Medical Mart/Convention Center To Cost One BILLION Dollars

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Bill Call
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Medical Mart/Convention Center To Cost One BILLION Dollars

Postby Bill Call » Sat Sep 06, 2008 1:52 pm

If you thought that the original estimate of $450 million dollars was a lot of money you thought wrong:

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/09 ... .html#more

Everywhere I look I see missed stories and missed headline opportunities but the above article should be eligible for some kind of prize. Perhaps a special award for: “Reporters Who Report The Story But Miss The Newsâ€


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Re: Medical Mart/Convention Center To Cost One BILLION Dolla

Postby Jim O'Bryan » Wed Sep 10, 2008 10:45 am

[quote="Bill Call"]If you thought that the original estimate of $450 million dollars was a lot of money you thought wrong:

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/09 ... .html#more

Everywhere I look I see missed stories and missed headline opportunities but the above article should be eligible for some kind of prize. Perhaps a special award for: “Reporters Who Report The Story But Miss The Newsâ€


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ryan costa
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alternative location

Postby ryan costa » Sun Nov 23, 2008 2:55 pm

There is a large empty semi-new retail building on Memphis about half a mile west of Tiedeman Road.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24311655@N03/3053051315/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24311655@N03/3053051223/

It is within a mile of several nice parks.

It is a short charter shuttle bus ride from several RTA Rapid Stations.

It is a short shuttle bus or cab ride from the nice downtown hotels and restaurants.

It is within a mile of several of the nicer bars and restaurants near the intersection of Lorain Avenue and W.117-West Boulevard.

It is close to 480, I-71, I-90, and the airport.

It has an enormous parking lot for parking or additional construction.

I am guessing it would cost several hundred million dollars less to use this building as a medical mart. It seems cheaper than shoe-horning a med-mart into downtown. Is the Med-Mart a County Project or a city project?

just throw in some ceramic tiling and amenities. the building will work as good as any other.

A medical mart is not a convention center. people got smart to the convention center building racket a few years ago. a medical mart is not the IX center, Cleveland Public Hall, or the Cleveland Convention Center next to or underground from the Public Hall.

There are concerns about building it next to a river or lake. white collar medical supply buyers and salesmen feel better if they can glance out the window at large bodies of water within seconds of making deals to buy medical equipment.


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Bill Call
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Re: alternative location

Postby Bill Call » Thu Nov 27, 2008 7:37 am

ryan costa wrote:I am guessing it would cost several hundred million dollars less to use this building as a medical mart. It seems cheaper than shoe-horning a med-mart into downtown. Is the Med-Mart a County Project or a city project?


Good catch!

If the Medical mart was just about a Medical Mart and economic development someone in the know would at least consider your idea.

I think the Medical Mart is more about ego's and rescuing Forest City and providing work to union contstruction workers. It is not an economic developmen project it is a public works project and a political pay back project.


ryan costa
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Re: alternative location

Postby ryan costa » Fri Nov 28, 2008 9:15 pm

Bill Call wrote:
Good catch!

If the Medical mart was just about a Medical Mart and economic development someone in the know would at least consider your idea.

I think the Medical Mart is more about ego's and rescuing Forest City and providing work to union contstruction workers. It is not an economic developmen project it is a public works project and a political pay back project.


There appears to be plenty of room for interior construction at the place posted above. new lighting, fixtures, tiling, electrical re-wiringetc. Club rooms, conference rooms, a cash bar, a small auditorium, luxury restrooms, a shanty for security guards. If the ceiling is high enough maybe build two floors into part of it. the warehouse/stock room will have to be rebuilt. some kind of pavilion to keep rain off people getting out of limos or charter buses. Maybe a six story parking garage at the end of the parking lot with an underground tunnel to the medical mart. and a really great Starbucks.


"shall we have peace" - Henry Charles Carey
ryan costa
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Mayor Jackson

Postby ryan costa » Tue Jan 13, 2009 5:05 pm

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/01 ... icago.html

Mayor Frank Jackson is in Chicago. He is meeting with Merchandise Mart Properties Inc., the Chicago-based company that would build, own and operate a new Cleveland convention center and an adjacent medical mart.

Merchandise Properties Inc will build, own, and operate the additional Cleveland Convention center and an adjacent Medical Mart. Cuyahoga County will pay for it though.


"shall we have peace" - Henry Charles Carey
Bill Call
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Re: Mayor Jackson

Postby Bill Call » Wed Jan 14, 2009 7:14 am

ryan costa wrote:Merchandise Properties Inc will build, own, and operate the additional Cleveland Convention center and an adjacent Medical Mart. Cuyahoga County will pay for it though.


Sounds like a deal to me.

If they will own the facility can they sell it to someone else and then lease it back?


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yay

Postby ryan costa » Tue Jan 27, 2009 5:50 pm

http://www.cleveland.com/medical/index. ... medic.html

According to legend, the new convention center will be built in the same location as the current convention center, and be about the same size. there will be fewer columns inside the replacement convention center.

This is a smart move. If it were built elsewhere, there would be two convention centers used about as much as the current convention center. It is much more conspicuous to have two under-used convention centers.

This defeated the alternative choice of shoehorning a convention center behind Tower City, a 10 minute walk from the current convention center.

I am guessing 20 million dollars could have gone far in promoting venues at the current convention center. add in more charter vans, guides, etc. it seems cheaper than 400 million dollars.

occasionally when i read about old bands or entertainment acts I'll stumble upon a story about them performing at Public Hall. Public Hall couldn't have been any better then than it is now. it is poorly managed and promoted.


"shall we have peace" - Henry Charles Carey
ryan costa
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med mart

Postby ryan costa » Mon Feb 23, 2009 6:26 am

Here is the architects' rendering of the new med mart convention center:

http://www.clevelandmedicalmart.com/dev ... hitecture/

It continues the trend of every downtown building built after World War II being inferior to every remaining downtown building from before World War II. Another Glass and Plastic nightmare.

Our existing Public Hall and Convention Center is built of good solid masonry.

Imagine how much windex it will take to keep the new glass and plastic med-mart/convention center clean. On top of the 400+ million construction costs.


"shall we have peace" - Henry Charles Carey

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