I think converting the Med Mart into Convention Center space is great, a no-brainer. But since it’s closer to the heart of downtown more people will be entering the Center through it than the official front entrance on Lakeside, so I hope they plan for the circulation of people going in there. 

Yes, at this point the conversion and attachment to the CC is by far the best option. I also agree that the initial plan probably did provide (some) cover and was used as a way to upgrade the CC. Sometimes things in government have to be done that way. It may not be all that ethical but at times it's necessary to do what's best for the public in spite of themselves. Just my opinion. That being said, I still think the the idea of a MM was a legitimate gamble. There are no guarantees in business and I still think it was worth a shot. Especially when it did get us a new CC and the MM building. The question now is can the additional space really be utilized for future conventions?

 

 I am very concerned about the convention industry, business travel, hotels etc. Not to mention working in the office. Those things added so much life to downtowns across the country. It looks like Covid may have been a game-changer in that regard, at least for many smaller cities. I hope I'm wrong.

I was wondering if TPTB had reached out to LMN Architects for these renovations?  How was TVS Design Architects chosen for these updates?  I will be interested to see how this conversion changes the flow of foot traffic for conventions.  What is considered the main entrance to the facility?  I still feel a missed opportunity was placed in the design to not include parking into any of the elements other than using The Huntington Parking Garage.  That is quite the distance from The Global Center for Health Innovations. I have included a photoshopped rendering wishing the backside of the Center could be adjusted to have a more transparent look so the building's addition of a larger ballroom didn't look like an addition.  It would activate the facade better  Lastly, couldn't we up the price tag to complete the inital designs proposed by GGN Landscapes for the Malls?   

Edited May 1, 20223 yr by dave2017

I’m glad the med mart is being discussed as a part of the convention center, but are they talking about an elevated walkway? If so I’m a hard no on that. 

Update: yuck

 

Why is the county dumping more money into this thing? $30 million could be better spent. It's like they're having a spending spree before the end of Budish's term. 

21 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

I’m glad the med mart is being discussed as a part of the convention center, but are they talking about an elevated walkway? If so I’m a hard no on that. 

I thought there was already an underground walkway, but apparently not.

 

Who do we need to contact about this Skywalk? is it just a planning commission thing?

 

From cleveland.com:

Cuyahoga County Council advancing plans to renovate Global Center, even as project’s cost increases

Published: Aug. 02, 2022, 6:56 p.m.

 

story

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The total cost of proposed improvements to the Global Center for Health Innovation grew from $46 million to $54 million on Tuesday, but Cuyahoga County Council is limiting its contribution to $40.4 million, for now.

 

The county’s contribution includes $31 million in debt to cover the bulk of renovations meant to officially merge the Global Center with the attached convention center. It also includes $9.4 million in cash – the $5 million council previously pledged from stimulus funds, $3 million from the general fund to cover the cost of inflation since the project was first proposed, and $1.4 million accumulated through naming rights on the facility.

 

Another $9 million will come from the Cuyahoga County Convention Facilities Development Corporation’s reserves, though as one councilmember pointed out, the fund is entirely supported by the county through annual payments to the governing board.

 

Left out of funding was about $5 million to build a skywalk connecting the convention center to the Marriott hotel at Key Tower, which the majority of council members seemed to favor, but not entirely on the county’s dime. Members wanted to know how much the hotel might contribute and how Cleveland officials feel about the bridge before considering the added cost.

 

But even without the bridge, inflation has already driven the project’s cost up to $49.4 million, an increase over the $46 million initially quoted for the same amount of work

 

 

Article on skywalk debate.

 

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/08/cleveland-likely-to-oppose-potential-skybridge-at-global-center-but-nearby-businesses-support-it.html

1 hour ago, LibertyBlvd said:

Article on skywalk debate.

 

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/08/cleveland-likely-to-oppose-potential-skybridge-at-global-center-but-nearby-businesses-support-it.html

The title is totally misleading.  The nearby businesses are indifferent to it.  They don't think it'll impact their business.  All they care about is the actual Medical Mart remodel, not the skybridge.

I am in favor of using the former Medical Mart as part of the Convention Center, but I’m really struggling with this amount of spending. Use the med mart as is, or with some minor updates. The only good thing I’m seeing here is that even though the sky bridge to the Marriott is in the budget number, the sky bridge has NOT been formally considered by county council. With both candidates for County Commissioner actively opposed, I’m hoping the clock runs out on that idea. 

“The county’s money covers most of a proposed renovation of the Global Center, and includes $31 million in debt and $9.4 million in cash, which will come from $5 million in federal stimulus money, $3 million from the general fund and $1.4 million from convention center naming rights proceeds.

The Cuyahoga County Convention Facilities Development Corp. -- the non-profit that oversees both facilities and is funded through annual payments from the county -- will pay an additional $9 million from its reserves to complete the project.

Renovation plans total $54 million, though that figure includes a possible $5 million skybridge between the convention center and Marriott hotel that council has not formally considered.”

also - not mentioned too often.  Why do we need this to bring our convention center to 'the middle of the pack'.  It is less than ten years old. 

 

David Gilbert is throwing a lot of his credibility behind this proposal. 

Slife get it! 

 

^Love it

I just saw that and was about to post it.

 

Slife is life.

I think 5 million for an enclosed walkway is money well spent. After all, depending on the weather one could find themselves having to face the brutal sun, or maybe it's drizzling or snow is in the forecast next week or what if it's cloudy or maybe it's going to be dark in a few hours. I don't think people realize how difficult life can be sometimes. I expect to be sheltered from everything and isn't that what being an American is all about? 

 

Thanks for listening.

^ Or maybe they will be confronted by a panhandler.

50 minutes ago, cadmen said:

I think 5 million for an enclosed walkway is money well spent. After all, depending on the weather one could find themselves having to face the brutal sun, or maybe it's drizzling or snow is in the forecast next week or what if it's cloudy or maybe it's going to be dark in a few hours. I don't think people realize how difficult life can be sometimes. I expect to be sheltered from everything and isn't that what being an American is all about? 

 

Thanks for listening.

had me in the first half....not gonna lie

 

Not saying I'm for the walkway, but sometimes is moreso for perception versus the concept that it takes weather elements out of the experience.  With a walkway, the perception is the center is a bigger contiguous venue with multiple lodging options onsite.

4 hours ago, cadmen said:

I think 5 million for an enclosed walkway is money well spent. After all, depending on the weather one could find themselves having to face the brutal sun, or maybe it's drizzling or snow is in the forecast next week or what if it's cloudy or maybe it's going to be dark in a few hours. I don't think people realize how difficult life can be sometimes. I expect to be sheltered from everything and isn't that what being an American is all about? 

 

Thanks for listening.

 

 

Haha, you stopped just short of suggesting Tesla's be used for transport! 

Updated renderings of the expansion from the landmark commission meeting this week.

 

https://planning.clevelandohio.gov/landmark/agenda/2022/PDF/CLC-12-22-2022-AGENDA.pdf

 

https://assets.adobe.com/public/6932f0ea-1153-4d7b-4073-76e69056cfad/Landmarks 12-22-22 final.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe this thread could be returned to active topics?

 

 

Plans for $49M renovation, expansion of convention center revealed
By Ken Prendergast / December 20, 2022

 

Plans for renovating, expanding and converting the ill-fated Global Center for Health Innovation into additional meeting and event spaces for the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland were made available to the public this week. They were released ahead of their scheduled review Thursday by the Cleveland Landmarks Commission. Those plans show the 120,000-square-foot former center, commonly referred to as the Medical Mart, would increase in size by more than 23,000 square feet so it could serve a new and hopefully more productive purpose.

 

MORE:

https://neo-trans.blog/2022/12/20/plans-for-49m-renovation-expansion-of-convention-center-revealed/

Must

Not

Be

Cynical 

 

Must

Be

Positive

 

... boy it's challenging with this albatross. I mean project. 

2 hours ago, TBideon said:

... boy it's challenging with this albatross. I mean project. 

 

Like you, I am optimistic that connecting the albatross to the convention center will make the albatross a more useful albatross, but I'm not holding my breath. 

I watched the presentation to The Landmarks Commission today.  While I am in favor of seeing this transformation to further convention center purposes I do wish more emphasis was placed to activate The Mall side of this facility.  The lobby of the former Global Center has such a spectacular view that I wish could have incorporated a system where the glass facade could open up and be used as another activation point.  Couldn't any planners have figured out to complete the original landscape plan proposed by GGN into the final budget?

 

They aren't wasting time! Building permits were submitted for the Medical Mart's redesign and expansion into part of the convention center. The first permit is for a $10 million ballroom building shell between the former Medical Mart and Ontario, as seen above in the graphic.

Didn't realize funding and all that jazz got approved- threw me off when walking by today lol

 

 

Also, probably unrelated: 

 

 

Also, since it's moving should this be moved to main projects page @ColDayMan/ @X?

Not sure if this is accurate, but I have heard that pic #2 illustrates a sinkhole repair.

3 hours ago, gruver said:

Not sure if this is accurate, but I have heard that pic #2 illustrates a sinkhole repair.

 

That's correct. 

When the trees come down you know we’re < 2 years away from construction. There’s no shortage of lumberjacks on the city payroll. 

Edited April 4, 20232 yr by marty15

 

 

 

So does this crane qualify as the 4th crane downtown?

Sherwin Williams - 2 cranes           City Club - 1 crane

Not a tower crane. But I'll take all construction cranes.

Were there any renderings for what the interior will look like when it’s finished? 

@Sapper Daddy One was posted 13 posts before yours with links to more renderings. 

Update on progress. Bonus update on St. Clair Ontario street repair. 

 

 

 

Maybe others had already seen it,  but this Ninja City (between the Starbucks and UPS on Saint Clair) is “new to me”.

 

Bonus: they seem to be popular as they had a long lunch line.

42 minutes ago, ragarcia said:

 

Maybe others had already seen it,  but this Ninja City (between the Starbucks and UPS on Saint Clair) is “new to me”.

 

Bonus: they seem to be popular as they had a long lunch line.

Its been there for a while now. They took over the old Au Bon Pain space.

22 minutes ago, osu4brutus03 said:

Its been there for a while now. They took over the old Au Bon Pain space.

It's a weird spot. They're open on random days it feels like, but when they are open they somehow are busy. 

On 12/20/2022 at 11:43 AM, TBideon said:

Must

Not

Be

Cynical 

 

Must

Be

Positive

 

... boy it's challenging with this albatross. I mean project. 

I'll be cynical for you because apparently I'm pretty good at it on here! 🤣  Here it comes.....Why did the designers not follow the DNA pattern for the addition? I think it looks off and doesn't match the rest of the building. 

It’s not wise to respond to crap design.

21 hours ago, KFM44107 said:

It's a weird spot. They're open on random days it feels like, but when they are open they somehow are busy. 

Agree. I'm not a fan

This is moving along.

19 minutes ago, ragarcia said:

This is moving along.

The exterior design of this reminds me of Nationwide Children's along Livingston Ave. in Columbus, but with more concrete panels instead of glass.

Edited June 8, 20232 yr by Gnoraa

Does anyone know why they removed so many of the panels? The design doesn't look like it impacted the need to remove.  Will they be reinstalled?

Edited June 8, 20232 yr by dave2017

Maybe it was making the workers dizzy.

@dave2017Maybe they are returning back to this earlier design ??

On Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland Instagram page, they are storing the facade panels on the roof during renovations

On Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland Instagram page, they are storing the facade panels on the roof during renovations

Bummer. I actually like the old design posted above.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

@dave2017  "Does anyone know why they removed so many of the panels?

The design doesn't look like it impacted the need to remove.  Will they be reinstalled?"

 

 🎅 - "I'm taking it home to my workshop, my dear. 

I'll fix it up there, and I'll bring it back here."

...😃

Edited June 9, 20232 yr by ExPatClevGuy