On 7/22/2024 at 11:35 AM, LibertyBlvd said:

How often do they actually use all that space?

 

I've been at smaller conferences there while there's like 5 other events going on and you wouldn't even know it until you're in line to get coffee at their one cafe. 

 

It's an absolutely massive complex and hopefully Cleveland can match some of their multiple events at a time energy.

Convention Center Expansion opens. https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/51-million-huntington-convention-expansion-opens-in-old-medical-mart-space

Photo by Dan O'Malley

Crain's story on Convention center expansion. https://www.crainscleveland.com/politics-policy/cleveland-unveils-expansion-rock-themed-convention-center

Any traction on the Superman statue/plaza?

Haven't seen any updates, but here is where you can support the project....

 

https://www.supermanstatuecleveland.org/

I like it...

Looks good and I’m glad they repurposed the building.  I guess that was the lesser of all evils for a failed concept like the Med Mart.

Is there anything "med mart" about it any longer?  Or has that concept officially been abandoned?

I was at a Charge game in early February at Public Auditorium.  We had seats on the West side of the building.  There are windows outside of the seating area with a view that is similar to the pictures above only obviously higher.  This was one of the best views of the Cleveland skyline and buildings that I have experienced.  All of the tallest buildings on Public Square were visible.  It looked like a big city from that view and very impressive.  I wish I had taken some pictures.

11 hours ago, Jenny said:

Is there anything "med mart" about it any longer?  Or has that concept officially been abandoned?

 

To my knowledge there is not.

6 minutes ago, KJP said:

 

To my knowledge there is not.

So, do we get our .25% sales tax increase to pay for it back?

5 hours ago, Growth Mindset said:

So, do we get our .25% sales tax increase to pay for it back?

I know you are likely being slightly facetious, but are people actually worried about this? If you spend $40,000 on sales taxable items a year, this represents an increase of only $100 annually. I don't feel like worrying about a handful of dollars a month should be a concern when it's not like the building disappeared when the Med Mart concept failed. The money used to build and maintain it didn't magically come back.

Edited April 23Apr 23 by jmicha

no, they just raised more tax dollars to convert it from the medical mart to a convention space.  

you can line-item all your expenses and use your rationale to justify anything

I have posted this opinion about 10 times since I became a member of UO many years ago.  The fact that there is no med mart is of no concern to me.  The desperately needed renovation of the convention center, which was lagging year after year because they could not figure out an acceptable funding plan, would have never happen if not for the MM.  Basically the county commissions were able to use the concept as "cover" or "justification" to finally get the job done.  I am sure they hoped it would succeed (in other words were not misleading the public) but the fact that it did not does not bother me.  In fact, it ended ended being somewhat of a win as the county was able to incorporate it into the CC allowing for more uses and additional space.

Edited April 23Apr 23 by Htsguy

It should concern you. The taxpayers were insulted, fleeced, and despite all the rebrandings - Medical Mart, Global Center for Health Innovation, Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, etc - this s**t has been a money pit since before it opened and never had a realistic business model.

 

It's unbelievable Kennedy, Fred Nance, Frank, Hagan and the '07 commissioners, and other architects weren't investigated for their roles in this upper 9-figure-and-growing boondoggle. That money could have gone towards far more important projects or sit in the taxpayers' pockets where it belonged.

 

This Medical Mart was a scam that Nashville was smart enough to see and bail, not Cleveland/Cuyahoga, and it is a thorough embarassment to the city and region.

 

Pretty well stated below: https://www.clevescene.com/news/how-we-got-screwed-1565381

 

"And how can the county sign an agreement that guarantees more than $925 million in payments to a private company for a project that has no specific design, no plan, no final site, no schedule, no budget, no cost projections, no cost limitations and no guaranteed benefit to the citizens?"

 

Plus it's not like Cleveland is seeing that many conventions with or without the extension. An extremely limited silver lining.

 

We got screwed. But hey, at least you could take a yoga class there for a while.

 

Edited April 23Apr 23 by TBideon

On 4/21/2025 at 9:42 PM, lockdog said:

I like it...

The kerning on that signage looks very amateur.  CONVENT I ON

1 hour ago, TBideon said:

It should concern you. The taxpayers were insulted, fleeced, and despite all the rebrandings - Medical Mart, Global Center for Health Innovation, Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, etc - this s**t has been a money pit since before it opened and never had a realistic business model.

 

It's unbelievable Kennedy, Fred Nance, Frank, Hagan and the '07 commissioners, and other architects weren't investigated for their roles in this upper 9-figure-and-growing boondoggle. That money could have gone towards far more important projects or sit in the taxpayers' pockets where it belonged.

 

This Medical Mart was a scam that Nashville was smart enough to see and bail, not Cleveland/Cuyahoga, and it is a thorough embarassment to the city and region.

 

Pretty well stated below: https://www.clevescene.com/news/how-we-got-screwed-1565381

 

"And how can the county sign an agreement that guarantees more than $925 million in payments to a private company for a project that has no specific design, no plan, no final site, no schedule, no budget, no cost projections, no cost limitations and no guaranteed benefit to the citizens?"

 

Plus it's not like Cleveland is seeing that many conventions with or without the extension. An extremely limited silver lining.

 

We got screwed. But hey, at least you could take a yoga class there for a while.

 

On a related note to how often this is used - OIC is there a competing center in the burbs that takes business out of the center city.  A problem in the region that gets glossed over time after time again (in places other than Urban Ohio.)

 

Chicago might have Rosemont, Schaumburg and Orland Park convention centers but McCormick Place certainly has enough business to thrive regardless.

 

35 minutes ago, BigMacky said:

On a related note to how often this is used - OIC is there a competing center in the burbs that takes business out of the center city.  A problem in the region that gets glossed over time after time again (in places other than Urban Ohio.)

 

Chicago might have Rosemont, Schaumburg and Orland Park convention centers but McCormick Place certainly has enough business to thrive regardless.

 

The problem here though is that our suburban center is huge, one of the largest in the country, so all the larger shows go there instead of downtown.

 

The old med mart added square footage. But not the kind of square footage that matters when you are having an auto show, home and garden show or RV convention.

 

And to top it off, there's not much space to expand the main exhibition floor, unless the center were reconfigured and somehow extended to the north toward the stadium, over the railroad tracks.

I believe the added square footage puts the convention center closer to the size of convention centers in neighboring cities such as Columbus, Indy, etc.

 

And the .25% sales tax increase also funded the construction of the Hilton hotel.

That may be true, but the convention business wasn't very healthy even pre-COVID, and since it's been decimated. Even McCormick is struggling a great deal.

 

As for the hotel, sure it's pretty, but I don't believe taxpayers should engage that business. If private industry is averse, it's probably for good reason. 

 

And this one already had to dip into tens of millions of tax dollars during Covid. 

 

Plus it's as much a Hilton as the Healthline is BRT. They just operate it.

 

 

 

Edited April 23Apr 23 by TBideon

6 minutes ago, TBideon said:

That may be true, but the convention business wasn't very healthy even pre-COVID, and since it's been decimated. Even McCormick is struggling a great deal.

 

As for the hotel, sure it's pretty, but I don't believe taxpayers should engage that business. If private industry is averse, it's probably for good reason. 

 

And this one already had to dip into tens of millions of tax dollars during Covid. 

 

Plus it's as much a Hilton as the Healthline is BRT. They just operate it.

 

 

 

I work across the street. That place is always busy. We go get coffee at the Starbucks and the line is always insane. When there isn't a convention going on, the center (and hotel) is busy because there's always some sort of  wrestling/cheerleading/volleyball/pickleball tournament going on in the convention center. And I don't mean like a small tournament, it's always some sort of tournament that totally packs the floor. 

Hey. As long as there is positive and sustainable ROI, I'd love to be completely wrong and chat gdp a mea culpa.

22 minutes ago, TBideon said:

Hey. As long as there is positive and sustainable ROI, I'd love to be completely wrong and chat gdp a mea culpa.

Ya. I'm sure it's not making the money that everyone envisioned when it was built but it's definitely not doing poorly. I actually think these sports tournaments are a great use. I'd rather they be downtown than some suburban center. 

6 hours ago, TBideon said:

It should concern you. The taxpayers were insulted, fleeced, and despite all the rebrandings - Medical Mart, Global Center for Health Innovation, Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, etc - this s**t has been a money pit since before it opened and never had a realistic business model.

 

Not every failed attempt to revive part of a city is a "fleecing" of the taxpayers.   It's unfortunate that this particular investment did not pan out to its fullest potential, but the new convention center complex is far superior to the pre-Med Mart convention center.

 

Kudos to the city/county for trying to do something to improve a part of the city and make it more likely to attract outside investment.  Arguably it was a better investment than Browns Stadium.

8 hours ago, LibertyBlvd said:

I believe the added square footage puts the convention center closer to the size of convention centers in neighboring cities such as Columbus, Indy, etc.

 

And the .25% sales tax increase also funded the construction of the Hilton hotel.

Its closer in size yes, but meeting rooms don't necessarily equate to uninhibited exhibition space.

 

And, closer is relative, I guess. The center in Columbus is 1.8 million Square feet. Indy is over 900,000 sf. Ours is 518,000 SF.

 

I'm sure it has plenty of the smaller conventions you mention, but it can't handle the larger ones that bring in even more visitors who spend even more money.

 

I am happy we have the events we do, I am glad the Med Mart debacle is behind us and, as someone mentioned the convention business is not what it used to be, but our center is lagging in swuare footage comparisons when compared to Detroit, Indy, Cbus and Pittsburgh, our peer cities.

^ OK, but Cleveland also has the IX Center for larger events.

 

I wonder how frequently peer cities like Cbus and Indy have conventions/events that require all that space? 

 

Edited April 24Apr 24 by LibertyBlvd

1 hour ago, LibertyBlvd said:

^ OK, but Cleveland also has the IX Center for larger events.

 

I wonder how frequently peer cities like Cbus and Indy have conventions/events that require all that space? 

 

The IX Center is useless for large events now. They block off SO MUCH SPACE, like the car show was kind of a joke this year. 

2 hours ago, LibertyBlvd said:

^ OK, but Cleveland also has the IX Center for larger events.

 

I wonder how frequently peer cities like Cbus and Indy have conventions/events that require all that space? 

 

A good answer to this would require a review of their event schedule and figuring out attendance to those, but an anecdotal answer would be the number of convention hotels they have downtown, which is about 5. 

 

Like any center, Im sure there's aren't filled to capacity everyday, but having that capacity and the hospitality infrastructure to support the attendees at least puts you in the running. 

23 hours ago, MyPhoneDead said:

The IX Center is useless for large events now. They block off SO MUCH SPACE, like the car show was kind of a joke this year. 

Exactly! The IX center is now a warehouse with some event space. Wikipedia still lists it as having over a million square feet of event space, but IX's own website says 530,000 sq ft. 

 

So, basically its the same size as Huntington downtown, it just has easier parking. 

I think hosting IX Center events downtown at the Convention Center would be a major improvement. And like the Charge at Public Hall, it could do wonders in reactivating the area more.

 

As others have indicated, the "redone" IX Center is a hodgepodge of exhibit and warehouse space, it has had little updates for seemingly decades, and both the exterior lighting and roadways are becoming dilapidated. It's honestly embarrassing to land in CLE and see a flickering "Int r nat onal Ex ositio Ce ter" as your "greeting".

 

With the exception of maybe some of the off-road driving exhibits at the auto show, I find it hard to believe that most of not all of what's at the IX Center can't be downtown.