FROM DESIGN DEVELOP CONSTRUCT (Winter, 2011 edition): Designed to bring buyers and sellers together, the Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center (Cleveland MMCC) is the world’s first market facility targeted specifically to the medical and healthcare industry. The state-of-the-art facility integrates state-of-the-art permanent showrooms with world-class convention and conference facilities in a single structure to uniquely meet the innovation, education and commerce needs of the medical marketplace.

 

Cleveland MMCC is a $465 million Cuyahoga County project being developed, managed, and marketed by MMPI. MMPI is the world’s leading owner and operator of showroom buildings and trade show facilities, bringing buyers and sellers together in more than 300 market events, trade and consumer shows and conferences each year. Building on this expertise, MMPI brings an unparalleled level of professionalism, exemplary customer service and collaborative partnerships to its development, management and marketing of Cleveland MMCC.

 

“Cleveland MMCC will strongly position Cleveland on the map as a convention destination,” says Brian Casey, Vice President and General Manager. “Cleveland is the nation’s medical capital and we have an opportunity to capitalize on this strength to bring healthcare trade shows and conventions to Northeast Ohio.”

 

COMPREHENSIVE MARKETPLACE

Construction began January 3, 2011 with a completion date set for fall 2013. Cleveland MMCC will consist of a 235,000 square foot medical mart in downtown Cleveland and an adjoining convention center with 230,000 square feet of Class A exhibit space. The facility also includes more than 90,000 square feet dedicated to meeting rooms and a Grand Ballroom overlooking Lake Erie. Costs are estimated at $465 million.

 

One of the main features of the Cleveland MMCC is the 230,000 square foot, class A tradeshow facility that offers high-quality exhibit space with high ceilings and industry-standard column spacing. Ideal for hosting simultaneous events and those that need to be paired with conference capabilities, Cleveland MMCC offers approximately 60,000 square feet of high-tech, flexible meeting rooms that are meant to accommodate keynote sessions, seminars and panel discussions.

 

“I strongly believe that this is a game changer for Cleveland,” said Casey. “With the awareness that this facility will create within the convention and healthcare industry, we will see a significant uptick in economic impact and the potential for businesses to relocate here to set up their operations.”

 

When Cleveland MMCC opens in 2013, the content of the Medical Mart will reflect the technology drivers impacting current trends in healthcare – access, cost reduction and improved outcomes. Among the charter tenants are global companies with billions of dollars in sales and enormous international influence, including Johnson Controls, Invacare, STERIS, Clariant, BlueStar, and Cleveland Clinic. The advances made in this facility will pave the way for the newest generation of innovation and distribution in the healthcare sector.

 

EXTENSIVE RESEARCH

The Cleveland office of Turner Construction Company and Cleveland-based URS were selected in May, 2010 as the design-build team for the Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center. Turner will serve as the design-build contractor and URS will fulfill the role of architect of record for the project. LMN Architects has been creating conceptual plans and design development drawings as the design architect. LMN will handle the first two phases of a three-step design process.

 

As LMN completes the conceptual plans and design development drawings, Turner will partner with URS to bring the design to 100 percent completion. Under this arrangement, LMN is responsible to MMPI and the county, ensuring greater control over the quality of the final product. As the architect of record, URS will be responsible for completing the final blueprints from which the project will be built and will answer directly to Turner Construction Company as the design-build contractor. The county and MMPI selected Turner after issuing a competitive request-for-proposal to four firms for the design-builder role, reviewing proposals, and conducting final interviews.

 

Since the onset of planning for the facility, MMPI has aggressively implemented its long-standing practice of sustainability and protection of the environment into the design, construction, and operation of Cleveland MCCC.

 

MMPI is no novice to the idea or practice of sustainability in its buildings throughout North America.  In November 2007, the U.S. Green Buildings Council awarded MMPI LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) Silver Certification for the Merchandise Mart in Chicago.

 

MMPI is pursuing LEED Silver Certification for Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center through a comprehensive sustainability plan, including reducing the quantity of water needed in the design by using more efficient fixtures, optimizing energy efficiency through lighting and HVAC designs, purchasing materials with less environmental impact, and eliminating sources of indoor air pollution during demolition, construction and management of the facility.

 

The comprehensive sustainability plan for the new Cleveland MMCC includes building the new Convention Center below grade with a green roof. The new Convention Center will replace the existing below-grade structure but will enhance the mall with extensive additional plant life and soil materials that more efficiently filter storm water. The new mall also features water-efficient landscaping using minimal water, including a plan for drought-tolerant plants to reduce water consumption.  In addition, substantial attention was given over to implementing an aggressive recycling plan which targeted 95 percent reuse of facility debris.

 

The Medical Mart will feature extensive natural lighting, reducing the need for and usage of artificial lighting. The Convention Center will also provide extensive windows for natural lighting, particularly the Lakeside Avenue entrance and Lake Erie overlook from the Grand Ballroom.  The white reflective roof on the above-ground Medical Mart will reduce heat gain in the facility and lessen energy usage. 

 

MMPI will further lessen the environmental impact of the new facility by utilizing existing utilities rather than building and operating a separate HVAC system.

 

Located in the heart of the nation’s medical capital, Cleveland MMCC will deliver visitors, convention goers, and medical mart customers to downtown hotel rooms, restaurants, and entertainment venues. Cleveland MMCC will generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually based on conferences and conventions, trade shows, medical mart customers, daily operations, and special events and is projected to attract thousands of visitors to downtown Cleveland, thus pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy.

 

“The facility will have a tremendous economic benefit on the community, bringing in thousands of annual visitors to medical mart showrooms and healthcare and non-medical trade shows and conventions,” said Casey.

 

Providing the necessary tools needed to conduct business more efficiently, the Cleveland MMCC represents the new home for healthcare clinicians, suppliers, purchasers, specifiers, service providers and administrators worldwide, and a new approach to the healthcare convention industry moving forward.

 

Full story: http://www.ddcjournal.com/issues/winter2011/