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 WKYC-TV 3: CLEVELAND -- Before construction crews can build a new convention center to be combined with the Medical Mart, they must tear down and dismantle the old one. MMPI, the project developer, is committed to recycle as much of the demolished building materials as possible. The goal is to recycle and reuse at least 95 percent of the concrete, metal and other building materials and equipment being deconstructed. The 95 percent recycling rate would be a construction record for a big project in Northeast Ohio, according to Michele Kilroy, of the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.  

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.

FROM THE PLAIN DEALER: Dump trucks still are parading through the downtown pit that will give rise to Cuyahoga County's new convention center, but officials already are debating finishing touches such as landscaping, lighting and sidewalks. Both governments got a look this week at renderings of the 1-million-square-foot complex, set to open in 2013. The Design Review committee recommended most of the design to the City Planning Commission, which on Friday approved the project, with the condition that MMPI, its architects and engineers continue to meet with the city to resolve issues. The commission's approval Friday gives MMPI the go-ahead to order materials, such as elm trees, and secure necessary building permits. 

On Mall B, crews have completed 11 caissons with drilling continuing. The pre-core drilling for all 66 future caisson locations has been completed. A caisson is a deep foundation support that is constructed by placing fresh concrete and reinforcing steel into a drilled shaft. These reinforced concrete piles are cast in holes of predetermined diameters and depths drilled through soil to reach bedrock.