were made with University of Minnesota system funds.

While the university owns much of the property of both sides of that stretch of First Avenue, it does not own the Scharf Auto Supply/NAPA Auto Parts building at 620 First Ave. SW and the View Point condominiums at 728 First Ave. SW. on either side of the ex-YMCA lot.

When asked if UMR still needs to acquire land in that area, Olson replied that is "not yet determined."

The University of Minnesota has been very active in Rochester lately. UMR transformed the former DoubleTree hotel in the heart of downtown into

a new Student Life Center

to house part of its 900 to 1,000 students.

UMR planned to partner with YMCA as part of the campus project, but that ended with the YMCA's closure.

Enclave, North Dakota developer, is

proposing to build a seven-story apartment complex

on the site of

Rochester's former YMCA complex,

across from the proposed campus. When asked if UMR has plans to work with Enclave, the response was "not at this time."