FROM HOME FURNISHINGS BUSINESS: Brian Casey is resigning his post as president and CEO of the High Point Market Authority because he has been named general manager of the Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center. In his new position, Casey will be responsible for attracting trade show business to the facility, as well as potential clients and events for the Cleveland Medical Mart. He will also oversee all departmental functions including construction, operations, finance, and leasing, while implementing the strategic positioning and marketing plans for the facility, its tenants and trade shows. 

FROM THE PLAIN DEALER: High-rolling projects from a casino to a new convention center could push hotel occupancy in downtown Cleveland to levels not seen in more than a decade. That's what hotel managers are hoping, at least, with construction under way on a $350 million casino on Public Square and a $465 million convention center and medical mart in the heart of the city. Consultants say downtown Cleveland could become more stable, thanks to the first phase of a casino set to open next year and a convention center and medical mart -- a medical-device showplace -- to debut in fall 2013. 

FROM THE PLAIN DEALER: Developers of Cuyahoga County's medical mart and convention center anticipate a successful venture. MMPI executives predict the complex will lure 60 medical conventions and 100 smaller health care meetings a year, populating downtown with 300,000 annual visitors. They project each visitor will go through $1,100 while here, generating $330 million in direct spending for the local economy. And each of those dollars will be spent again and again in local businesses, ramping up the total economic impact to $990 million per year. 

FROM WTAM-AM 1100: Newsradio WTAM 1100 received a tour of the job site, and found it a beehive of activity, with crews using heavy equipment and working in many locations. On the east side of the site, the separation of the Public Auditorium connector which was built in the 1960s had been completed, and is ready for demolition. The space will open up a dramatic view of Lake Erie. In three months, crews have demolished the Justice Center parking deck, the Chicago Title and County Annex buildings, and the Sportsman’s Restaurant. Demolition is also proceeding on schedule on the Convention Center and Malls B and C. No less than 95% of the debris from the facility is slated for recycling and reuse, including a variety of materials such as metal, tin, aluminum, copper, brass, and concrete. 

FROM CONSTRUCTION SUPERINTENDENT: Turner Construction Company, the design-build contractor for Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center (Cleveland MMCC), hosted an onsite BBQ luncheon Friday, April 29 for contractors and onsite construction workers to celebrate the first 100 days of construction with no lost time due to accident. More than 200 workers enjoyed the festivities on the Cleveland MMCC construction site, commemorating a total of 136,165 man hours completed during the first 100 days on the job with no time lost due to accident.

FROM MIDWEST REAL ESTATE NEWS: Commercial real estate brokers who do business in Cleveland say that there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about this Midwest industrial-anchored city. For instance, the massive, and definitely high-tech Medical Mart project is now underway. And the city is already home to the esteemed University Hospitals and Cleveland Clinic. The Medical Mart project includes a new convention center and a sprawling marketplace; it’s a bit like Chicago’s famed Merchandise Mart, only focusing on medical and health-related innovations.

Mall C demolition is roughly 95% complete with the foundations for the East Stair Tower to be removed by early next week. Interior demolition is 50% completed on the existing Exhibit Halls ‘’C’’ and ‘’D’’ on the lower level of Mall C. On the former Mall B, crews have completed more than 50 pre-cores for caissons with caisson drilling underway. More than 60 micro-piles are complete. Demolition continued on Mall B next to Public Auditorium. Metal sheeting continued along St. Clair Avenue, moving westward, with this activity expected to be completed by next week. With the sheeting work complete, crews will now begin excavation down to finish exhibit hall floor. Continued demolition of the topping slab and 4’ interstitial sand volume, this work is approximately 95% complete. The temporary construction ramp being constructed will extend from the Exhibit hall floor to Lakeside Avenue.

FROM FRESH WATER: As Downtown bustles with construction at the site of the future Medical Mart and Convention Center (MMCC), a different sort of energy bubbles a few blocks away at the offices of Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. (MMPI). The private management organization is tasked with filling the Medical Mart with tenants and booking events for the new Convention Center well in advance of its 2013 completion.