The Value of Program Management

August 1, 2024
By Ang Points, Sr Project Manager, WSB

Cities, counties, and municipalities are growing at exponential rates, more now than ever before. Ensuring that these rapidly growing communities execute projects efficiently and effectively is necessary to meet the expectations of their stakeholders and current citizens and to prepare for the demands on existing and even new infrastructure. However, there is often too much work that current staff cannot handle alone, and cities may not be able to hire enough or qualified full-time staff to support the demands. Program Management provides support for cities that do not have the capacity or ability to take on these programs or projects themselves as an immediate, even short-term solution that is flexible and scalable to meet the ever-changing demands of a city.

Through Program Management, we partner and work alongside city staff, interweaving and executing work on behalf of the city as an extension of the staff. It provides technical knowledge and design as well as valuable expertise and support in project management, contract management, communications with elected officials and stakeholders, building financial strategies and more.

To best support our clients in Program Management needs, our team of experts use the 3 T’s— technology, transparency and teamwork.

Technology

To build an effective and efficient program, technology is key. It is the foundation of the 3 T’s, and only through technology can we build a collaborative team and establish trust with the public, stakeholders and elected officials.

Using Smartsheet, Power BI, Teams, Bluebeam, Primavera 6, and communication tools — we can increase knowledge and awareness of the city’s projects and efficiently and effectively connect with all those involved in the execution of projects. Reliable data and information at the fingertips of decision makers and the public creates an environment of trust. Technology is a driving factor in moving these programs forward.

Transparency

The public’s tax dollars are the reasons these projects get accomplished— its only right to keep the public informed. It is best practice to be proactive when providing information and make it easily accessible. This can be done by creating a website designed specifically for the program with a Power BI dashboard. The dashboard shares financial data including where the funding is coming from, the designated uses of those dollars, and even spending projections. Monthly newsletters and project-by-project updates on the website give stakeholders the ability to access information without requesting it through official channels.

By sharing this information with the public and providing it at their fingertips, you are funding transparency. This will put taxpayers at ease and build trust for the ongoing program. For internal decision makers, tools like Teams, Smartsheet and PowerBI are key to seeing the overall program down to dollar-for-dollar and even day-to-day details in real-time.

We have seen great success from taking this approach with a recent project, with the City of Buda and their 2021 Buda Bond Program.

Teamwork

A goal of Project Management is to integrate our teams and work collaboratively across all levels of effort. This is best accomplished through using Teams. Being responsive and available as a consultant to the city staff is critical, and joining the same Teams platform alleviates any challenges of connecting. This type of teamwork makes us reachable, responsive, and able to collaborate daily and on-demand to all levels of staff. This level of teamwork using Teams and even Bluebeam also allows ourselves, the city’s consultants, and city staff to work interactively on documents and decisions more easily.

Smartsheet, an elite, interactive tool, significantly improves collaboration and consistency. Its advanced capabilities of storing documents and unique viewership of history and updates strengthens workflows. Smartsheet makes coordinating with teams, making decisions, and viewing progress more efficient.

How WSB can Help

Program Management is a tool and service available to cities, but we know to be successful you must rely on the 3 T’s. Our experienced team provides your staff with technical excellence and additional support, and we also prioritize using advanced technology to prepare you for the future while building trust with the public and increasing collaboration. Technology, transparency and teamwork will drive projects forward, and we are here to offer scalable, flexible, and effective support.

Our Program Management team is more than designers— we effortlessly integrate all aspects from writing council reports and presentations, projecting budgets and financial actions, managing contracts on behalf of the city, presenting to the public, engaging with consultants, creating finance and management strategies, and executing plans in design and in project management. Our team has the expertise to build innovative and feasible strategies, and compiles everything into organized workflows that can then be shared with city staff in real-time. With increasing demands on cities, we can integrate workflows using technology to make processes and procedures more efficient and less time consuming.

We understand how cities operate and what cities want and need – we have first-hand experience in the city staff’s shoes. We are eager to support cities as they Forge Ahead.

Angellia has 13+ years experience in various sectors of the industry from project engineer for a water/wastewater firm, serving as the Director of Public Works/City Engineer for the City of Belton, Texas, and leading the Operations and Maintenance Division for Fort Leonard Wood, MO. She is a PE licensed in both Texas and Missouri, and her skills and strengths are project and program management. Her passion is helping municipalities thrive and grow.

[email protected] | 903.431.0573

Earmarks: Congressional Funding For Your Project

By Morgan Dawley, Sr Director of Municipal, WSB
July 15, 2024

While the timeline for fiscal year 2025 earmark requests have passed, smart planning now can prepare your project for success in future funding years. Through advocating, coalition building and coordinating with your congressional elected officials, your project can obtain the funding it needs. Now is the time to educate yourself on earmarks and what you must do to gain congressional funding to support your project.

What Are Earmarks?

An earmark, also referred to as “Congressionally Directed Spending” or “community project funding,” is a funding allocation presented by an elected Member of Congress. It is written into a spending appropriations bill that directly funds a specific project. Earmarks fund a variety of projects across multiple disciplines such as transportation, structural projects, water treatment plants, civic centers and other local projects that enhance community priorities, expand economic development and provide job opportunities.

It is most common to receive project funding by applying for a grant through an agency, but this comes with limitations and requirements that must be met while also competing with other projects for funds. These requirements can be hard to obtain due to lack of financials or requirements that are not applicable to your project.

What differentiates earmarks from the typical grant application process is the targeted approach to funding a specific project rather than an agency receiving a large amount to distribute. With earmarks, project funding is still competitively awarded, and you must convince your Member of Congress of the positive impact your project will have on the community to receive funding. A successful earmark request is extremely beneficial because it demonstrates public support from your Member of Congress.

Do Your Preparation

It can be helpful to research similar projects that have received earmark funding in the past. The House and Senate appropriations committee web pages provide full lists of past projects that have received funding along with the amount received. This can help you prepare your submission.

Staying up to date on political trends will benefit your request as well. If your project aligns with the current views of the House or Senate— your project will have a greater chance at receiving funding. For example, if your Congressional Member strongly supports environmental sustainability, an application prioritizing this is set up for success. Alternatively, submissions may be denied for various reasons like limiting spending, conflicting policies, etc. Being well-versed in today’s politics provides valuable information as you request earmark funding.

In addition to researching past projects and current political trends, your project must have some level of study to help define the need for the project before the first meeting with your Congressional Member and their staff. Within this study, be sure to include the anticipated scope and estimated costs. Consider creating a project “one-pager” that helps summarize the information, costs and the funding request into a simple, visually compelling format that you can leave behind and they can use for briefings.

Requesting Earmark Funding and Coalition Building

When it comes to requesting earmark funding— where do you start? The first step is engaging with your elected officials and explaining why your project deserves to be funded.

Earmark funding request forms are found on the websites of your Representative or Senator. Through a submission, they gain insight to valuable information like your project’s purpose, location and the amount of funding requested.

Once the application is submitted, the best path to receiving funding is through meeting with your elected official’s staff through coalition building. Meeting in-person provides the opportunity to explain in greater detail the need for funding and the benefit your project provides.

If your project benefits multiple communities or groups, it is in the best interest of the earmark request to present a coalition of support. By directly advocating for earmark funding and showing the project’s wide-reaching benefits, the potential your elected official will provide their support increases. For example, if a county is presenting the earmark request and has the support of multiple cities and communities, the project will provide a more convincing argument.

How WSB Can Help?

Earmarks are an incredible way for projects to receive congressional funding and support. WSB’s team of experts will support you with your earmark funding request. Our team helps determine your project’s scope, estimate overall costs and help facilitate and manage the process for acquiring the desired earmark funding for your project.

Morgan brings over 20 years of experience in municipal, transportation and civil engineering projects. He has been providing consultant city engineering services, including strategic planning, preliminary design, project development, and public engagement. He is passionate about finding solutions that are right for the client and that help neighborhoods and communities achieve their goals and vision for the future.

[email protected] | 763.287.7173

Attracting and retaining women in the AEC Industry | ElevateHER

By Shibani Bisson, Sr. Project Manager, WSB

In honor of International Women’s Day Shibani Bisson, Associate and Senior Project Manager on WSB’s municipal team, reflects on her experience working towards a more inclusive AEC Industry through the Zweig Group’s ElevateHER program.

The AEC industry statistically lacks females, but we are fortunate that WSB goes beyond “checking the box” when it comes to creating programs and initiatives to promote diversity in the industry.

Over the past year, I became more committed to elevating women within the AEC Industry. In 2020, I was honored to be selected for the Zweig Group’s inaugural ElevateHER cohort group. The cohort group included 26 women and men across the country working together to address recruitment and retention of women working in the AEC Industry.

What drew me to apply to this program was a staggering statistic identified in a recent Zweig survey of AEC firms – that 100% of women surveyed considered leaving the AEC industry. This stat, along with other staggering statistics about the number of females entering the industry and then leaving, helped form the foundation for ElevateHER. Jamie Claire Kiser, Principal of Zweig Group and creator of ElevateHER said, “The goal is not to check the box but make a cultural change that changes the shape, color and outline of the “boxes” themselves with a sweeping paradigm shift in how we understand the potential of our teams.”

My cohort group’s initial goal was to address and mitigate biases and stomp stereotypes in the industry. This was a big issue to tackle. During our ElevateHER kickoff meeting, I kept thinking back to how I felt being an engineer in this industry, the stories I heard from the cohort and how at times, we felt like we did not belong. These thoughts eventually spurred what would later be our #SheBelongsHere campaign to reinforce that women belong in the AEC industry.

Our research identified that because of established traditional female roles, society often does not associate or expect women to be engineers, hold positions in construction or leadership. It’s not necessarily that our employers, co-workers or clients make us feel that way, but it’s the unconscious bias and expectations of the traditional female role. These biases and stereotypes are improving, and we are making progress with diversity initiatives in the industry, but the statistics of the number of women entering the AEC industry is still not improving and we wanted to better understand why.

From our research, there is a leaky pipeline in the industry where girls interested in STEM are passively falling out of STEM because of biases and self-image. Confidence levels in girls typically starts dropping at the 4^th grade level. We knew this was a narrative that needed to change and there were actions we could take to help open the world of STEM to girls and women. One other finding from our research was that if females persisted in STEM at the same rate as males starting in Calculus I, the number of women entering the STEM workforce would increase by 75%.

To provide the most impact, we needed to start changing that visual with school aged girls and boys. Our message was, “We need to see it to be it!” We developed two campaign messages, #SheBelongsHere and #GirlsCanBuildTheWorld, that illustrate to girls that someone who looks just like them belongs in AEC careers to help shift the narrative. The materials created included two YouTube videos and educational materials for students.

Although there is still a lot of work to do, it feels good to take action and to support women within the AEC industry and our future female engineers. The ElevateHER experience was and continues to empower me and was the highlight of my 2020! I’m thankful that WSB was supportive of my involvement with ElevateHER and of this initiative. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion at WSB is something I’m proud to be part of.

Learn more about the output of 2020’s ElevateHER cohort here.

Shibani has over 20 years of experience as a municipal engineer for several communities. As a City Engineer, Shibani’s role is to oversee project delivery, provide quality assurance and quality control reviews and be a liaison between the City Council, City staff and the WSB project team. Her experience working in the public sector makes her particularly well-equipped to provide project management, quality control and a liaison to City Councils for municipal improvement projects with impacts to local infrastructure.

[email protected] | 763.287.7162

The top 5 legislative issues to pay attention to this session

Bart Fischer, Senior Public Administrator, WSB & Gary Carlson, Intergovernmental Relations Director, League of Minnesota Cities (LMC)

The Minnesota Legislative Session is well underway and as usual, there is a lot of ground to cover. I recently spoke with Gary Carlson, Intergovernmental Relationship Director at LMC, to discuss the current session and the top issues communities should be paying attention to.

BF: Thanks for taking the time out of what I imagine is a busy schedule right now to dive into this topic with me, Gary. There are many ideas being discussed right now at the Capital, but what are some of the most current issues communities should be paying attention to?

GC: This is an exciting and busy session and as you know, the League works on a variety of issues, but I think there are a few topics that should be front of mind for both cities, counties and even private developers. Let’s first discuss the status of the state budget.

BF: Great! A new budget forecast was released recently. What are the takeaways?

GC: It was a relatively positive forecast. The state’s projected outlook went from a deficit to a positive budgetary balance meaning the state will have some money available for projects, although the bulk of the improvement is considered to be one-time resources, which raises concerns about long-term spending commitments. However, one-time resources increase the chances of a bonding bill, which is positive for our communities as it relates to funding sources for capital projects.

BF: That’s good news, especially with the uncertainty over the past year caused by the pandemic. What else should we be paying attention to?

GC: Good transition – the American Rescue Plan Act was just approved by the Senate and the House. This $1.9 trillion stimulus package means a lot of funding for Minnesota that can be used for a wide array for purposes. Minnesota is expected to receive approximately $4.8 billion total. Of that $4.8 billion, the state will receive $2.6 billion, and cities and counties will each receive a little more than $1 billion. It appears this funding will be fairly flexible, and communities should start thinking about any one-time improvements or projects that can be completed using this funding.

BF: That certainly could have a large effect on our communities. Anything at a more local level occurring?

GC: Yes, sales tax authority. Currently, there are 22 cities and counties seeking local sales tax authority. These are being proposed for projects ranging from libraries, road infrastructure, ice arena upgrades, public safety facilities, etc. This is a growing trend, and more and more cities are looking for a dedicated sales tax to fund capital projects that they feel have significance in their communities.

BF: Yes, it seems more communities are taking that approach in recent years. I’ve heard some talk surrounding the sales tax exemption process. Can you speak to what’s happening there?

GC: The sales tax exemption process for local government projects has been a focus for nearly six years. Most cities and counties are forgoing the sales tax exemption process when working with a contractor for a local project because of its cumbersome nature. It also can be financially risky to pre-purchase materials, etc. We have a bill in to do a general simplification of the process. This is really important and could save cities and counties a lot of money. The legislature is considering a general law to streamline the process however, in the past several years, they have opted to only grant project-specific exemptions. I would encourage cities to put a request in for this and watch how things develop at the capital in the next year. If we’re not successful in securing a general law change, cities should consider mounting an effort to work with their legislators to position those bills.

BF: Any high-level takeaways from the pandemic or lasting effects communities should be prepared for?

GC: The housing market is crazy and that is great news – it means a larger tax base, but there is a countervailing force creating significant uncertainty for retail and business properties and it is unclear just how deep the long-term effects of the pandemic will be on that sector of the tax base. There are conversations occurring that the effects of the pandemic will hit communities in 2022 as more commercial and industrial properties seek an appeal of their property taxes or struggle to continue operations. This is a long-term topic to be thinking about and something to keep in mind as communities plan their budgets in the future.

BF: Thank you, Gary. This is all really great information. Is there a place we can watch the action unfold and go to for updates?

GC: The League’s government relations staff provide weekly updates on legislative activity impacting cities. Information can be found at: https://www.lmc.org/news-publications/news/news-types/legislative-news/

Bart Fischer

Bart Fischer has over two decades of experience in public administration. Throughout his tenure, he’s worked in five Minnesota communities as the city or assistant city administrator. Bart joined our firm in 2019 as a senior public administrator and focuses on lending his public service expertise to our clients.

Gary Carlson

Gary Carlson has 37 years of experience in government affairs. As the Intergovernmental Relations Director at the League of Minnesota Cities, Gary leads the League’s legislative efforts that matter to cities including aid to cities, economic development, employment and human resources, pensions and retirement, public finance, taxes, tax increment financing (TIF) and workers’ compensation.

Getting Started with Tribal Funding

There are many challenges to maintaining a healthy and prosperous tribal community. Tribal leadership is responsible for building, maintaining and improving the infrastructure and services for tribal members on an on-going basis. This can be daunting and overwhelming when the necessary resources are not readily available. The good news is there are a variety of funding sources available to tribal communities, here are the first steps you can take when applying for funding.

1.) Prioritize goals and align with available funding options

In many instances, tribal sovereign nations have developed planning documents such as integrated resources management plans (IRMP), comprehensive plans, housing plans, surface water management plans, economic development plans, cultural preservation plans, and many others. Having clear goals and aligning them with available funding opportunities will position your tribal community for success at acquiring critical funds for initiatives that are most important.

2.) Determine eligibility, eligible expenses, required matches (if any) and maximum/minimum funding amounts

Funding is available from a variety of local, state, federal, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and all have eligibility requirements and allowable expenses. Others may require match (in-kind or cash) and have minimum/maximum funding requests amounts. Understanding these basic requirements is a prudent second step in deciding if pursuing a funding source will be worth the investment of time and how well the grant can support the project.

3.) Develop partnerships/coalitions

Funding requests can vary greatly based on need and scale of the project or program. For large projects that require a large capital investment or match that may not be available, consider developing partnerships or coalitions with local, state, federal, or NGOs to security necessary funds. This can allow you to leverage multiple funding sources, expertise, volunteers, and support, which in most instances increases your chance obtaining grant funding.

4.) Determine what type of project needs funding

Projects and grant requests may divide into broad categories such as:

Education/Outreach
Data Collection
Implementation
Monitoring
Planning

Depending on where your community is with planning and datasets, new projects may need to begin as planning projects and include implementation plans. This will help you describe your project and develop a clear workplan to successfully achieve tribe goals. Some funding sources do not support planning or data collection and simply support project implementation, while others are the opposite, only supporting planning and data collection and not implementation. Therefore, addressing points one and two is critical to your application and should be as persuasive as possible to demonstrate that you have a clear set of goals and implementation plan. In some cases, including elements from each of the above categories on applications, or at least addressing them, can improve your application and odds of being granted funds.

5.) Plan for what comes next

Having a clearly defined workplan and accurate cost estimates for your project/program is critical to successfully winning grants. If there are too many expenses exceeding currently available funding, consider phasing your project over time and explain that in your grant application. It is possible to be awarded funding on a multi-phase project that is implemented over a series of years if it follows a clear plan. Be thinking about what comes after completing the workplan. Consider how you will fund and support the project after the grant is completed. Many times, grant programs can build on themselves; after successfully obtaining one funding source and completing the project, you may unlock additional funding sources to expand the reach of your initial project.

Other things to consider:

Capacity Building- Do you have capacity (staff, equipment, time, etc.) to complete the project and can you use grant funds to build capacity that provides future opportunity?

Data driven- Can you use existing data to support your rationale for the grant funding? If not, this may be your request as you identify data gaps and request funds top fill those gaps.

Is Your City Ready to Become a ‘Smart’ City?

By Shelly Hanson, Sr. Project Manager and Charlie Wild, IT Application Administrator, WSB

At one point, the idea of wirelessly connected, data-driven communities seemed futuristic and aspirational, like an episode of “The Jetsons.” But with advances in technology and consumer demand, this trend toward technology-enabled, efficient cities is happening all around us.

While major metropolitan areas like Chicago, San Francisco, and New York City are well-known for their “smart city” initiatives, communities of any size can take steps to use technology to improve city services, operations, policymaking, and public engagement.

Recently, many Minnesota cities have been working to expand their broadband networks, develop stormwater systems, manage energy performance, and initiate other smart city projects.

Definition of a smart city

While there are many ways to define a smart city, we group smart city initiatives into these six categories:

Mobility: Scooters, public transit, vehicles, and anything that moves people, goods, or services
Water: Wastewater and stormwater facilities
Public services: Traffic management, permitting, GIS applications
Homes and building: “Internet of things” technology in homes, offices, and public buildings (heating and cooling, lights, security)
Energy: Utilities, fleet management, efficiency
Integration: Powered by data and seamlessly connected broadband networks, applications

In many cases, cities already have elements of this public infrastructure running through their communities and are on the path toward becoming a smarter city.

Achieving goals

It’s important to note that cities aren’t using these tools for accolades. Technology and data can help provide smart solutions that improve the quality of life in a city and return tax dollars into the system. Ultimately, the goal of implementing these strategies is to deliver better outcomes for the community while using fewer resources. Smart city approaches can also help communities reach broader goals like advancing equity, improving policymaking, or decreasing their environmental footprint. A tangible example of this is crime rates. In Philadelphia, the Police Department launched a “Smart Policing Initiative” using data, GIS mapping, and predictive analysis to see where crime is occurring most in the city.

The analysis allows the city to devote more resources to crime hot spots and improve response times. The city’s high crime areas have seen reductions in the crime rate since implementing these practices.

Disadvantages to consider

While it’s easy to see how data improved public life in the Philadelphia Police Department example, there are also drawbacks to consider. Smart cities are powered by data, and residents may be wary about sharing personal information with their government. Communities that use this technology must take steps to ensure privacy and prevent companies from profiting off their citizens’ data.

Another risk is cyberattacks. Now that many cities have made large-scale investments in digital technology infrastructure, predators have found opportunities to wreak havoc on city systems.

In Baltimore, attackers recently targeted the city’s computer-aided dispatch system, and first responders were unable to access it for 17 hours. A 2018 ransomware attack of Atlanta’s software applications disrupted five of 13 city departments and cost more than $12 million.

Smart cities must invest in the security of these critical infrastructure systems to ensure reliable and secure systems that the public can trust.

Money-saving initiatives

Although smart city initiatives may carry an upfront cost in some cases, they can save the city money in the long run. For example, San Diego leaders expanded upon money-saving efforts that are helping to make their city smarter.

What began as an initiative to use energy-efficient LED bulbs in streetlights has evolved into the deployment of the world’s largest smart city sensor platform. Controlled by remotes, this digital infrastructure allows the city to dim the streetlights during certain hours of the day, resulting in further energy and cost savings.

Becoming a smart city

Throughout the United States as smart city approaches become more common, cities are becoming more equipped to manage risks and use advances in technology to build better communities.

If your community is ready to get smart, public engagement can help you identify priority areas and set goals. Start a conversation in your city about the challenges you’re facing and how information and communications technology can help solve those challenges.

This article was originally published in the League of Minnesota Cities Winter 2020 magazine.

Collectible WSB Career Cards

We believe in helping to build the workforce of the future.

WSB recently launched a series of collectible career cards to introduce young boys and girls to the extraordinary world of engineering and STEM career possibilities. Each career card offers a glimpse into the lives of six characters; Edie the Engineer, Sam the Scientist, Sophie the Surveyor, Patrick the Planner, Izzy the Inspector, and Erik the Engineer. Edie and her friends have unique traits and career paths but they all share a common goal that drives them to do their best: The future is ours for the making.

“I am excited to tell you about some of my friends. Years ago, we had big dreams for the future. Our entire team at WSB once started off as curious kids with different interests and skills. We’ve all taken unique journeys, but our paths have led us here – where we work together to build and protect many of the places you visit every day. We’re excited to share our experiences with you and can’t wait to see the path you take. Maybe someday you’ll join us too.” – Edie, WSB Engineer

What does a Municipal Engineer do?

Brandon Movall, Graduate Engineer, WSB

Creating a livable city space for residents to enjoy is no easy feat.

Civil engineers who dedicate their careers to supporting a specific city or municipality are known as municipal engineers. You may only know of one main city engineer in your community. However, there is likely a team of municipal engineers working behind the scenes to ensure all city operations are running smoothly.

Here are five things that municipal engineers do to support your community.

1. Design

One of the most noticeable things that municipal engineers do is design the public infrastructure in a community. Local streets are designed to get you around town. Public utilities are designed to provide drinking water and indoor restrooms to homes and businesses. Trails are designed for recreational enjoyment. Storm sewer systems are designed to properly manage storm water runoff and prevent flooding. All the above and more are designed by municipal engineers.

2. Review

Developers and residents rely on municipal engineers to review developments within their city. Large-scale developments, usually done by a developer for a residential, commercial or industrial area, take thorough reviewing by municipal engineers to ensure the development is compliant with city rules and regulations and adds value to the community. Similarly, residents with plans to modify their land seek approval from municipal engineers to ensure their design and modifications meet community standards and avoid potential issues for neighbors or future residents.

3. Plan

Municipal engineers are always looking to the future. They develop Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) to identify the most crucial needs of the city and plan for future projects. These plans typically project 5-10 years into the future. Additionally, municipal engineers work with city planners and regulatory agencies to establish comprehensive plans for the community. Most comprehensive city plans typically project 10-20 years into the future.

4. Budget

Managing a city’s infrastructure budget is an essential part of being a municipal engineer. Cities often operate on a limited budget so they must think carefully about where to allocate their spending. Likewise, municipal engineers assist cities with applying for state, regional, and federal funding.

5. Collaborate

Municipal engineers collaborate with invested stakeholders to improve their communities. Through public engagement and speaking with residents, city officials, regional and state agencies, they gather input and analyze the best course of action to create a viable city that works for everyone.

Brandon Movall is a Graduate Engineer on our municipal team with experience in project design and bringing creative solutions to community problems. Learn more about our civil engineering services and recent community projects.

Hyatt House-Civic on First Groundbreaking

Community leaders and local residents gathered in downtown Rochester yesterday to break ground on the Hyatt House-Civic on First project. Referred to as the “new gateway to the city”, the $46 million project features a 172-room extended stay hotel.

Formerly the home of the beloved community watering hole, American Legion Post 92, the Hyatt House has a large footprint to fill. The over 30-year-old downtown establishment bid a bittersweet farewell to Civic Center Drive and its loyal patrons, but remained optimistic for future development efforts. The Hyatt House hotel is expected to connect the Rochester community and Mayo Clinic campus and spur economic development growth in the area.

Our Land Development team assisted EKN Development Group, PEG Companies, and HKS as the Planning and Entitlements Lead. We completed the planning and entitlement process, civil engineering, geotechnical, survey, and landscape architecture work. Completion for the Hyatt House project is anticipated for summer 2020.