The Next Minnesotan Metropolitan Area!!!!?? (Minneapolis, St. Paul: construction, school district, universities)

[knke0204]

Minnesota is unique in the sense that the State's largest metro area is simply THE metro area. It seems like the State of Minnesota circles around it's nucleus which is the Twin Cities. Minnesota is a large state land-wise, and modest when it comes to Population. Not only are the TC the largest Metropolitan area in the State, but largest in the the region, and 15th largest in the USA.

Most states have a primary metro, like Minnesota does, but also tend to have other metros that are much larger -and closer- than any other metros in Minnesota. There are states that don't have significant metropolitan areas at at, but let's not get into that.

I'm talking about other metros in states that are significant enough to gain national media exposure or to be recognized nationally (In NYC I could tell somebody I am from MPLS and they would know. If I told them I was from St. Cloud, they probably wouldn't know where that is) In other words, if you can tell people where you are from without having to say the state, then it is a significant metro.

For example:

California has it's handful of large cities and seperate metros (Bay Area, LA, San Diego, OC, Sacramento, and even the large cities in the central valley)

New York: NYC, Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo

Wisconsin: MKE, Madison, GB

Texas: Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas

Florida: Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Tallahassee

Pennsylvania: Pitsburgh, Philadelphia

Ohio: Cleveland, Columbus (maybe) Cincinnati

Tennessee: Memphis, Nashville

Missouri: St. Louis, Kansas City


I know that Rochester is a fast growing city and probably has the best potential of any in Minnesota. With IBM and Mayo, the city has a lot of room for job sustainability. With a major university, I believe that Rochester could be easily of 200,000 people. I have never been to Rochester, but I always thought that it seemed like a real cool city. I really want to go visit sometime. Although I was raised in the TC metro, lived in St Cloud metro and currently live in Duluth metro, I feel like Rochester is the only place outside of the TC where I'd want to raise a family.


St. Cloud is also a fast growing city. I think it's proximity to the TC might be a reason, but could also hurt St. Cloud's chances of staying it's own Regional, independent hub, or becoming just another large suburb. The Universities in the area are excellent for having an educated demographic for jobs, research and growth (many graduates tend to stay or come back to the town the went to school, that's why I believe Rochester would be over 200,000 with a few major universities- Like a Uof M -Rochester that has more than 500 students, more like 20,000 like cities of St. Cloud, Duluth and Mankato have).


Duluth perhaps at one point was a great city in MN outside of the MPLS-STP area. At one time it was a city mention with the likes of Chicago, Green Bay, St. Paul, Detroit, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh. Now it is a city on the verge of a giant change. Things are happening here, whether it be slow or not, things are happening. I believe the city has SO much potential, only if there were any signs of industry that provides high-skilled, high paying, family sustaining jobs, like Rochester has with Mayo and IBM.

Those are the only ones that come to mind. I feel like Rochester has the best chance.

[StilltheSame]

^^^^^
If I had to live in another city in MN outside of the TC's - it would be Rochester for all the reasons you stated.

[Latitude38]

What about Duluth? Since its by lake Superior that may be a potential to being large metropolis like Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit. May be it can become a steel manufacturing mecca using raw material from Iron Range and ship it to automotive industries near by to Canada and Detroit. What about tourism and hospitality? It's close to the lodges and lakes in the north.
But I think MN has to become compatative in becoming business friendly state. We have to be competitive like southern states such as TN, SC, AL, GA etc in attracting big companies such as Boeing, VW, BMW, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai etc. The only automobile assembly plant we have in St. Paul is closing down that not good. But then, what do I know my 2Cents.

[bcgr]

I agree with knke, if any city has the best chance of becoming a large metro it's Rochester.

Originally Posted by knke0204

Duluth...Now it is a city on the verge of a giant change.

What giant change is this? The way I see it this city is just slowly fading away, we'll never be some small town, but I don't see any growth and think the city will continue to shrink for awhile.

Originally Posted by Latitude38

What about Duluth? Since its by lake Superior that may be a potential to being large metropolis like Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit. May be it can become a steel manufacturing mecca using raw material from Iron Range and ship it to automotive industries near by to Canada and Detroit.

Do you know anything about Duluth? Been there done that. This city was built on shipping raw materials to the east and steel mills. The reason our city is going downhill is because and all the steel mills packed up and left Duluth and the Great Lakes and headed either to the south, Mexico, or China; there was no one to ship the iron to. There isn't any future in this unless industry starts coming back here and to the great lakes, you should've realized this especially since you noted that the vehicle makers are leaving. But if we toss out NAFTA/CAFTA and the WTO, it'll be a start to a returning industry. I've read a few somethings on the city's history, and its surprising how different Duluth was in the early 1900s, we were a boomtown and some papers were saying how by the 1930s we'd have between 200,000-300,000 people and rival Chicago. So much for that...

Originally Posted by Latitude38

What about tourism and hospitality? It's close to the lodges and lakes in the north.

The city is trying to survive on tourism, but it's not working out so great... But the city gov't treats tourism like a holy grail.

[kuan]

Duluth has so much potential for outdoor recreation. IMO it should reinvent itself as an oxygen fed sports city kinda like Bozeman MT or Moab UT. Awesome terrain for XC skiing and singletrack MTB, trail running, sea kayaking, and if the city doesn't do it for you, head off in any direction to find an activity that suits you.

[knke0204]

[quote=bcgr;11916350]


What giant change is this? The way I see it this city is just slowly fading away, we'll never be some small town, but I don't see any growth and think the city will continue to shrink for awhile.

quote]


Amid a great recession the city has seen construction and road improvements. After a depressing time from the 1980s-til about the turn of the century, the city has finally sustained a population of around 85,000. Like I said, with a few high skilled, high paying industries the city could boom, but that is the biggest struggle. It is nice to see changes right now, like improvements to the DECC, a plan to fix roads, etc

[yuppa12]

You can throw out St. Cloud from that list because it is now included as part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area

[knke0204]

Originally Posted by yuppa12

You can throw out St. Cloud from that list because it is now included as part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area

Like you would throw Out Milwaukee as it's own metro area since it's included in Chicago's?

MSA rulings are stupid anyways...

[yuppa12]

Originally Posted by knke0204

Like you would throw Out Milwaukee as it's own metro area since it's included in Chicago's?

MSA rulings are stupid anyways...

Milwaukee isn't included with Chicago. Kenosha, WI is included, but not Milwaukee.

[bcgr]

Originally Posted by knke0204

Amid a great recession the city has seen construction and road improvements. After a depressing time from the 1980s-til about the turn of the century, the city has finally sustained a population of around 85,000. Like I said, with a few high skilled, high paying industries the city could boom, but that is the biggest struggle. It is nice to see changes right now, like improvements to the DECC, a plan to fix roads, etc

And you should remember that most of the road construction is federally funded, without that I doubt you'd be seeing so many roads fixed. Once the bacon's gone I don't see this construction continuing. It's only providing some short-term jobs and needed maintenance on roads. Nothing new is really being built and once the construction stops I'll bet many of the construction workers will have to find a new job. Same with this red plan by the school district, once its complete there's also going to be a lot of teachers/support staff looking for work elsewhere. As for a sustaining population, the US Census estimates a decline in this decade, not a huge one, but its certainly not a growth; and the area isn't growing either (Superior is definitely shrinking), except Hermantown.

Originally Posted by knke0204

MSA rulings are stupid anyways...

Often true, everyone living in St. Louis County is considered to be living in the Duluth/Superior metro. E.g. Hibbing is considered part of the Duluth metro, that's just stupid.