The coalition held a kickoff event Wednesday, drawing more than 100 people to a busy downtown street. Speakers at the event included local labor leaders and state Representatives Tina Leibling and Andy Welti.
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Russell Hess, co-chair of the Coalition for Quality Development, addressed the crowd at Wednesday\'s rally. Photo by Larry Casey, Labor Education Service |
"We know there\'s going to be a lot of development coming over the next decade," said Russell Hess, president of the Southeast Central Labor Council and co-chair of the coalition. "Rochester is on the verge of becoming a city of 100,000 people" and moving beyond being known only as the home of the world-famous Mayo Clinic.
Development will get a boost from higher property taxes in a new, downtown "special service district." The extra revenue will be used to "bring more people downtown," by building more housing, retail and entertainment options, Hess said. In addition, the University of Minnesota will remodel a downtown mall as part of its new Rochester campus.
The new coalition hopes to have input into the development decisions.
"We\'re going to draw attention to good development and bad development," Hess said. The coalition is modeled in part after one launched in downtown Minneapolis to promote quality construction in the warehouse district.
The coalition was formed by unions in Rochester, but will be reaching out to other organizations, Hess said.
So far, the coalition defines quality development as promoting "education, safety and economic justice." Workers on the projects should receive area standard wages, health insurance, pensions and health and safety training.
"I\'ve already had people from other groups ask me, \'What about the environment, what about aesthetics?\'" Hess noted. "We\'d love to have a conversation about those other issues with people."
In addition to building its membership, the coalition plans to launch a website, www.rcqd.org
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| The Carpenters were among the unions represented at the event to launch the new coalition. |
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| Coalition co-chair Wes Urevig (right) talks with a news reporter at the event. |
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State Rep. Andy Welti says it is critical that the city maintain quality development standards. Photos by Larry Casey, Labor Education Service |
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The coalition held a kickoff event Wednesday, drawing more than 100 people to a busy downtown street. Speakers at the event included local labor leaders and state Representatives Tina Leibling and Andy Welti.
|
|
Russell Hess, co-chair of the Coalition for Quality Development, addressed the crowd at Wednesday\’s rally. Photo by Larry Casey, Labor Education Service |
"We know there\’s going to be a lot of development coming over the next decade," said Russell Hess, president of the Southeast Central Labor Council and co-chair of the coalition. "Rochester is on the verge of becoming a city of 100,000 people" and moving beyond being known only as the home of the world-famous Mayo Clinic.
Development will get a boost from higher property taxes in a new, downtown "special service district." The extra revenue will be used to "bring more people downtown," by building more housing, retail and entertainment options, Hess said. In addition, the University of Minnesota will remodel a downtown mall as part of its new Rochester campus.
The new coalition hopes to have input into the development decisions.
"We\’re going to draw attention to good development and bad development," Hess said. The coalition is modeled in part after one launched in downtown Minneapolis to promote quality construction in the warehouse district.
The coalition was formed by unions in Rochester, but will be reaching out to other organizations, Hess said.
So far, the coalition defines quality development as promoting "education, safety and economic justice." Workers on the projects should receive area standard wages, health insurance, pensions and health and safety training.
"I\’ve already had people from other groups ask me, \’What about the environment, what about aesthetics?\’" Hess noted. "We\’d love to have a conversation about those other issues with people."
In addition to building its membership, the coalition plans to launch a website, www.rcqd.org
|
| The Carpenters were among the unions represented at the event to launch the new coalition. |
|
| Coalition co-chair Wes Urevig (right) talks with a news reporter at the event. |
|
|
State Rep. Andy Welti says it is critical that the city maintain quality development standards. Photos by Larry Casey, Labor Education Service |