Rochester 2023 State of the City address

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Rochester Mayor Kim Norton is looking to the future.

She hosted her State of the City address this morning at the Mayo Civic Center. Dozens of people gathered Friday for the address. There were city, county and school board leaders along with other community members.

The morning kicked off with a breakfast followed by several speeches, including Mayor Kim Norton’s State of the City address.

She talked about some of the city’s accomplishments from the past year including the $1 million Global Mayor’s Challenge, codifying the Parks and Recreation Soldiers Field plan and creating the city’s first New Year’s Eve event.

She also talked about some goals for the upcoming year like investing in education, embracing the diversity of the city and bolstering downtown businesses.

“While many parts of our downtown have begun to experience a rebound in business activity, and we’ve seen many new businesses open up with more on the horizon, we know that this is not true for every business. I firmly believe that an innovative spirit will continue to help as this new environment unveils itself,” Rochester Mayor Kim Norton said.

Also new this year is the Rochester recovery action plan. Local organizations will work with downtown businesses, property owners and residents on revitalizing downtown. A number of organizations will be spearheading this effort including DMC, Experience Rochester, the Rochester Diversity Council and more. It’s in the early stages and more information will be released in the coming weeks.