Oooooooooooooooooooooooooh nice!

Medical mart project gets first glimpse of steel

 

http://www.cleveland.com/medicalmart/index.ssf/2011/08/medical_mart_project_gets_firs.html

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Construction crews began installing nine new, taller columns beneath Lakeside Avenue this week.

Old columns were removed months ago, so workers could dig a lower floor, said Jeff Appelbaum, the county's pointman for the project.

 

 

Here's an article from a couple of days ago on Cleveland.com.  Good to hear that they're progressing!!!!  :clap:

 

Construction update : 9/2/11

 

http://www.clevelandmedicalmartonline.com/clevelandmedicalmart/index.cfm/news/construction-update-090211/

 

I have a dumb question but does anyone know how tall the medical mart is supposed to be? I have been brwsing through older and the newest renderings and it is very hard to tell.

It will match the height of the other group plan buildings around the mall

Structural steel arrived

Project Updates :: September 16, 2011

 

Structural steel arrived on the Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center work site this week and the first erection of steel beams is underway north of Lakeside Avenue. The steel contractor has begun setting steel, including columns and trusses, in the new ballroom area. The trusses are 115 feet long and weigh as much as 70,000 lbs. There are 96 segments in all that comprise the 32 trusses (that is, each truss is made up of three segments). Work continues on prepping the existing concrete columns to receive new steel column jackets. The installation of 13 of a total of 22 steel jackets will complete the first phase this week. Foundation work is 60% completed on the future ballroom site with water proofing and backfilling continuing as foundation walls are poured in the future meeting room site.

 

>>>>>>>>http://www.clevelandmedicalmart.com/clevelandmedicalmart/index.cfm/news/construction-update-091611/

Cool! Things are starting to "look up"!

^I hope so:

 

"The developers of Cuyahoga County's medical mart have offered rent-free space to [CSU and Tri-C] and possibly private companies, raising concerns about the viability of the tax-financed concept.....MMPI, which is under contract to build and operate the mart and an attached convention center, dismissed the concerns. Brian Casey, general manager of the complex, would not discuss specific deals, but said MMPI has sent 37 leases to prospective tenants."

 

http://www.cleveland.com/cuyahoga-county/index.ssf/2011/09/cleveland_state_takes_free_space_in_medical_mart.html

Construction Update - 09/21/11

 

Project Updates :: September 22, 2011

 

Turner Construction has completed the load transfer from temporary shoring to nine new permanent columns and foundations underneath Lakeside Avenue. All temporary shoring has been removed and Turner is monitoring the elevations of Lakeside Avenue above the site of the future loading docks as the roadway is now bearing on the new foundation scheme. Turner will grout the nine new columns solid within the next week, locking them in their new permanent positions.

 

http://www.clevelandmedicalmartonline.com/clevelandmedicalmart/index.cfm/news/construction-update-092111/

"The developers of Cuyahoga County's medical mart have offered rent-free space to [CSU and Tri-C] and possibly private companies, raising concerns about the viability of the tax-financed concept.....MMPI, which is under contract to build and operate the mart and an attached convention center, dismissed the concerns. Brian Casey, general manager of the complex, would not discuss specific deals, but said MMPI has sent 37 leases to prospective tenants."

 

http://www.cleveland.com/cuyahoga-county/index.ssf/2011/09/cleveland_state_takes_free_space_in_medical_mart.html

 

Interesting (in bad way).  I guess I can believe MMPI has to bribe vendors to be there at the very beginning, even though that alone is enough to worry about the concept's viability, but I really don't see how giving Tri C space adds anything that remotely resembles the main purpose of all this public investment.  No choice but to trust MMPI at this point.

yeah it would be better to have public signed leases like the nashville project does than letters of intent. you wonder whats really going on on that front.

Lets hold off on the panic button until one year before the opening.  I am sure they have a strategy, and this is not their first rodeo.

^No panic, but increasing skepticism.  Given this loss leader strategy, sounds like we'll need to wait a lot longer than one year before the opening to see if this thing is going to generate the visitor counts we were promised.

Re: tenants, I'll wait and see. Sounds to me like they added CSU and Tri-C as part of their marketing package to prospective tenants. The fact that they added CSU and Tri-C for free tells me something. But many businesses, especially new ones, have to have a loss leader to get momentum.

^What confuses me is what Tri C would even add to the marketing to prospective tenants.  This isn't a slam at all on Tri C, but the core tenant base was supposed to be suppliers who want to set up a marketing/demonstration module to market to a steady stream of out-of-town visitors.  I understand that there's a critical mass issue, where it's hard to sign anyone until you can sign everyone to ensure the shoppers are there, but I don't get how a low prestige non-draw tenant like Tri-C adds to this.  I guess it allows them to market a low vacancy rate, but seems so transparent that it's hard to believe that would make a difference to a prospective tenant.

 

All to say, agree with you KJP: I'm waiting and seeing too, but I'm also watching more carefully along the way.

^What confuses me is what Tri C would even add to the marketing to prospective tenants.  This isn't a slam at all on Tri C, but the core tenant base was supposed to be suppliers who want to set up a marketing/demonstration module to market to a steady stream of out-of-town visitors.  I understand that there's a critical mass issue, where it's hard to sign anyone until you can sign everyone to ensure the shoppers are there, but I don't get how a low prestige non-draw tenant like Tri-C adds to this. 

 

I don't know, I'm just speculating here.  But if you're in the medical field, coming to the medical mart to look at medical equipment, you might also be interested in other things you might need for your medical facility.  Like CSU and Tri-C students with experience in operating and maintaining the stuff being sold at the medical mart.  Seems like a good deal for Cleveland and the Medical Mart to further position Cleveland as a go-to center for medical equipment expertise.  Could also provide a link for the medical equipment companies who would be interested with partnering with CSU or Tri-C on research or training people to use/maintain their equipment. 

 

Really sounds like a good approach.  If any of that makes sense to the potential tenants and customers of the medical mart....

 

Unforeseen issues are common with any construction project--even home renovations. A service drive off W. 3 needs to be repaired/replaced...

 

"Cuyahoga County may have to shell out another $1.6 million on its $465 million medical mart project, to rebuild a deteriorated service drive......Appelbaum announced the issue at a project update at Tuesday's County Council meeting, where council members also questioned a $200,000 request to design possible upgrades to the mall and a decision to offer free medical mart leases to Cleveland colleges."

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/09/cuyahoga_county_medical_mart_h.html

Did anyone see this week's Scene cover story?  The original plan for the Medical Mart has been abandoned, and its new director is shifting its focus from commerce to education.  One juicy tidbit is that MMPI was completely unaware that the same business model had already been attempted in Birmingham and failed.  Apparently medical purchasing just isn't done the way MMPI thought it was.  Oops.

Did anyone see this week's Scene cover story?  The original plan for the Medical Mart has been abandoned, and its new director is shifting its focus from commerce to education.  One juicy tidbit is that MMPI was completely unaware that the same business model had already been attempted in Birmingham and failed.  Apparently medical purchasing just isn't done the way MMPI thought it was.  Oops.

 

The Birmingham thing is very old news. I'm surprised that the Scene would risk looking so stupid by mentioning it.

Mark Falanga seemed unaware of the passenger rail out front, which is also old news.  Dismiss at your leisure but this is a half billion dollar project and it deserves every ounce of scrutiny we can muster.  Everyone who came up with it is already out of the picture, if not in prison. 

 

Having done health care purchasing myself, I'm thankful for the shift in focus.

Mark Falanga seemed unaware of the passenger rail out front, which is also old news.  Dismiss at your leisure but this is a half billion dollar project and it deserves every ounce of scrutiny we can muster.  Everyone who came up with it is already out of the picture, if not in prison. 

 

Which individuals who came up with the concept are in prison? Or in danger of being in prison? I also find it confusing how people tend to forget that there is anything other than a medical mart attached to this project.

Former Commissioner Dimora is most certainly in prison.  And without the med mart aspect, any publicly funded convention center was a non-starter.  So there is a lot riding on the medical mart concept.  Probably a wise idea for that concept to be as broad as possible, which appears to be what's happening, which is good.

I was never necessarily sold on the Med Mart idea, but I believed, and I still believe, that the new convention center alone made it worth it. Obviously I want the Medical Mart to be successful, but I'm much more interested in the success of the Convention Center, for reasons like this:

 

New convention home luring industrial groups back

 

Even two years before the city's new convention center is finished, big industrial organizations already are signing up to use it. And when they do, some shows will bring thousands of people to town, Positively Cleveland says.

 

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20110822/FREE/308229962

^^This was Hagan's baby.  Dimora did little more than give his stamp of approval and jump in the spotlight when the site selection process heated up (and the concept had already transformed as Scene "reports").  But the person who "came up with" the concept for Cleveland was Toby Cosgrove.

^^This was Hagan's baby.  Dimora did little more than give his stamp of approval and jump in the spotlight when the site selection process heated up (and the concept had already transformed as Scene "reports").  But the person who "came up with" the concept for Cleveland was Toby Cosgrove.

 

Actually, Forest City floated the idea for the then abandoned Main Post Officer back in the early '80's.  It makes sense that industrial groups are being targeted and are interested.  CLE lost alot of convention biz due to the antiquated old CC.  CLE was actually one of the few cities where conventioneers wanted hold to events on CLE's own merrit

It's obviously got the typical Scene negativity, but that piece 327 posted is pretty decent.  It strikes me as a pretty big deal that MMPI is changing its strategy for a big part of the facility we're generously building for them.

 

I was especially puzzled by this quote by Casey [MMPI's on the ground convention guy]:

 

"The concept within the medical mart — I think people may have had it upside down, where the tenants in the building are going to drive the traffic," he says.

 

http://www.clevescene.com/gyrobase/med-mart-version-20/Content?oid=2737315&storyPage=2

 

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's exactly the idea MMPI and the commissioners sold us; that the Mart's drawing power would make the convention center competitive for national events in a waaaaay oversaturated market.  I'll be as happy as anyone that downtown will look better than ever as a result, but I'm increasingly skeptical this project will have made financial sense when it's done.

 

 

^Wait...whaaa? When did this happen?

 

The concept of a standalone convention center was repeatedly voted down (I believe both by policy makers and by the voting public) as something that didn't give the right bang for the buck. The whole rationale for forcing the sales tax increase was that we needed the convention center to support the medical mart. Strap is absolutely right that the MM was going to drive business to a convention center that otherwise would likely not be utilized sufficiently to warrant the cost.

 

And I thought that the MM folks had researched this out, and the Clinic had given its stamp of approval, that this is the way of the future for purchasing medical equipment. Suddenly NOW they realize (after the funds have been allocated, and the ground broken) that this model doesn't work?

 

If (and I haven't read the Scene article yet) this is true, I'm furious. Furious. I was sold a new convention center (technically after it was already purchased) to support the medical mart. Period. That was a requirement of these developers. So be it. Now I want a functioning medical mart. Period. That's the deal. Don't sell me some bullsh!t that you're focusing on education now because you can't sell the space.

I'll reserve judgement until after the facility has been open for a year or so.

It doesn't give me confidence but I hope for the best!

^ & ^^ I think at this point, that's all we can do. We're committed to a course of action now, so I can only hope that the MM folks follow through on what they promised us.

 

But I can't help feeling like Lyle Lanley just sold us a monorail.

^And for Kennedys.

 

I still don't think this project will fail in the sense that nothing opens and operates there (though I don't remember what kind of performance benchmarks are in the contract).  Much more likely is that the med mart never blossoms as a national draw and instead serves as a regional hub of medical education or whatnot, which would not help much attracting national convention business or come close to generating the number of hotel stays and new spending that was promised.

That seems about right.  I have no doubt we'll see gains and growth from this project.  Considering the amount of opposition it faced upfront, it's not surprising there was some oversell.

Was any body really ever "sold"?  It was underfunded from the start to be anything truly iconic.  But I'll take the 0.25% increase on my purchases in Cuyahoga County for the refurbished convention center that interacts with Lakeside..... and new malls on top... and the kick in the arse the City got to fix up PA... and the fundinng the City used to bring Perk Park into the 21st century..... and this could be a really long list. 

Is MMPI on the hook for any operational losses?

I'll reserve judgement until after the facility has been open for a year or so.

 

Yep. Me too.

 

If you all want to jump off the ledge first, that's cool. If I decide to jump too, I'll have a soft pile of bodies to land on by then. :)

I think everyone here is putting way to much faith in an article in the Scene. The Scene! I mean seriously "we", this forum, has more credibility than the Scene. I just  don't see the story here. Every new concept will go through changes, it is rarely ever what was envisioned. Remember  this is the media and they deal in buzz words, and the buzz word here is  Medical Mart, it gets your attention. But to me this project has always been about  a way to sell the idea of a new convention center. And at 425m that is about the going rate for a new convention center. And we get the Medical Mart too? OK sign me up. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Besides the only thing the Scene is good for is researching the much needed information on where to, umm, obtain one of those, umm, special massages. Which reminds me I need to make a call.....

I can see the reason for worry, but I actually feel like there might be something really value-added that we're not hearing all the details of yet ... I dunno, call me an eternal optimist, but I think the educational focus actually sounds interesting and potentially very promising. With 37 "educational concept" tenants and potential tenants, we're talking about a focus that must extend well beyond CSU, Tri-C and UH. I'm intrigued. From the Scene article referenced above:

 

"Filling up the med mart is moving along at a swifter pace for MMPI. Of 60 prospective tenants, 13 of MMPI's top educational picks have signed or are in the process of signing leases. Leases are also being signed or reviewed by 24 tenants that MMPI considers among the second-most-important for the new educational concept ...

 

... As for who the other tenants will be and how they will contribute to the educational theme, Casey isn't ready to say."

 

Freethink thanks for at least adding some common sense to this forum!

I think everyone here is putting way to much faith in an article in the Scene. The Scene! I mean seriously "we", this forum, has more credibility than the Scene. I just  don't see the story here. Every new concept will go through changes, it is rarely ever what was envisioned. Remember  this is the media and they deal in buzz words, and the buzz word here is  Medical Mart, it gets your attention. But to me this project has always been about  a way to sell the idea of a new convention center. And at 425m that is about the going rate for a new convention center. And we get the Medical Mart too? OK sign me up. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Besides the only thing the Scene is good for is researching the much needed information on where to, umm, obtain one of those, umm, special massages. Which reminds me I need to make a call.....

Lets not forget that this is a speculative venture in a bad economy.  We're not used to that in CLE.  Alot of people are under the impression that because its actually under construction, the project must already be a success waiting to happen.  For all we know, substantial progress may already be made but still proprietary.  Companies interested in the concept may be waiting for better terms.  Those same companies may not want to commit immediately until more construction and concept becomes reality.  Lets not jump to conclusions based on the slant of Scene.  As pointed out above, it ain't the NY Times.

I was more interested in the actual interview with Mr. Casey, rather than the tone or the slant or whatever.  Scene is what it is.  But it's hard to believe they made up the entire conversation, which is what some people seem to be suggesting.  This is all backwards.  Politicians enjoy a lifetime pass... but free papers better watch their step!  We're onto them! 

I guess I'm less comfortable than others in government financing of "speculative" projects.  If we're going to back economically questionable projects as a justification for improving downtown, I can name 10 things higher on my wish list then a med mart.  None of them would have been politically popular, but I don't know how popular the med mart/conv center project was either.

 

Anyway, I don't think anyone voicing skepticism is calling this project a failure already or jumping out the window over it.  As AJ93 said, we're all in the same boat having to wait and see, because the die's been cast.

I've known the editor of Scene ever since he was a reporter for Sun in the 1990s. He's not the type of guy who would let his writers "invent" anything more than once and keep them on staff. He is a very "square" guy -- and I mean that as a compliment here!

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2011/09/cleveland-china_team_aims_to_c.html

 

Cleveland-China team aims to channel $100 million in overseas cash to U.S. medical-device companies

 

The Cleveland Bio Fund also plans to help Chinese biomedical companies expand into Northeast Ohio, though those companies won't be eligible for money from the $100 million pool.

Ideally, the door will swing in two directions - helping American companies access a growing market while bringing Chinese companies and products into the United States, said Baiju Shah, chief executive officer of BioEnterprise, a nonprofit acting as healthcare advisor and partner to the Cleveland Bio Fund.

 

Not sure if this article was posted anywhere else.  I always envisioned the medical mart for start ups, small and medium sized companies.  It seems as though a lot of people are concerned that cardinal, phillips, etc. are not tripping over themselves to sign up...  why?  I think people in the medical field know what they have to offer and their sales team is strong enough to keep them up to date.  For chinese (or other foreign) medical device companies looking to penetrate the U.S. market, (to me) this is ideal.

 

This fund is also an amazing opportunity for marketing NEO as an international medical hub.

Is MMPI on the hook for any operational losses?

 

Yes

Don't worry.  At the end of the article, Mr Casey was quoted as saying, "in two or three months, it will all make sense."  LOL, let's be patient and wait for the great revelation.  :wink:

Cleveland has needed a new convention center for what, two maybe three decades now?  We're finally getting it, it's in the best possible location, and will at minimum beautify a good portion of downtown. 

 

Anything over a large convention once/month or so will be gravy.

^ absolutely. more than three decades. i always saw the tie in to the mm as an afterthought to modernizing the cc, which badly needed it.

^ absolutely. more than three decades. i always saw the tie in to the mm as an afterthought to modernizing the cc, which badly needed it.

Exactly! Its common knowledge that we BADLY needed a new Convention Center. Our convention center is so old its amazing we got any business at all before convention business finally dried up here in 2006. The convention center was needed and we're already starting to see organizations commit to holding conventions here almost 2 years before the building even opens. This was the key element. The Medical Mart concept is just an extra, in my opinion. I hope it works. I want it to work. But the most important thing to the city is that convention center.

^ I'm in complete disagreement. A redone convention center is nice, but not needed. Conventions are not the business they used to be, and without something to drive business to them, they're a money loser. A loss leader that you hope will bring in ancillary benefits to the city (hotels, restaurants, etc.). By itself, I was never, ever, in favor of just renovating the CC for its own sake, and I believe that was the general consensus for the region.

 

The medical mart promised to be the driver for the CC business, and we committed based on that promise. Now, focusing on medical education vs medical products may or may not effect the success, (this is the wait and see part), but my concern was the comment by Mr. Casey indicating they were going to focus on regional educational issues. That may fill the convention center occassionally, but it certainly didn't require a complete renovation of the convention center (with the 30+ foot ceilings we were told are needed for a successful center). In fact, I'd argue that if we're focusing on education, a large scale space with high ceilings a CC provides is NOT what is needed, but rather more intimate spaces that allow for better interaction with instructors. We could accomodate demand for seminars, etc. with existing space around the city (conference rooms, Wolstein, even the Q for the rare enormous event). And of course, regionally focused events don't put people in hotel rooms (I'll give you the restaurants, etc. as people still eat, even though if they're not staying overnight they're less likely to stay for dinner).

 

Like I said, a nice new CC, and the separate office building (which is what this is turning into), will look nice and make that part of downtown seem vibrant for a while. But if the space isn't utilized to the level we expect, what's the long term benefit. Are we going to be having another conversation in 10-15 years about what we need to do to revitalize that space?

 

So, yes, I'm concerned. I'll leave it at that.

^Just because the Medical Mart is attached to the new convention center doesn't mean we only have to focus on bringing medical related conventions here. 30 foot ceilings are needed in conventions like car shows where the displays of today's conventions require lots of overhead space.

 

In addition while not letting MMPI off the hook, I think the city itself (Entertainment districts, casino, lake front attractions, Univercity Circle etc) is what is supposed to be a real driver of conventions. Conventions come to the city because they want attendees to enjoy themselves in the city the convention is located in. In Cleveland we just haven't had a facility up to current standards for a long time.