A proposal to build a Holiday Inn on Second Street Southwest in Rochester is on hold again as the developer works to finalize property purchase agreements and seeks out Destination Medical Center funding.
The project envisions a six-story, 225-room hotel across from Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus. Two items — a vacation petition and incentive development plan — related to the project appeared before the Rochester City Council at a Monday meeting.
The development team representing the applicant, Larry Brutger and Brutger Equities, and one of two property owners at the project site asked the council to continue the items to a Dec. 21 meeting.
The project team has met with the DMC Economic Development Agency and would present its plans for additional funding at a Dec. 17 public meeting of the DMC Corp. Board, said Leslie McGilivray Rivas of WSB and Associates.
The two property owners on the project site did not appear to be on the same terms. One owner, Javon Bea, submitted a letter to council asking for the vacation petition to be continued.
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The other owner, Peter Pasalis, has had legal representation at the past two city council meetings asking for a decision on the vacation petition.
The vacation petition was submitted to the city 77 days previous to Monday's meeting, city staff reported. City council members showed some impatience, but agreed to continue the requests to Dec. 21.
Council Member Nick Campion suggested Dec. 21 be a hard deadline for the project — either the developer returned ready to proceed or the council would make its decision.
"I think it's a reasonable expectation that both parties involved here get reasonable and prudent response from the government," Campion said.
DMC consideration added a new element to the city's decision making process, noted Council President Randy Staver, and Council Member Ed Hruska agreed that he would not support a hard deadline on the project.
"I guess I'm not open to a drop-dead date, but I'm open to a good explanation of when it will conclude and when we'll get to some finality on it," Hruska said. "I think by the 21st we want to see some clear direction on where we're going with it."
