3 Dog Pat

Here is a press release from C CC MM News Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center response to Bloomberg article Project Updates :: December 6, 2010 Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center issued the following statement in response to an article from Bloomberg News: Cleveland, Ohio (December 6, 2010) -- While we appreciate the interest Bloomberg News has shown in the Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center (Cleveland MMCC), we have an obligation to our current and prospective customers, healthcare industry leaders, our partners in Cuyahoga County and the City of Cleveland, and the citizens of Cuyahoga County to elaborate on a few significant points about this project that are not addressed as clearly in the article. Cleveland MMCC enjoys widespread support within the local community and the business model and concept has resonated strongly within the healthcare community based on the number of companies that have signed letters of intent for permanent showrooms. More importantly, Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center has become a unifying, visible and successful symbol of progress for a community and region that is poised for significant economic development and new construction during the next decade. PROJECT BACKGROUND Cleveland MMCC will integrate state-of-the-art permanent showrooms with world-class trade show and conference facilities in a single structure designed specifically for the medical industry, capitalizing on and leading a renaissance in the conversion of Cleveland’s industrial strength into the growing healthcare industry. The complex is a 100,000 square foot medical mart, a showplace for medical technology at the northeast corner of St. Clair Avenue and Ontario Street in downtown Cleveland with an adjoining 230,000 square foot convention center in an L-shape underneath the medical mart and Malls B and C. The facility also includes more than 92,000 square feet dedicated to meeting rooms and a ballroom looking out onto Lake Erie. “Backers say that coupling the new convention center with the medical mart will drive regular traffic to the joint facility, giving it a greater chance for success than if it were simply a general-purpose convention center.” – Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 19, 2010 MMPI, Cuyahoga County, and the City of Cleveland recently signed the definitive agreement and signed contracts on the properties, including the current buildings at the corner of St. Clair and Ontario Streets and the Cleveland Convention Center, to allow abatement, demolition, and construction to begin in January 2011, with the facility scheduled to open in 2013. This agreement represents one of the County’s and City’s largest public/private investment projects and will build upon, enhance and broaden the region’s healthcare industry. “Break out the construction fences. Get ready for earth movers and cranes. And say goodbye to the downtown Cleveland Mall as we know it. On Thursday (Nov. 18), the medical mart and new convention center proposed for downtown Cleveland switched from imagination to reality. It's a big deal for Cleveland. After a decade of relative stagnation, downtown seems to be moving again.” – Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 19, 2010 Cleveland MMCC will profoundly impact the Cleveland and Northeast Ohio economy, creating jobs in the construction, hospitality, and healthcare industries and enhancing the region’s reputation and strength as a center for medical excellence. The facility will also revitalize the downtown Mall area, create a vibrant and active tourist and business destination, and become the heart and soul of a regional economic revival that will generate hundreds of millions of dollars for many years to come. “…enormous potential to help brand Cleveland as a global center of medical innovation, to accelerate the growth of medical device firms in the region, to enliven downtown and to attract visitors to the city's hotels, restaurants, theaters and museums…it is a vital piece of the solution.” – Cleveland Plain Dealer Editorial Board, November 21, 2010 PROJECT ENJOYS CITY, COUNTY, AND STATE SUPPORT The transparency in the negotiations for the Cleveland MMCC has been unrivaled in Cleveland’s history. Not only was the final agreement made public, but every draft of the agreement was made available. Many media outlets and blogs provided detailed analysis of the financial arrangements and the contractual obligations. It is unlikely that any development in Cleveland has received as much scrutiny as has this. We welcomed it and, as a result, there is widespread community support for the project. “We are pleased that we have reached an agreement that we think represents the best interests of both the City and County,” said Cuyahoga County Commissioner Tim Hagan last week. “Now we can move ahead with this important project that we hope will help revitalize the County and its core city.” The project necessitated the approval of the Cuyahoga County commissioners, who unanimously approved the contracts. President of the Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners Peter Lawson Jones stated last week, “The Medical Mart/Convention Center complex is already booking significant tenants and will become a major force in the revitalization of our regional economy.” The agreement required the approval of the Mayor of the City of Cleveland and the City Council, both of whom also supported the project. “The Medical Mart and Convention Center is a key element in our local version of a stimulus program,” said Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson last week. “It will create opportunities for new business and new jobs and can transform downtown Cleveland.” In the recent Cuyahoga County election, both the democrat and republican nominees for county executive endorsed the project and MMPI’s participation. All 11 incoming elected Cuyahoga County council representatives endorsed the project and MMPI’s participation. The county prosecutor supported the project from start to finish. The governor’s office and both houses of the legislature also supported the project and our leadership of it. There were five and a half years of opportunities to derail the project, and yet it proceeded with arrangements that are well understood and fully disclosed. PROJECT ENJOYS CIVIC AND MEDIA SUPPORT Major local news media, including Crain’s Cleveland Business, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and television and radio outlets have repeatedly supported the project on their editorial pages and in their daily coverage. Cleveland’s major civic groups, including the Greater Cleveland Partnership, Cleveland Plus, and Positively Cleveland as well as the Downtown Cleveland Alliance and BioEnterprise, have all endorsed the project. “Excuse us if we shed briefly the pessimism for which Clevelanders are famous, but we're starting to get excited about the prospects for the planned convention center and medical merchandise mart in downtown Cleveland. Our skepticism over whether this project ever would come to pass began fading in late May with word that Cuyahoga County finally had gained control over the last parcel of land it needed to make room for the complex. Our pulse quickened with the unveiling of a smart architectural design that rests the medical mart in a glass-encased structure directly above a leg of the convention hall… Add an attractive yet functional design and an aggressive marketing effort, and there's reason to believe Cleveland's meeting hall could be the draw its promoters have envisioned.” – Crain’s Cleveland Business Editorial Board “…Cleveland is getting a new convention center. And from all the preliminary views, it appears that we're getting a center that will work well, be scaled appropriately and be an attractive addition to the city center. Our economy is becoming knowledge-driven, in the lab and on the shop floor. We must focus on what we can do. And that is quite a lot.” – Brian Tucker, Publisher, Crain’s Cleveland Business “The medical mart will be a transformational project for greater Cleveland.” – Dennis Roche, President, Positively Cleveland “The addition of a medical mart will add significantly to the deep reputation that is enjoyed by the health care industry in greater Cleveland…” – Oliver Henkel, Chief External Affairs Officer, Cleveland Clinic “The concept of a Medical Mart and Convention Center will foster the ability to connect with the greatest medical minds and the greatest doctors in the world.” – Mal Mixon, CEO, Invacare “Having the Medical Mart in Cleveland is an advantage for our local entrepreneurs and companies. It gives them a window on the latest technological advances in the field of medicine in their own backyard.” – Baiju Shah, President & CEO, BioEnterprise “Our downtown has seen a myriad of projects…now we’re seeing significant investments predominantly around the visitor destination and health care industry. The ability to tie those two together (with the Medical Mart & Convention Center) in downtown is incredible.” – Joe Roman, CEO, Greater Cleveland Partnership “…(Cuyahoga County) Attorney Jeff Appelbaum, who has helped shepherd the project to this point, expects to see steel rising by next fall. Those will be welcome jobs, and a welcome sight on Cleveland's road to rebirth.” – Cleveland Plain Dealer Editorial Board, November 21, 2010 HEALTHCARE COMMUNITY RESPONDS TO MEDICAL MART As the nation’s first medical mart facility, Cleveland MMCC will serve as a galvanizing magnet for business growth in the regional healthcare industry. Northeast Ohio is arguably the nation’s medical capital, the home of the largest concentration of medical leadership in the U.S., including Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, and MetroHealth Medical Center, along with more than 600 medical-related organizations and 480,000 healthcare and bioscience workers, including nearly 10,000 physicians. The healthcare industry accounts for more than $35 billion annually in economic impact. “…The medical mart could broadcast Cleveland's new identity as a center of medicine and biomedical research and spur development of new businesses in the region.” – Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 19, 2010 The concept of Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center has been well received by medical industry leaders, medical meeting planners, and medical-based media outlets. Cleveland MMCC has secured 42 letters of intent for showroom occupancy in the Medical Mart, and 16 LOIs from tradeshow and conference organizers. Cleveland MMCC received these signed LOIs before the County acquired the land needed for the project, before a start date was announced and before a firm completion date was established. When Cleveland MMCC opens in 2013, the content of the Mart will reflect the technology drivers impacting current trends in healthcare such as access, cost reduction and improved outcomes. Companies signing letters of intent represent a broad spectrum of the healthcare market including the medical device, device development, healthcare information technology, healthcare design, medical education and media sectors as well as some of the industry’s most prestigious healthcare providers. This collective ‘voice’ of Cleveland Medical Mart will ensure a dynamic and sustainable effort to coalesce medical innovation, education and commerce. Cleveland MMCC will create a long-term economic footprint on the entire region, attracting thousands of visitors and hundreds of millions of dollars annually for conventions, conferences, and trade shows, along with daily visits by healthcare industry leaders to the Medical Mart. ECONOMIC IMPACT ON CLEVELAND AND NORTHEAST OHIO The facility will deliver visitors, convention goers, and medical mart customers to downtown hotel rooms, restaurants, and entertainment venues. In a preliminary economic impact study of the project produced by the Center for Public Management at Cleveland State University and Team NEO, the Cleveland MMCC will generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually based on conferences and conventions, trade shows, medical mart customers, daily operations, and special events. Based on conservative estimates regarding the attraction of conference, conventions, and trade shows, Cleveland MMCC will annually generate thousands of visitors to downtown Cleveland and pump hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy. “With significant development in the works, Cleveland is becoming a meeting destination to be reckoned with. In what is undeniably the biggest development in the city, an expected opening date of 2013 has been set for the Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center.” – Convene magazine Current U.S. lodging forecasts reflect increased demand for the next two years, with a 5.3 percent jump in occupancy and 5.2 percent increase in revenue per available room. In Cleveland, hotel room occupancy has increased steadily during the past year and the occupancy rate number will no doubt jump significantly with thousands of visitors arriving in Cleveland with the opening of our facility in 2013. JOB CREATION AND BUSINESS ATTRACTION Job creation and business attraction within the hospitality and healthcare industries will also be a sizeable benefit provided by Cleveland MMCC. During the next three years, the project will generate thousands of construction-related jobs. When the facility opens in 2013, local civic organizations conservatively project that Cleveland MMCC will create hundreds of full-time jobs annually across a wide spectrum of industries, including the creation and retention of high-paying jobs affiliated with the healthcare industry. “…The fact that out-of-state investors are eyeing downtown properties for development shows that the city's potential is starting to register beyond its borders. And keep in mind that any projects (such as the Medical Mart & Convention Center) that spur business activity or bring in visitors also strengthen the time-critical case for Cleveland Hopkins International Airport's hub status.” – Cleveland Plain Dealer Editorial Board, November 21, 2010 With the opening of a 100,000 square foot medical mart, an adjacent 230,000 square foot convention center with Class-A exhibit hall space, and more than 90,000 square feet of meeting rooms and a ballroom providing a stunning view of Lake Erie, the hospitality, service, and entertainment industries will also benefit immediately in terms of business and job creation within the facility, downtown Cleveland, and throughout the region. “…officials say as many as 50 trade shows a year will enable manufacturers of medical devices to show their wares. Permanent showrooms in the medical mart, which will rise on the west side of the Mall north of St. Clair Avenue, will provide a steady stream of visitors between events. The theory is that those visitors will also boost the hotel business and generate entry-level jobs.” -- Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 19, 2010 A REVITALIZED MALL IN DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND An ancillary yet significant benefit that is unreported in the story but will significantly impact Northeast Ohio residents is the revitalization of the downtown mall area, creating a park-like environment that will attract tourists but will also become a valuable resource and center for significant civic activity for Northeast Ohio residents. The Mayor’s Group Plan Commission is working directly with our company’s architectural team in redesigning the Mall as the centerpiece of an entire new downtown plan. The project will help transform downtown Cleveland once again into a vibrant, active, and busy landscape, filled with tourists, convention goers, and healthcare industry leaders. In summary, Cleveland MMCC enjoys widespread support from Cuyahoga County residents, business owners, hotel operators, cabdrivers, restaurant owners, political leaders and partners, and leaders within the world-renowned local and regional healthcare industry that is not adequately reflected in the Bloomberg News article. It will pour millions of dollars into a Northeast Ohio economic revival as the region continues to convert and refocus its immense manufacturing capabilities toward the healthcare industry. Contact: Dave Johnson Public Relations Director Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center (216) 920-1437 [email protected] www.clevelandmedicalmart.com

Ill come up with my own list, after consulting my priest and bartender, however, I know the words to a Katy Perry song. *shudders* there is no shame here. HER F'ING SONGS HAVE 7 WORDS, SHE JUST STRINGS THEM OUT CAL - IF - FOR - NI- A GIIIRLS ARE UN - DEN - NI - A - BLE

Why?

WOW!

And MMPI is contributing $20MM up front, roughly the cost of the med mart. Most of the money is used for a new CC and park

'bout time for this thread

What is this thread about?

Well, lets not be rude. But substintavely I have to agree. Globalmidwest, read this article if you want a single, yet accurate, perspective of Cleveland. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=101201/Cleveland And to dismiss the cultural assets of Cleveland and to say, well every city has an art museum. (much like what urbanphile says) It's like saying the Louvre is equivalent to The Paine Art center in Oshkosh WI. To me, it seems like he is not interested in the same things as people who live in cities or people who enjoy visiting cities.

^Yes, at little leauge games in Clevleand the losing coach has to have a finger removed!!! :roll: Lets get back to the CAVS

Yep, that is what I meant. Davenport! Man, start smaller, without the rock hall the only reason to stop in Cleveland would be the BP station on 9th and the innerbelt, but only in emergencies. With all these self described urban experts, its funny the person who captured the past, present and future of the city was a sports reporter for ESPN.

I contributed to the website and suggested that the elements of the mall should reflect the Ideals of Cleveland etched into the side of Public Hall, Patriotism, Progresss, Culture. and add a fourth, Fun.

Lets move on. The bonds are sold, so the money, the actuall hard money for construction, is in the bank.

It is kind of ironic that his whole argument is that the midwest (great lakes states, actually) could benefit from his attempts to expose to the world the wonderful tourits destinations of the area, but then thinks the only thing to do in Cleveland is to vist the Rock n Roll hall of fame. Sounds like another "the urbanist"

Any big bash planned at the sportsman?

The comments on the ESPN story are great (for the most part)

It may be time to dust off this therad in response to the idea of a cut through shipping channel that would create Scranton Island. Just wondering, does the group see having a marina in the existing part of the river a good thing? What would it to for the health of the river? IIRC it can be done for $50 Million, including a new bridge. That is a good chunk of money, but just a portion of the overall casino costs. If (don't laugh) Forest City and the casino paid for the shipping channel and new bridge, would it be a good thing?

My guess, if expansion was warrented, parts of the convention center could be made into temporary showrooms. This is not MMPI's first rodeo, they will figure it out.

The guy nailed it.

I am not trying to be a defender of Kasich, but is there any way to look at the glass half full (or quater full...) When he was in charge of ODOT, did he help with the caps over High St. in Columbus? What about the waterfront line, or dual hub/Euclid Corridor/Silverline/Heathline? I honestly don't know the answers, but did ODOT do anything right when he was in charge last time?

I can't see how his ODOT would have screwed up the Innerbelt project any worse

For northeast ohio, is it really going to be worse than what we already have?

Thanks for this thread! I did not get to make my annual Euclid from E. 222nd to Public Square drive this Thanksgiving. This makes me feel I didn't miss it. Related question, anyone know how the Park Lane Villa is doing in terms of occupancy?

I hate Rich Rod because he has made Michigan the new Notre Dame, and the whole big 10 suffers

I may tailgate with my dogs, on my way to New Orleans

For those of you just tuning in, Litt does a nice summary of the history of the MM/CC Now it's a real deal: Cuyahoga County and MMPI Inc. sign closing documents on Cleveland medical mart and convention center http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2010/11/now_its_a_real_deal_cuyahoga_c.html