History

The vision for Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center began in 2005 as an idea to capitalize on Cleveland’s tremendous healthcare leadership. Since this time, MMPI and County officials have been dedicated to turning the concept into a reality – both for healthcare professionals and those who call Cleveland home.

During the summer of 2007, the County proposed a quarter of a cent sales tax increase to collect funds to support the development of a new convention center. Cuyahoga County Commissioners envisioned the economic benefits that a medical mart, combined with a convention center, would drive to the region and the sales tax was passed.

After a site selection committee formed by the Greater Cleveland Partnership recommended the facility be built on Forest City owned land behind the Tower City complex at a cost of $536,000,000, MMPI diligently worked to identify ways in which the Medical Mart and Convention Center could be built within the anticipated funds provided by the .25% tax increase passed in July, 2007 and to improve the efficiencies of the complex.

MMPI completed a broad evaluation of more than 18 sites throughout Cuyahoga County and, with the urging of County officials, focused its efforts on three downtown sites including Forest City, the existing convention center, and the flats. During this thorough evaluation, MMPI engaged a team of architects, estimators, engineers and consultants to evaluate more than 30 different scenarios on these sites. The assessment of the three downtown sites included everything from structural engineering analyses to space planning and design. MMPI selected Valerio Dewalt Train to lead the architectural development and worked with several different construction and estimating firms including Walsh Construction, Turner Construction and PCS, to apply cost estimates to the various schemes.