Unique Duplex Development Proposed In Rochester

While Rochester isn’t a city I usually discuss here, a proposed housing development on that city’s south side is newsworthy.

Due to the city’s $5.6 billion Destination Medical Center development plan, the city and Mayo Clinic are experiencing unprecedented growth. As a result, the city has an enormous housing crisis. A Maxfield Research Study found the city needs 4200 new housing units by 2030. It is currently on track to build only half that much.

To help, a Minnesota nonprofit asked the city to consider a unique development. The project would construct a variety of housing types, including 36 duplexes or twin homes, 69 triplexes, a 12-unit apartment building, 20 single-family units, a community center, a non-denominational worship center and dedicated retail space.

The developer, Build Wealth MN Inc, and its planning consultant, G-Cubed, the properties are intended for first-time home buyers as starter homes. The apartment building would serve as a place for people to live until they can build up their credit so they too can buy a duplex.

Build Wealth MN is a Minneapolis-based non-profit that teaches people how to save, bank, and invest to create multigenerational wealth.

Should Rochester approve the project, construction would start later this year.  If it succeeds, it could be a win for all and perhaps a model to build more duplexes and triplexes in the future.