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musky
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I am not sure if anyone has posted this yet, but there is a Medical Mart web site with allot of good info and it is up to date with recent developments. Check out the videos from Chris Kennedy and the press releases. Very interesting. If it asks you to register-I just created a bogus name "van smack" and email "12345678@mailinator.com"
http://www.clevelandmedicalmart.com/home.html
Wow, that sure is a long presentation. Some interesting statements made there as well. It makes you wonder where they received their information from. There was a link to Tradeshow Week on the website under "In the News." Can a Med Mart Save Cleveland?
Merchandise Mart, city push proposal for new medical mart, CC
By Rachel Wimberly -- Tradeshow Week, 7/9/2007
Cleveland's almost 80-year-old convention center is barely alive, with an annual occupancy rate that hovers between 10 and 15 percent, according to Dennis Roche, president of the Convention & Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland.
"It's a great, old building, but it's not competitive," Roche said. "It has low ceilings, only three loading docks and too many columns. It's just not adequate."
More at tradeshowweek.com
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punch
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For a city with a bleak economic outlook, the medical mart could be just the medicine it needs. 
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Mov2Ohio
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Okay, 'center of it all' or 'close to everything' my question is, who is or should be the primary benefactors of 'close to everything and center of it all' the residents of Cleveland or conventioneers? I say the residents. Conventioneers will bring money to our economy but residents, commercial and residential, they are the ones that will keep 'the center of it all' vibrant. Am I wrong?
Well of course residents and resident businesses, but whats being planned by residents on the parking lots behind TC? Residents will still have the Warehouse district, Gateway, Public Square and East 4th as well as Tower City and its rail access, but there will also be a new convention center that benefits from proximity to all those things as well.
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LovesIt
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Okay, I'm stupid. What makes the Forest City site so bad again?
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X
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"Center of it all" because its central to the Warehouse district and Gateway and east fourth and the rail line to the airport and The Rock Hall and University Circle and the Flats. The other(current) site has a nice view of the Lake though.
This argument has already been rebutted several times in this thread. The planning study determined that the current site is actually more central to more things than the TC site.
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Mov2Ohio
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"Center of it all" because its central to the Warehouse district and Gateway and east fourth and the rail line to the airport and The Rock Hall and University Circle and the Flats. The other(current) site has a nice view of the Lake though.
This argument has already been rebutted several times in this thread. The planning study determined that the current site is actually more central to more things than the TC site.
It was more central to more Hotel rooms, not rail lines, retail and entertainment correct?
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musky
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Can somebody post the article from Crain's:
"Chicago firm's med mart pitch all in the details"?
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gotribe
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Here you go. Chicago firm's med mart pitch all in the details Talks on merchandise mart to include Petro May 14, 2007 Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. MMPI president Chris Kennedy's presentation By JAY MILLER 4:30 am, July 9, 2007 A video and slide presentation posted on a new web site explains in some detail the concept of a medical merchandise mart and the commitment Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. is prepared to make to Cleveland. On the “Cleveland Medical Mart and Tradeshow Facility” web site, the Chicago company says it wants to manage a new convention center the medical mart would be paired with, and that it’s prepared to spend more than $5 million upfront to make the medical mart and convention center happen. More at crainscleveland.com http://www.crainscleveland.com
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mrnyc
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keep the damn cc under the mall where it belongs. the decision had already been made and it was the correct one. enough of this dancing around and reinventing the wheel.
the tc site is too awkward anyway and the public square site is an even poorer fit. the mall plan is beautiful and ingenious.
get some money and start digging up the mall and lets go. sheesh....sorry for the rant.
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From Heights to Harlem
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I agree with mrnyc. All I can see is in 30 years, cleveland will be in the same position it is now. The TC convention center is out dated and small.
Expanded the current CC north as the space is already owned by CLEVELAND makes much more sense.
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3231
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I favor the TC site over the current site (but not by much). I think TC offers a lot more to conventioners than the mall site. Overall, I think its better for business to put it at TC. If we simply build a pretty cc, then we'll end up like Pittsburgh.
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mrnyc
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^ except it wouldnt be building one, it would be renovating an already ingenious cc the city already owns.
and i cant see how itspretty? the mall is pretty sure, but you can't see anything of the cc its buried! -- out of sight/out of mind -- as it should be. could be tied to transit improvements too. and who knows what spin-off? a hotel? new retail/streetlife amenities?
re tc: unlike ps its not awful, but for one thing it's just not wise or even safe to put all the cities eggs in one tower city basket like that. also, imo the rendering info so far seems pretty awkward.
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MidwestChamp
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It appears to me that in this debate we have two competing arguments...what makes the most functional sense versus what makes economic sense. My thoughts...
The current CC site clearly makes the most sense functionally. Expansion to the north, completing the mall and linking DT to the lakefront has been studied to death in this town...but nothing built. It would be beautiful and complete the mall concept, and offers the chance to create a multi-modal transit hub (RTA, Amtrak, Shoreway). Why is it we only have pretty pics of this site, and nothing built after years and years? Because presently Cleveland is a mid-level convention town at best. We could build a 5 million square foot mega palace and we would never compete with Las Vegas, NYC, Orlando,etc. for conventions...just isn't going to happen. But we can be a first rate, mid level convention and tourism town...but we are sinking fast due to the outdated design of our convention center, a center that while we love the locale, we have not invested in since the 1980's because the demand is not there.
With all that said, the TC site, coupled with a MM "promising" 50 trade shows a year now makes the construction of a new CC economically viable. The catch, unfortunately, is that the powers that be are hell bent on shoe-horning the center behind TC, which will be god-awful given the steep and narrow terrain behind TC. Both the current CC and TC are in locations with walkable access to shopping, public transit, hotels, and the warehouse district.
The question is...do we want what will be clearly a superior center on the mall that may or may not consistently draw visitors to the city, once the "new-ness" wears off (a la Pittsburgh...i love their beautiful center, but its not doing well at all)? Or will we put up with a clearly less visually appealing location behind TC on the promise that the MM will bring in a steady stream of conventioners?
I've been torn on this debate...but I would hate to see this town end up with a beautiful white elephant. Call me a gold digger, but I'll take the ugly, rich frog.
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punch
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What does everyone think about Merchandise Mart people running the CC? I think it might be more efficient than city hall/county government. If they do run it, I really hope there is a fair lease and perhaps the county can get its investment back
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zaceman
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At first I was totally aginst the FC site, but given the Medical Mart possibly occupying Higbees... a building that hasnt seen much activity downtown... I dont mind it anymore. I feel like that aspect alone brings the FC site into a tie with the current one...
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3231
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What does everyone think about Merchandise Mart people running the CC? I think it might be more efficient than city hall/county government. If they do run it, I really hope there is a fair lease and perhaps the county can get its investment back
Theoretically, I'd love for MM to run the cc. A for-profit enterprise will be motivated to bring in as much business as possible. Is this done in other cities?
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Map Boy
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One of my primary inhibitions about abandoning the existing center and an item that was mentioned in the current discussion by the MM folks is re-use of the center on the mall. I prefer the potential of expansion and renovation of the existing center for a number of reasons, but if the MM will only go in at TC and they can come up with a solid re-use plan for the existing center that would enliven the ho-hum Civic Center district, then I can swing that way. Not that this is the gold medal answer, but what ever happened to the film studio discussion as a re-use option?
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X
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The MM could be accomodated at the current CC location, and probably better than by wedging it into the old Higbee's. The current county admin block could be demolished, and a new MM could be built on that site, with the CC going over the lake, and the Mall extended over the CC, all the way to the Lakefront, and the convention hotel built over the tracks, fronting onto East 9th.. The real question is if the powers that be will give that option a chance.
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musky
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^Did you look through the MM presentation. They prefer to use existing building stock for their Marts. There is no building near the current center that is suitable for their purpose... except maybe City Hall. Hmmmm...
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mrnyc
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^ something new on the mall site makes more sense, but let'em put the mm in higbees if they are hell bent on reusing a building. that would also throw forest city a bone.
why can't people just walk, trolley, bus, cab or ride the waterfront rapid over to tc from the mall site to visit the mm? people walk and take transit away from cc's to go to other convention sites spread around other cities (mccormick/navy pier isnt near the chi mm/ javits is in the serrapes, etc) -- why is that ok everywhere else except in cle? why trap visitors in tc all day?
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KJP
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^Did you look through the MM presentation. They prefer to use existing building stock for their Marts. There is no building near the current center that is suitable for their purpose... except maybe City Hall. Hmmmm...
There is the old Chicago Title office building on St. Clair across from the Marriott Key. But I suspect the low cielings won't work (unless they remove every other floor!). Or, there's always Public Hall! why trap visitors in tc all day?
That comment right there is why Forest City executives' mouths are watering, and why their wallets are open to local pols willing to help them.
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the pope
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What does everyone think about Merchandise Mart people running the CC? I think it might be more efficient than city hall/county government. If they do run it, I really hope there is a fair lease and perhaps the county can get its investment back
Theoretically, I'd love for MM to run the cc. A for-profit enterprise will be motivated to bring in as much business as possible. Is this done in other cities?
I'm fairly sure that convention centers need subsidies to run. Just think about how often they are used/filled and how often they sit vacant. Like Monday through thursday of even the busiest season. (again, pope reiterates, let a casino build one and operate it, they will gladly operate it at a loss assuming its connected to their casino)
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3231
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The MM could be accomodated at the current CC location, and probably better than by wedging it into the old Higbee's. The current county admin block could be demolished, and a new MM could be built on that site, with the CC going over the lake, and the Mall extended over the CC, all the way to the Lakefront, and the convention hotel built over the tracks, fronting onto East 9th.. The real question is if the powers that be will give that option a chance.
that's a good point, but it appears that MM would like to get into Higbees pretty soon. I doubt that they would want to wait for the county land to become available. EDIT--I just read a conflicting report saying that MM wouldn't come in until the the new cc is built. That contradicts everything we've heard up until now.
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8ShadesofGray
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Not that this is the gold medal answer, but what ever happened to the film studio discussion as a re-use option?
The Greater Cleveland Film Commission recently updated their website and are definitely still pushing the existing Convention Center as a free production facility (see http://www.clevelandfilm.com/). The Film Commission is currently going through some transitions, as Chris Carmody is stepping down from the helm. That being said, I think both the Commission and the Mayor's Office are still interested in seeing this as a potential use.
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punch
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I just read a conflicting report saying that MM wouldn't come in until the the new cc is built. That contradicts everything we've heard up until now.
It might be a scare tactic to help push the tax through
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musky
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When was it published? and from who?
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X
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^Did you look through the MM presentation. They prefer to use existing building stock for their Marts. There is no building near the current center that is suitable for their purpose... except maybe City Hall. Hmmmm...
What? You mean that they don't know that newer=better?
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musky
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pd: Medical Mart provides growth potential for Cleveland
The doctor who had the idea and the entrepreneur who wants to implement it tell why this city is a good fit for a Medical MartSunday, July 15, 2007 Christopher Kennedy, president of Merchandise Mart Properties Why here? Because a Medical Mart would strengthen Cleveland. When Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. was approached in early 2006 with the idea of a Medical Mart, our initial reaction was enthusiastic and supportive. Cleveland has long enjoyed an outstanding leadership position in the field of medicine simply by being the home of the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, MetroHealth Hospital System and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Thousands of supporting companies have grown up around these institutions. In many ways, Cleveland is the medical capital of the United States. We believe, however, that a Medical Mart is just the tip of the iceberg. Cleveland should set a much higher goal: becoming the medical trade show capital of the world. more at: http://www.cleveland.com
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musky
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pd: Medical Mart would offer Cleveland a shot in the arm
The doctor who had the idea and the entrepreneur who wants to implement it tell why this city is a good fit for a Medical MartSunday, July 15, 2007 Delos M. “Toby” Cosgrove, M.D., chairman and CEO of the Cleveland Clinic Why? Because a Medical Mart would play to Cleveland's strengths Health care is one of the fastest-growing industries in the U.S. economy. It is predicted that by 2011, health care services and supplies will comprise 17 percent of the gross domestic product, and medical expenditures will reach $2.5 trillion. This unprecedented growth is fueling the largest hospital construction boom in 50 years, both within the United States and abroad. Over the next decade, an estimated $200 billion will be spent in the United States to expand or replace hospitals. For every hospital constructed, the well-accepted formula is that a third of the total cost will cover medical equipment to be installed in these new facilities... more at: http://www.cleveland.com
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