Rochester wants project back in bonding bill

Rochester officials are hoping they still have a chance to get more than $30 million from the state Legislature to expand the city's Mayo Civic Center — even though the project was taken out of the Senate bonding bill.

Lawmakers were set to vote on the bill Thursday, but the vote has been put off until early next week.

Rochester Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Brad Jones said without the money now, his city will lose convention business.

"If we don't get this project moving now, we lose another two years [in the] booking cycle," Jones said. "As a city, we're making investments and decisions with our master plan and we're going to go a different direction so it's imperative that we get something done."

The bill is being reworked in the Senate, over concerns about the amount of money being allocated between the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

There's no indication money for the Rochester project will be put back into the bonding bill.