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The Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, also known as the Cleveland Convention Center, is a convention center located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. Built by Cuyahoga County and completed in 2013, it replaced Public Auditorium as the city's main convention center. In 2016, a convention center hotel, the Hilton Cleveland Downtown Hotel, was completed adjacent to the Cleveland Convention Center. Committee meetings of the 2016 Republican National Convention were held there in July 2016.

Plans for constructing a new convention center
cost $465 million promised 60 annual medical conventions bringing 330,000 visitors and $330 million in spending (at some future date)

PriceWaterhouseCoopers would endorse new conventino center in reports in 2001 and 2005

PWC predicted $181.7 million in direct spending in 2001 PWC predicted $213.584 million in direct spending from a alrger center in 2005

Public Auditorium built by the city of cleveland, using general obligation debt public vote required to fund it begun in 1916 and finished in 1922 voters rejected expansion in 1957 and 1958 voters accepted a much smaller expansion in 1960 as of 1981, still the ninth largest in the USA 1985, George Voinovich decided to repair and refurbish it without voter approval by issuing notes, backed by Greater Cleveland Convention and Visitors Bureau's receitp of a countywide bed tax $28 million beginning in late 1990s, public officials and business leaders sought a new, larger conventin cneter

in 2007, cuyahoga county stepped in to build a new convention center and a "medical mart" trade mart

cost $450 million 2-1 vote by commissioners, county avoided public approval by committing revenues from an existing quarter-cent bed tax.

Ijn 1957, Anthony Celebreeze proposed a massive downtown revitalization project, backed by William Zeckendorf, for a complex of office buildings, hotels, and apartment buildings on the lakefront. Centerpiece of the plan would be a $15 millin convention cneter. Bond vote garnered 52 percent, short of the 55 percent rquired. Zeckendorf tried again in 1958, but the yes vote slipped and he gave up Celebreeze, business leaders, Greater Cleveland Chamber of Commerce, and the Cleveland Development Foundation proposed a smaller convention center at a different site in 1960. $10 million project won approval in 1960.

PWC said in 2001 that Cleveland's trade show and convention occupancy compared poorly with other cities nevertheless, concluded that sufficient market demand for a 400,000 sqft convention center cleveland had just 2,421 hotel rooms wtihin one mile of the center on assessment of destination resources, such as retail, hotel rooms and taxes, and costs, cleveland ranked 6.9 (1 being highest), compared to Cincinnati at 5.2 and Nashville at 9.9 (from different studies during the same era)

convention center opened in August 1964

Now, finally, it's time to pick a site. The announcement Thursday that Cuyahoga County had reached agreement with a private developer on a new Medical Mart and convention center raises the huge question of where to put the facilities. One thing is clear now: There are no plans for public involvement early in the process, even though choosing a site is one of the biggest city planning issues facing the city. Two locations are leading contenders: Tower City Center or the existing convention center complex under the Mall, just northeast of Public Square. Debate over which site would be better for a new convention center began in the early 2000s under former Mayor Jane Campbell. The city held several rounds of public meetings before Campbell withdrew, effectively halting the process. With the Medical Mart now in the works as part of a hybrid facility, the stakes are even higher. The Medical Mart is expected to boost the city's economy and pump visitors through the convention center and the city's hotels. Public input and oversight on the site selection is key, because the reverberations -- financial, functional and aesthetic -- will be felt for decades.

For now, however, the public will have to sit tight while the private, non-profit Greater Cleveland Partnership, which represents the city's business interests, decides behind closed doors which site to recommend. LMN Architects, Seattle; Osborn Architects, ClevelandA 2003 rendering shows how a large convention facility could be built anew under the Cleveland Mall.

Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. of Chicago, which will run the Medical Mart, has agreed to invest $20 million, while the county will tap money from taxpayers.

Officials from the Greater Cleveland Partnership and Cuyahoga County said that a committee of the partnership, established last August and led by attorney Fred Nance, who negotiated the Medical Mart deal, will make a recommendation to the commissioners in four to eight weeks.

At that point, the commissioners can accept or reject the recommendation.

It's unclear how the commissioners will involve the public. There are no plans for hearings, said Dennis Madden, the county administrator. Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerArchitects, city planners and preservationists felt strongly earlier this decade that a new convention center should be located beneath the Mall, replacing the older, outmoded facility that currently occupies the site.

Logic would dictate that after the commissioners make a decision, the Cleveland City Planning Commission would have a say.

It's unclear whether the planning commission can or will be involved early in the game, or will have to sit by passively while the Greater Cleveland Partnership works on its recommendation to the county.

If they have to wait, the planning commissioners -- appointed primarily by the mayor -- will be under huge pressure to go along with a decision already taken by the elected county commissioners.

The city, in other words, could take a back seat on one of the biggest planning decisions in recent history.

Such pressures were visible plainly last year during the planning commission's debate on whether to grant the county a permit to demolish the 1971 Ameritrust Tower by architect Marcel Breuer.

City Planning Director Robert Brown did not return a call this morning.

Planning Commission Chairman Anthony Coyne, said the county commissioners should involve their own planning commission, and that city planning officials could also help compare competing sites.

"A lot of work was done on this three or four years ago, he said. "Don't throw that out.

Coyne also said: "There have to be ways to public and private dollars into this thing for the best interests of the public. This cannot be planned in a vacuum.''

County Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones, reached by cell today, said he favored public involvement early.

"Why not, why wouldn't we" hold public meetings, Jones said. "What are we afraid of?"

But he said he's only one of three commissioners, and he needs another vote. Commissioners Tim Hagan and Jimmy Dimora were not in the office Friday at mid-day and could not be reached for comment. Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerForest City Enterprises has pushed for a new convention center to be located behind its Tower City Center complex on the Cuyahoga River.

The wrestling match over the Mall versus Tower City Center is a reprise of a battle early in the 20th century over where to build the city's major rail station.

Advocates of the Group Plan, designed by architect Daniel Burnham of Chicago, wanted the rail terminal at the north end of the Mall, overlooking Lake Erie.

The Van Sweringen Brothers, who built Tower City Center and much of Shaker Heights, won the fight. The Mall, as a result, is still unfinished 105 years after the completion of Burnham's Group Plan.

Forest City Enterprises, the publicly held real estate company that owns Tower City, prepared proposals for a convention center on the Cuyahoga riverfront in 2003 and 2005.

The company argued that Tower City makes the ideal location because the complex sits atop the rapid transit hub of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. Forest City EnterprisesOne of the earlier proposals for a convention center along the Cuyahoga River behind Tower City Center shows a large white box rising from the water's edge.

But the proposal showed that a convention center on 11 acres behind the Terminal Tower would have to rise at least 200 feet straight up from the edge of the Cuyahoga River, with a ballroom that would cantilever over Huron Road, turning the street into a partial tunnel.

A spokesman for the company said Friday that the plans had not been updated since 2005.

Building at Tower City could also mean that the existing convention center, located under Malls B and C, would become a huge, decaying headache.

Advocates of the Mall location want to "scour the box," or, in other words, to remove the existing convention center and rebuild anew beneath the Mall.

Expanding a convention center behind Tower City could be difficult, given steep slopes and tight road configuration around the river's "Collision Bend."

Expanding the convention center on the Mall, however, could be easier, given the abundance of nearby lakefront land.

Either way, the public could be asked to shell out tens or hundreds of millions of dollars to improve highway connections, build parking garages or, perhaps, buy air rights from Forest City.

Clearly, the public has a lot at stake here. The situation calls for a clear, fair and totally open process, with an "apples to apples" comparison of the pros and cons of each site in numerous categories ranging from ease of construction to ease of expansion.

Above all else, the process ought to be opened up. Soon. Medical Mart and Convention Center site selection process should involve the public Steven Litt, The Plain Dealer on March 14, 2008 http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2008/03/_now_finally_its_time.html

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cuyahoga County finally controls all the land it needs to build a medical mart and convention center downtown.

Officials on Thursday announced a $3.1 million option for the last parcel, the Sportsman's Restaurant, making way for a showplace of medical equipment at the northeast corner of St. Clair Avenue and Ontario Street.

medical mart map.jpgView full sizeOfficials also named Turner Construction Co. as construction manager for the $425 million, taxpayer-financed project, which also includes a convention center.

As part of Thursday's presentation, officials unveiled an outline for the convention center, an L-shape beneath Mall B and the mart, with meeting rooms and a glass-walled ballroom beneath Mall C.

"This is the last major hurdle," Commissioner Tim Hagan said after the announcement.

Now that the land is secured, Chicago developer MMPI, the county's private developer, can proceed with plans to break ground in October.

The option for the restaurant brings the total price for land acquisition to $38 million, more than double the $17 million budgetedlast November by MMPI.

The county last week tentatively agreed to pay $20 million for Cleveland's old underground convention center, which will serve as the site for a new center. Taxpayers will pay another $8 million bill for separating the center's electrical lines and other systems from the city's aging Public Auditorium.

The county also will pay $15.2 million for a parking garage and office building that sandwich the 2,500-square-foot Sportsman's building. The restaurant, according to the county auditor's office, is worth $375,000. Related stories

Design preserves downtown's lake view

PD's coverage of the medical mart

Despite the unanticipated expenses, county officials on Thursday reiterated their pledge not to exceed a $425 million price tag for the project and to not skimp on construction.

"No matter what, we will provide the kind of structure that's iconic, singular, world class," said Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones. "We're going to be able to do that within the constraints of the dollars we have available."

Turner Construction Vice President and General Manager Mark Dent also promised a "signature project."

MMPI selected Turner as construction manager, with the approval of county staff. URS Corp. will collaborate as the architect of record.

"The two combined firms have a unique combination of experience and success in Cleveland, the state of Ohio, nationally, and internationally on a broad range of projects and bring the type of top-drawer expertise that this project deserves," MMPI senior Vice President Mark Falanga said in an e-mailed statement.

Turner's fee will be negotiated. The company has built 50 downtown Cleveland structures, including Key Tower and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Walsh Group of Chicago was originally assumed to be MMPI's choice. But under a construction administration agreement reached in January, MMPI had to seek competitive proposals from companies hoping to design and build the project.

The three other companies vying for the work were: Walsh, a team of Gilbane Inc., of Providence, R.I., and Mortenson Construction, of Minneapolis and Hunt Construction Group of Indianapolis.

To negotiate the lowest price and protect proprietary information, commissioners barred taxpayers from reviewing proposals or attending presentations from the companies.

Turner is evaluating designs for the complex and estimating costs. The process should be complete by the end of June, more than two years after commissioners raised the county sales tax by a quarter cent to finance the project.

Since then, commissioners have continued to push the project, despite a drawn out debate over locations. And after settling on the St. Clair site for the mart, MMPI abruptly proposed to build atop the north end of Mall C, blocking the view of Lake Erie.

Protests from residents and City Council resulted in renewed negotiations for the Sportsman's Restaurant and other land on St. Clair. Cuyahoga County commissioners control final piece of land needed for medical mart, convention center By Laura Johnston, cleveland.com on May 20, 2010 a http://www.cleveland.com/cuyahoga-county/index.ssf/2010/05/cuyahoga_county_commissioners_control_final_piece_of_land_needed_for_medical_mart_convention_center.html

After more than a year of negotiations, a draft agreement has been reached to build a new trade show complex in downtown Cleveland. The 61-page agreement lays out the plans for Cuyahoga County and Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. of Chicago to build and operate a convention center and medical merchandise mart, but it does not select a site for the complex. Cuyahoga County commissioners are expected to vote on accepting the agreement hammered out by attorneys over the last year at their April 16 meeting. A copy of the agreement can be found here. The county commissioners and MMPI have said publicly that they favor building on the city’s Mall, on a site that includes the existing Cleveland Convention Center and Public Auditorium. The site couldn’t be identified by name in the development agreement because the county still must buy the land for the complex from the city of Cleveland and private owners. Without property control, the site remains tentative. The commissioners in August 2007 approved a one-quarter percentage point additional sales tax to pay the cost to build a convention center and medical mart. That tax is expected to generate about $40 million annually over 20 years. An August 2008 report issued by the convention center site selection committee estimated that the tax could support a construction cost of about $490 million. The draft agreement does not include a final construction cost. MMPI has estimated that the complex could be built on the Mall for as little as $408 million. Regardless of the final cost, the draft agreement follows terms laid out in a memorandum of understanding, or a pre-development agreement, signed in March 2008 by the county commissioners and the developer. A key element of that agreement is a cap on the cost of the project to the county. County administrator James McCafferty told Crain’s Cleveland Business that the draft agreement echoes the commitment made in the earlier agreement that MMPI would be responsible for construction costs in excess of the proceeds of the bond. County commissioners and MMPI have rejected a proposal unveiled in March by Forest City Enterprises Inc. to build the complex behind Forest City’s Tower City Center. Forest City contends its site would provide a more spacious and better designed complex for $351 million. The county and MMPI question that cost estimate because of what they say are concerns about hidden costs. By JAY MILLER Cleveland convention center, medical mart draft agreement reached April 08, 2009 http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20090408/FREE/904089956/cleveland-convention-center-medical-mart-draft-agreement-reached

Cuyahoga County commissioners this morning unanimously approved an agreement with developer Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. of Chicago to build a convention center and medical merchandise mart in downtown Cleveland. However, the much-awaited agreement is only the beginning of a long process. Not until an additional five agreements are negotiated and signed — first among them, a decision on a site for the project — can the trade show complex be considered a done deal. An announcement that the complex would be built at the Mall, where the city-owned Cleveland Convention Center now stands, had been expected today. However, county commissioner Tim Hagan, who had been leading negotiations to acquire the property from the city of Cleveland, has been out of commission since last Friday. Mr. Hagan was hospitalized at MetroHealth Medical Center April 10 when he felt ill. Mr. Hagan has a history of heart problems. Indeed, he left today’s commissioners’ meeting immediately after voting on the development agreement to return to his recuperation. Attorney Fred Nance, who has steered the development agreement negotiations for the county, told the commissioners that a series of four more agreements will replace this development agreement. The county and MMPI must negotiate agreements that will govern construction, financing and operations of the convention complex as well as a lease of the new building itself. Mr. Nance said those agreements could take a year to complete. “You’ve got to start somewhere,” he said, adding that it was important to show real estate developers in other cities talking about building medical marts that Cleveland is further ahead with its plans. “We need to show we are ready to do business.” Secrecy complaints unwarranted The commissioners allowed time before their vote for public comment and six citizens took the opportunity to express their opinions and concerns. Some complained about the number of questions still unanswered by the development agreement and that negotiations over the agreement were held in private and not in public. Mr. Nance explained that various agreements still must be negotiated. He said those agreements will answer many of the concerns not addressed in the development agreement. He added that the complaint that the agreement had been negotiated in an unusual level of secrecy was “a canard.” He said it is within Ohio law for public officials to negotiate real estate contracts in closed or executive session. “Every major project here and elsewhere is negotiated in private sessions,” Mr. Nance said. Cuyahoga County commissioners OK convention center pact April 16, 2009 By JAY MILLER http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20090416/FREE/904169963/cuyahoga-county-commissioners-ok-convention-center-pact

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Huntington Bank has struck a deal to get the naming rights of the Cleveland Convention Center before the Republican National Convention in July, even though its purchase of FirstMerit Bank, which currently holds the naming rights, won't be final until later this year.

The convention center will become the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland before the focus of the nation and perhaps the world is directed at the convention center in mid-July, when the city hosts the RNC. The name change is effective immediately; in-house references and video board signage will be changed as soon as possible and most rebranding will occur during the next several weeks.

The exterior signage (see the photo of an artist's rendering) will be installed before the convention, when the convention center will become a popular backdrop for national TV broadcasts and when an estimated 50,000 visitors converge on Cleveland and funnel in and out of the convention center during the four-day event.

The timing will be good as Columbus-based Huntington gears up to become one of the 20 largest banks in the United States.

Last fall, FirstMerit of Akron purchased the naming rights by agreeing to pay $10 million over 20 years. But in January, after the design of the signage had been approved, Huntington agreed to buy FirstMerit for $3.4 billion.

Convention center officials said they would have to call it the FirstMerit Convention Center -- no matter how awkward that may be -- until Huntington's purchase of FirstMerit was final and the i's were dotted. And Huntington officials were groaning with regret because they said there was no way to close the acquisition and then design the logo, get it approved by the city Landmarks Commission, manufacture the signage and get it installed before July 18.

But Huntington today is announcing that it worked out a deal with FirstMerit and Cuyahoga County to rename the facility after Huntington sooner vs. later. HuntingtonConvCtrOfCleve_logo_vert.jpgThe new logo of the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland.

Courtesy of Huntington Bank Huntington has agreed to pay FirstMerit $500,000 to assume its agreement with Cuyahoga County. The agreement calls for Huntington to pay more than $400,000 annually to the county for the convention center 20-year naming rights. Huntington is assuming the full agreement, which called for FirstMerit to pay $10 million over 20 years.

"The timely completion of long-term branding was important to the convention center and its partners," Huntington spokesman Bill Eiler said. "Moving forward with the naming rights shift now enables the completion of external and internal branding for the facility in time for the convention."

"As the eyes of the country and the world focus on this important center in the Midwest," said Huntington Chairman and CEO Steve Steinour, "we want to step up and ensure top-quality signage design is in place and ready to share."

Renee Csuhran, interim Greater Cleveland region president for Huntington, said there is "a lot of interest" in the convention center signage being finished quickly "to show off the city" this summer. "We appreciate the role of the Landmarks Commission in ensuring the best design selection in this transition," she said. The Landmarks Commission originally approved the FirstMerit signage around the holidays.

This move allows FirstMerit to avoid wasting money on elaborate exterior signage, only to have the county tear it down a few months later.

"This is a smart step forward for greater Cleveland's long-term identity," Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish said in a statement. "It represents what we can expect of Huntington in honoring FirstMerit's commitments to the community. Both companies have been enthusiastic partners in supporting and promoting Cleveland and Cuyahoga County."

"Our initial excitement announcing support for the city and county through convention center revenue continues today," said Paul Greig, FirstMerit's chairman and CEO. "This is a legacy for the future, no matter what name the building bears."

The agreement includes signage rights and branding inclusion for Huntington's customized convention center logo.

If for some reason Huntington's purchase of FirstMerit falls through, the naming rights would revert back to FirstMerit.

Company mergers are almost always complicated; bank mergers are even more complex because the deals require approval from various regulators and because it's incredibly important -- obviously -- to make sure all account access is seamless to customers, all financial records are transferred accurately, all payments are processed without delays, all employees are properly trained, and so on.

Huntington expects to close its purchase of FirstMerit sometime between late July and late September.

After the merger, the combined company will have about $100 billion in assets, 1,000 branches and 1,900 ATMS in eight states under the Huntington name, before it closes about 100 branches. Huntington will become a powerhouse in the Midwest and one of the 20 largest banks in the nation.

The $425 million convention center and the Global Center for Health Innovation opened in June 2013. They were paid for with county sales taxes. Officials hope the convention center attracts trade shows, conventions and large meetings attended by out-of-town visitors, who would spend money on hotels, restaurants and other tourist destinations. Huntington Bank buys early naming rights to Cleveland Convention Center before RNC By Teresa Dixon Murray, The Plain Dealer Email the author | Follow on Twitter on April 06, 2016 http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2016/04/huntington_bank_buys_early_nam.html

The Cleveland Convention Center, turned FirstMerit Convention Center of Cleveland, is now the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland.

Huntington Bancshares Inc. on Wednesday, April 6, announced an agreement between FirstMerit Corp. and Cuyahoga County for the Columbus-based bank to officially take over naming rights for the building as a merger between both companies draws closer to completion.

Huntington spokesman William Eiler said the company is taking on all terms of the original 20-year, $10.3 million deal approved between county council and the Akron-based bank that was announced last September. That agreement, which runs to 2035, provides the county with $400,000 annually over the 20-year period, plus regular adjustments for inflation, which brings the deal to more than $10 million over its lifetime.

Huntington also will pay $500,000 to FirstMerit for “assumption of the agreement,” according to a news release. Asked to clarify the purpose of that cost, Eiler said, “Huntington has chosen to work toward expedited assumption of naming rights, including payment to assume the agreement, to help meet the interests of timely long-term branding completion important to the convention center and its partners.”

The timing enables long-term exterior signage to be installed this summer, but still in advance of Cleveland’s hosting of the 2016 Republican National Convention — something that was a significant motivator for Huntington.

“This is a great moment for Cuyahoga County and the Greater Cleveland community to take pride in the outstanding showcase that is the convention center,” said Huntington chairman and CEO Steve Steinour in a news release. “As the eyes of the country and the world focus on this important center in the Midwest, we want to step up and ensure top-quality signage design is in place and ready to share.”

“Our initial excitement announcing support for the city and county through convention center revenue continues today,” added FirstMerit chairman and CEO Paul Greig, who will effectively retire when the merger is complete later this year. “This is a legacy for the future no matter what name the building bears.”

The annual revenue collected by the city in the deal will be applied toward redevelopment efforts along the lakefront, city officials have said.

“This is part of the implementation of the group plan and will allow us to do some investments in the malls that really make this convention center not only continue to be state-of-the-art but really provide the kind of amenities … that will make this a prime place where people will be able to walk and play and things you need to do in a downtown area,” said Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson during a September news conference when the naming rights deal with FirstMerit was announced.

Other terms of the original deal include the installation of ATMs by the sponsoring company both inside the center itself and the adjacent Global Center for Health Innovation. The new logo, meanwhile, is to be used in all future promotions, advertising, uniforms, event credentials and other related materials.

“As Huntington’s leader in the community, I know there is a lot of interest in convention center signage being completed to show off the city to its best advantage, both this summer and for many years to come,” said Renee Csuhran, Huntington’s interim Greater Cleveland region president, in the release. “We appreciate the role of the Landmarks Commission in ensuring the best design selection in this transition.”

Huntington announced its acquisition of FirstMerit in January in a deal valued at roughly $3.4 billion at the time. FirstMerit’s assets of $25.5 billion will combine with Huntington for a company just shy of $100 billion in assets, establishing the largest bank in Ohio by market share. The combination is slated to close around the third quarter of the year. Jeremy Nobile Huntington's name is going on downtown Cleveland's convention center April 06, 2016 http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20160406/news/160409886/huntingtons-name-is-going-on-downtown-clevelands-convention-center

Ohio - Finding a parking spot near the FirstMerit Convention Center is almost impossible on weekdays. And that is affecting bookings, officials said.

Meeting planners say parking is a major factor when booking an event.

No one has a short-term solution. And spaces will only get harder to find when the Hilton Cleveland Hotel next to the convention center opens in June.

Officials are talking big plans for the future, though, including coordinated electronic parking displays that would show the number of spaces available in each garage and direct you to other locations.

Why is there a parking problem?

The convention center, the connected Global Center for Health Innovation and 600-room hotel do not have dedicated parking facilities.

Developers aren't required to build parking with downtown projects, and the $465 million convention complex wiped out an old garage and metered spaces.

The Hilton, scheduled to open in time for the Republican National Convention in mid-2016, also is being built without parking. It was not feasible to build parking under the hotel, officials said.

The nearest parking garages are the Willard at Cleveland City Hall and Huntington behind the Lakeside Courthouse, which serves county workers and anyone going to the Justice Center. The county is allocating 410 spaces for the hotel in the 1,100-car Huntington garage.

Who's affected?

The convention center hosts about 200 events a year. Mike Campo, assistant general manager, recently explained the problem to the board of the Cuyahoga County Convention Facilities Development Corporation, which oversees the management and operation of the convention center complex.

Conventions and trade shows draw out-of-town guests who stay at hotels, which provide parking, he said. Ample parking is available on weekends for events, such as Beerfest and Wizard World Comic Con, he said.

But about 80 to 100 events, including luncheons and meetings held Monday through Friday, draw local attendees who need to find a place to park, he said. If people can't park within 2,000 feet, which is considered walkable, the event host must provide shuttle service or valet parking, which adds to their costs, he said.

"It can put us at a competitive disadvantage," he said. "And as we look to the future with Hilton opening there is a realistic concern about injecting a lot more users into an already crowded inventory."

Campo said the center has likely lost bookings because of a lack of parking.

The problem was predicted years ago

Desman Associates, a parking consultant, released a report in September 2014 that found that the district might face a shortage of 600 spaces on the busiest weekdays, after the hotel opened.

See the report below or click here if on a mobile device.

At that time county officials said they believed they could meet heavy weekday demand by introducing new gates and monitoring systems, adding a valet program, packing the Huntington garage more tightly and working with the city and other garage owners to manage any overflow.

Valets would be able to double-park cars at Huntington and, potentially, ferry vehicles to empty spaces at Willard or private facilities on the edges of the district, they said.

Today that is not being discussed as an option.

How many spaces are available?

Campo and his staff did an informal survey of parking within 2,000 feet of the convention center.

Of 11,000 total spaces within 2,000 feet, only 958 are available after 9 a.m. on weekdays, he said.

The closest garages, Cuyahoga County's Huntington Park Garage behind the courthouse and Cleveland's Willard Garage at City Hall, have only 149 spaces available on weekdays, he said.

When renovations are complete, the Huntington Garage will include 100 spaces for the convention center and 410 for the hotel.

"We would like to go to Huntington and reserve 300 to 400 spaces with the guarantee to fill them if we could hold them for an event," he said.

County officials at the meeting did not indicate any support for that proposal. Attorneys and people who need to go to the county and city buildings have been complaining about a lack of parking.

Is there a long-term solution?

The county has requested proposals for a company to operate the Huntington Park Garage.

Operator sought for Huntington Park Garage

Operator sought for Huntington Park Garage

Cuyahoga County is seeking proposals from businesses interested in operating and managing the Huntington Park Garage.

Jeffrey Appelbaum, the Cleveland lawyer managing the hotel project for the county, said officials are talking to potential parking operators about a coordinated parking plan.

It could include Willard, Huntington Park Garage and two or three others, he said.

It would be an innovative program similar to parking operations at Ohio State University and Easton Town Center in Columbus and in San Jose, officials said.

Parking garages include electronic signs indicating if spaces are available and where they are. If the garage is full drivers may be directed to garages with open spaces.

It is too early to tell if that may be developed, but it is an option, Appelbaum said. Weekday parking by Cleveland's convention center is scarce - and it's hurting bookings http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/03/weekday_parking_by_convention.html Karen Farkas March 23, 2016

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- More than 11 million people are expected to visit downtown Cleveland this year, sparked by a new convention center and an unprecedented number of other tourism developments.

The number of visitors is up from 9 million last year and double the number from two years ago, the region's convention and visitors bureau, said Wednesday.

About half of the $2 billion in tourism-related development scheduled for completion in Northeast Ohio by 2015 is taking place downtown. Business owners and leaders say it's all necessary in order to attract conventions.

The convention business is extremely competitive nationwide, but downtown Cleveland hasn't been much of a consideration until now. The former Cleveland convention center, built in 1928, was already outdated by 1970.

"Fast forward to 2013 and we've got a wonderful state-of-the art convention center coming online, and that's going to allow us to drive large conventions to this area," said Mike Burns, senior vice president of convention sales and services for Positively Cleveland.

Joe Puluzzi, founder of Content Marketing Institute, is bringing his group of 1,500 to the convention center in September. The group met in Columbus last year.

In 2015, two back-to-back conventions are expected to bring 10,000 people to downtown Cleveland.

Major conventions are booked several years in advance, and competition to get them is fierce. In the last 20 years, convention space has increased by 50 percent nationwide. Since 2005, 44 new convention spaces have been planned in cities like Raleigh, N.C., and Nashville, according to the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. 07CGCONVENTIONOL.jpg -

Steve Schwartz, a representative of the International Association of Venue Managers, said he visited Cleveland in December on a college recruitment trip with his 18-year-old daughter and was pleasantly surprised at Cleveland's offerings, a critical factor for a new generation of business travelers. Generation X and Millenials -- the younger people making decisions on where to hold conventions -- see meetings as work, he said. But after work, they want to be in cities with a lot of things to do.

"Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis. What's the difference? Every city that's like Cleveland is like Cleveland," said Schwartz, who is also senior research and policy manager for the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, a nearly 10-year-old convention center in Washington, D.C. ADVERTISING inRead invented by Teads

"One of the cool things that's happening is we're kind of rediscovering regions, and the more assets they have to play with the better," he said. "When we left, my daughter said she was disappointed that we didn't eat at a Michael Symon restaurant. Here's an 18-year-old foodie who knows the name."

Positively Cleveland says downtown will see thousands of guests in July when 13,000 athletes and 20,000 spectators check out the Summer National Senior Games, the largest participatory event for athletes over the age of 50. And tourism officials say they're working on reclaiming groups that have left. The Ohio Music Education Association used to bring about 2,000 people to Cleveland every three years but stopped coming in 2006 because the former convention center wasn't up to par. That group is now booked for 2015, 2017 and 2019.

Jack Schron, president and chief executive officer of Jergens Inc., said he reached out to Positively Cleveland for help in bringing the Industrial Supply Association to Cleveland's convention center in 2015. About 1,500 members who make and distribute items used in the manufacturing process for automobile parts, aerospace and medical industries are expected.

Schron said his members will be able to see their manufacturing at work at the adjacent Global Center for Health Innovation, formerly known as the medical mart, and will have plenty of options for after-hours networking at places such as the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, Horseshoe Casino Cleveland and Playhouse Square's new theaters.

"I'm a hometown boy cheering for Northeast Ohio's comeback," Schron said. "Like so many people in Northeast Ohio, we sit on boards. We're directors and officers of trade organizations and we're the last to think of our own community as a place to have our conventions."

Burns, at Positively Cleveland, said the timing could not be better for opening Cleveland's convention center.

"In general, conventions ride with the economy," he said. "With a new building, we're in a good position as the economy moves upward." Cleveland tourism officials say the time is right for a new convention center Marcia Pledger The Plain Dealer March 06, 2013 http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2013/03/cleveland_tourism_officials_sa.html

One of the largest construction projects currently in progress in the U.S. is the $465 million Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center (MMCC) in downtown Cleveland. Once complete, the facility will consist of a four-story above-ground medical mart on the corner of St. Clair and Ontario Streets as well as a 230,000-square-foot underground convention center with 60,000 square feet of meeting rooms and a 32,000-square-foot grand ballroom. Health care providers, medical device manufacturers, health care educational institutions and health care IT companies will be among the 88 tenants already signed up to locate in the new space.

The project, being managed by MPPI, is working to obtain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. MPPI (Merchandise Mart Properties Inc., Chicago) is no stranger to LEED projects. The company says it completed the largest LEED Silver project in the world at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago.

BRINGING IT DOWN To make way for the 1 million-square-foot facility, five buildings needed to be demolished. They included a parking garage, Sportsmans Restaurant, the Court Annex Building, the Chicago Title Building and the 113 Building – an 8-story building in the center of a business district. The demolition schedule has been aggressive, according to several parties involved in the project.

The timetable called for demolition to begin Jan. 3, 2011, and at 6 a.m. that day engines started up and shears started crunching right on schedule. Despite the wind, cold, snow and rain that are typical of Cleveland in the winter and spring, demolition has stayed on schedule without a day of work being missed, say the companies involved.

Not only did five buildings need to be demolished above the ground, but much of the demolition has taken place below the ground at the Cleveland Convention Center, Malls B and C and Exhibit Halls C and D on Lakeside Avenue. This phase of the demolition is nearing completion and involves a large volume of concrete.

“The Cleveland Convention Center was basically a gigantic concrete bathtub on top of which was the Cleveland mall,” says Dave Johnson of MMCC.

Much of the demolition has taken place below the ground at the Cleveland Convention Center, Malls B and C and Exhibit Halls C and D on Lakeside Ave. First crews had to scrape off the top of the mall, which consisted of the grass, dirt, sidewalks and trees. Once that was done, crews could demolish within the building itself, taking down column upon column, removing the old flooring and gutting the building. The demolition is being handled by Independence Excavating, Independence, Ohio. To meet LEED requirements on the project 95 percent of the demolition materials are being recycled. 20 to 25 percent of the crushed concrete on-site for stone fill, sidewalk, and roadway bedding materials. Much of the metal recovered is recycled as scrap and melted in blast furnaces where it will manufactured into new products. Kurtz Brothers in nearby Valley View, Ohio, is screening the remaining C&D material. Demolition has stayed on schedule without a day of work being missed. The base plan includes recovering 190,000 cubic yards of dirt and topsoil, 124,000 cubic yards of recyclable materials and 6,000 yards of waste. Mass demolition is expected to be finished in May 2011. Independence Excavating has an estimated 40 employees working at the site in addition to about 100 other contractors that currently are working there. A parking garage, Sportsmans Restaurant, the Court Annex Building, the Chicago Title Building and the 113 Building were also brought down. The project, being managed by MPPI, is working to obtain LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. concrete, steel, aluminum, copper, reinforcing steel, brick, block, wood, gypsum, asphalt, plastic, cardboard and paper are all being recycled to help meet the 95 percent recycling goal. 100 percent of the soil is being reused on other projects in Northeast Ohio. Construction of the MMCC is expected to be complete in fall 2013 The Public Auditorium connector is also nearly demolished. 75 to 80 percent of the materials recovered will be used for other local projects.

First, crews scraped off the top of the mall, which consisted of grass, dirt, sidewalks and trees. Once that was done, crews demolished within the building itself, taking down column upon column, removing the old flooring and gutting the building. The Public Auditorium connector also is nearly demolished and a new Public Auditorium switchgear room is more than half completed, including new conduit runs, studs, drywall, painting and equipment installation.

GOING FOR SILVER Independence Excavating, Independence, Ohio, is handling the demolition. To meet LEED requirements, 95 percent of the demolition materials are being recycled. Doug Thomas, project manager with Independence Excavating, says most of the ongoing work is removing concrete that is being crushed to an aggregate at nearby crushing facilities.

The MMCC will use 20 to 25 percent of the crushed concrete on site for stone fill, sidewalk and roadway bedding materials. The remaining 75 to 80 percent of the material will be used for other local projects – ones that Clevelanders are well aware of, such as work being done in the near-downtown neighborhood known as The Flats and the replacement of an interstate highway bridge. Thomas says 100 percent of the soil is being re-used on other projects in Northeast Ohio, including the aforementioned projects.

GOING GREENER FROM SEVERAL ANGLES

Recycling 95 percent of demolition debris isn’t the only sustainability initiative the Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center (MMCC) will implement into its design. Following are some of the ways the facility will reduce its environmental impact: •   the green roof of the new convention center will be enhanced with additional plant life and soil materials for more efficient stormwater filtration; •   water-efficient landscaping; •   natural lighting designed  to reduce the need for artificial lighting; •   a white reflective roof on the Medical Mart will reduce heat gain; •   motion sensors, low-flow washroom fixtures, dimmers and light reduction systems for reduced water and electricity use; •   the use of existing utilities rather than building and operating a separate HVAC system; •   using low- and no-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints, cleaning products and building materials; •   use of floor mats at all entrances to reduce debris carried through the building; and •   bike racks and nearby connections to bus and rail lines and elimination of parking spaces.

In addition to concrete, steel, aluminum, copper, reinforcing steel, brick, block, wood, gypsum, asphalt, plastic, cardboard and paper are all being recycled to help meet the 95 percent recycling goal. Kurtz Brothers in nearby Valley View, Ohio, is screening and sorting the mixed C&D material.

The plan includes recovering 190,000 cubic yards of dirt and topsoil and 124,000 cubic yards of recyclable materials, leaving 6,000 yards of waste. Thomas is optimistic his crew can keep waste below 6,000 cubic yards, achieving a recycling rate that exceeds the 95 percent goal. With about 80 percent of the demolition complete, an estimated 95,000 cubic yards of material have been recycled.

Demolition should be finished in May of 2011. “Right now, we are basically down to the floor level of the existing convention center,” said Independence Excavating’s Ed Wilk, project general superintendent, during a mid-April visit.

Wilk says he has been involved in many construction projects in downtown Cleveland but not of this scale. “Working in downtown Cleveland is always a challenge because the rest of the world is trying to go on while you are trying to build a building,” he comments.

Commotion has resulted during the last several months, as heavy machinery has taken up residence in the center of the city. Wilk estimates that nearly 30 to 40 trucks are hauling materials out each day. At the peak of the demolition, an estimated 100 trucks per day were hauling material from the site to be recycled.

Thomas describes the work site as “organized chaos.” There is quite a bit of activity going on, with trucks moving in and out, skid-steer loaders hauling material and larger excavators prying away at the existing structures. But for those in the know, it is orderly. Concrete goes into one pile, structural steel into another, masonry material that will be turned into mulch goes into yet another pile.

Independence Excavating has an estimated 40 employees working at the site in addition to 100 other contractors. Johnson has been pleased with the job the demolition workers have performed. “The crews did a terrific job in terms of a safe and quick demolition project. This is an enormous project,” he says.

Van Auken Akins Architects LLC, Cleveland, has held LEED workshops with the design, architectural and construction teams. These include monthly LEED progress meetings and regular on-site inspections.

Seattle-based LMN Architects, along with Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, also based in Seattle, created conceptual plans and design development drawings as the design architects. The Cleveland office of Turner Construction Co. is the design-build contractor, and the Cleveland office of San Francisco-based URS Corp. is the architect. Construction of the MMCC is expected to be complete in the fall of 2013. http://www.cdrecycler.com/article/cdr-0511-clearing-the-way/ Clearing the Way May 12, 2011 Construction & Demolition Recycling Kristin Smith

Executive Meeting Center The perfect place for executive meetings and corporate events, with more than 90,000-square-feet dedicated to state-of-the-art meeting rooms and a 32,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom

Exhibition Hall A 230,000-square-foot exhibition hall with 90-foot spacing between columns and a 30-foot-high ceiling, connected to 17 full truck bays, provides plenty of Class A exhibit space

Global Center for Health Innovation Located adjacent to the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, the Global Center for Health Innovation showcases the latest in healthcare technology, education and commerce