ROCHESTER, Minn. – Questions coursed through Rochester grapevines about whether the state-of-the-art Ramp 6 downtown might crumble into the Zumbro River. Or fall onto the adjacent 19-story, 264-room new Hilton luxury hotel it was designed in part to serve. Or whether the city had blocked off the ramp as a legal tactic in its lawsuit against the architectural firm that designed the ramp. Will the ramp need to be razed and rebuilt from scratch? The possibilities grew with every retelling. The city closed the ramp Thursday with no explanation other than that “evaluations” were underway to determine what to do. The city is suing the ramp’s designer for insufficient footings for the ramp to be expanded several floors upward. City official also have mentioned “a variety of problems” with the structure in recent months but always vague on details. Pressed about the closing Thursday, city spokesperson Jenna Bowman didn’t help much: “We are not able to comment further because of pending litigation.”
Earlier: Rochester closes bedeviled Ramp 6
What gives here? The brand new $130 million Hilton showcase hotel towers in front of the reddish Ramp 6. The mega-ramp, which can accommodate 630 vehicles, is sandwiched between the hotel and the Zumbro River.