
Rochester City Council Overrides Mayor’s Veto of Grant for Downtown Project
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- The new Rochester City Council was successful in overriding a recent veto issued by Mayor Kim Norton.
Read More: Rochester Mayor Vetoes Grant for Downtown Project
Last week, Mayor Norton vetoed city council approval of a Destination Medical Center Grant to fund a renovation project for a building that makes up downtown Rochester’s Historic District.
The $125,288.04 grant, approved by the council during the January 6 meeting, was allocated to cover half the cost of renovating the second floor of the building at 330 South Broadway Ave. into an apartment.
The grant is part of a program that provides financial aid in the form of grants or loans to owners of historic buildings in downtown Rochester.

In a memo explaining her veto, Mayor Norton argued that the program’s Revolving Loan Fund is a more appropriate financial incentive for the project, saying the project is an “adaptive reuse” of the building’s second floor and that it will generate revenue for the property owner.
Rochester, MN City Council Votes to Override Mayor Kim Norton's Veto of Grant for Downtown Project
Prior to the city council’s January 6 vote, the Destination Medical Center Board approved awarding the property owner the grant funding.
Wednesday night’s motion passed on a 6-1 vote, exceeding the five votes needed to override a veto. Sixth Ward Councilmember Dan Doering was the lone nay vote.
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Gallery Credit: Troy Dunken