We learned today that Epic, a leading producer of medical records software, has signed on to be a tenant of One Discovery Square.

The Madison-based company will take up space alongside researchers from Mayo Clinic and students from the University of Minnesota Rochester.

The 90,000 square-foot building — a collaboration between Mayo and the developer Mortenson — is expected to open mid-next year.

Speaking Tuesday to the Destination Medical Center Corporation Board, Jeremy Jacobs, director of real estate development for Mortenson, said he expects additional tenants to be announced in the coming months.

“The spectrum is pretty wide in terms of what we are capturing,” said Jacobs, adding that businesses small and large have expressed interest in sharing collaborative space with Mayo. “Collaboration isn’t a buzzword with Mayo. It is Mayo. We use that to leverage how we bring in tenants across the world. It is the differentiator of Discovery Square.”

Epic’s decision to add space in Rochester comes as the company continues its multi-year partnership with Mayo. The hospital system is spending $1.5 billion to transfer its medical and billing data into a single electronic system. The Epic platform — already live in Rochester and at satellite clinics across the region — is set to launch next month in Florida and Arizona.

Meantime, Collider Coworking revealed plans Tuesday to expand its footprint in Discovery Square. The business is partnering with Mayo and DMC to create startup space on the first floor of Mayo’s Connolly Building.

Jamie Sundsbak, community manager for Collider, told us they plan to lease approximately 2,300 square feet from Mayo. The location, to be known as Collider 424 (the address is 424 3rd Street SW), will include six private office spaces, ranging from 150-300 square feet, along with a "mini" shared desk space that will offer a lower cost option for entrepreneurs.

“We are certain that the proximity of this space, located on Mayo's campus, will help us continue to build relationships with Mayo's emerging entrepreneurs as well as connecting them to the talent and services they will need to grow their ventures,” said Sundsbak.

Collider — which opened its first location in the Conley-Maass-Downs Building in 2016 — plans to have the new space operational next month.

Collider Coworking, located inside the Conley-Maass-Downs building

Chris Schad, director of business development for Discovery Square, said the announcements from Epic and Collider show that DMC plans are progressing and companies are recognizing the value of investing in Rochester. Moving forward, he expects demand for space will only continue to grow.

“We see the need for a diverse set of businesses — large and small, regional, multi-national, startups, mature companies,” said Schad.

In recent years, a new wave of startups has begun to emerge downtown as a result of Mayo loosening its policies on entrepreneurship. It is this kind of startup culture, DMC leaders believe, that will be critical to not only attracting new capital — but also the next generation of workers.

As former Minneapolis mayor and current DMCC Board Chair RT Rybak told us recently: “The key to Discovery Square will be attracting innovators who want to incubate Mayo brain power into new initiatives that could include starting companies that could dramatically diversify Rochester’s economy.”

Cover photo: Construction on One Discovery Square / Med City Beat