Renovation of a conference / convention center in Cleveland, Ohio. Completed plans call for the renovation of a conference / convention center.

As of July 14 2025 this project is complete. The newly renovated Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, includes a guitar pic and peace sign ceiling. It's taken about a dozen years, two name changes and more than $50 million in renovations to find the “best and highest use” for the building on the corner of Ontario Street and St. Clair Avenue. ______________________________________ https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/12/global-center-board-locks-in-49-million-budget-for-renovations.html CLEVELAND, Ohio - The board overseeing the Global Center for Health Innovation on Monday approved a final $49 million budget to renovate the mostly vacant building into an extension of the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland. The price encompasses a maximum guaranteed construction cost of $39.8 million, and $9 million in other costs for things like furniture, design fees, consultants, and construction permits, Attorney Jeff Appelbaum told the Cuyahoga County Convention Facilities Development Corp board during a special meeting Monday. The total project cost also includes about $4 million in contingencies, and a potential bonus of around $150,000, if Turner Construction Company meets all its goals and completes the project on time. Majeed Makhlouf, vice chair of the board, called the renovation "a labor of love," requiring commitment and vision from a number of people and groups. He especially thanked the county for its funding and support, despite what he called the "disinformation campaign against what we were doing," referring to criticism that the county shouldn't be giving more money to the failed Global Center, formerly called the Medical Mart, at a time when the county was struggling to decide how to pay for a new jail and courthouse. The county contributed the bulk of the funding for the renovation, about $40.4 million, which includes $31 million in debt and $9.4 million in cash from federal stimulus money, the general fund and naming rights proceeds. The other $9 million comes from reserves of the taxpayer-funded CCCFDC. "Now the hard work begins," Makhlouf said, noting that the board needs to ensure that renovations are complete on time and that people "never lose focus of the vision of what we're here to do, which is to put heads in beds." That's how the board justified the spending from the beginning. By adding more meeting space, doubling the size of the junior ballroom and adding escalators, stairs, restrooms and other improvements, the center will be able to host more conventions and events that bring in visitors and revenue. Without it, officials argued at the time, the county would begin to lose money. Construction is scheduled to start in March, provided plans are approved by Cleveland's landmarks commission on Thursday and building permits are submitted at the start of the new year. Construction is expected to be complete by June 2024, in time to host the American Society of Association Executives, the largest gathering of national convention and meeting planners, two months later. During construction, 18% of contracts are expected to go to minority-owned businesses, 7% to women-owned businesses and 5% to other small businesses. Among the workforce, 40% will come from Cuyahoga County and 20% from Cleveland, with 18% minority participation in trades and 7% female participation. While the board's attorney, Jeff Appelbaum, said it was lucky the improvements could be completed for $49 million, amid cost escalations, inflation and supply chain issues, but he also began laying out options for how to use excess funds should the project finish under-budget. Right now, the scope of the project is limited to renovations to the ballroom and second and third floors of the Global Center, but any unused funds could be applied toward building more rooms and making upgrades on the 4th floor, he said. Another un-funded piece that remains in question is the addition of a $5 million skybridge connecting the convention center to the Marriott hotel. Executive Armond Budish once proposed it as part of the total project package, but council held off and Cleveland officials seemed likely to oppose it. That said, "the design of the project does not preclude the addition of a bridge in the future," Appelbaum said. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/09/cuyahoga-county-council-approves-40-million-to-renovate-global-center-for-health-innovation.html CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cuyahoga County Council Tuesday approved $40.4 million to turn the Global Center for Health Innovation into an extension of the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland. The county's money covers most of a proposed renovation of the Global Center, and includes $31 million in debt and $9.4 million in cash, which will come from $5 million in federal stimulus money, $3 million from the general fund and $1.4 million from convention center naming rights proceeds. The Cuyahoga County Convention Facilities Development Corp. -- the non-profit that oversees both facilities and is funded through annual payments from the county -- will pay an additional $9 million from its reserves to complete the project. Renovation plans total $54 million, though that figure includes a possible $5 million skybridge between the convention center and Marriott hotel that council has not formally considered. The cost of the renovation plan for the center, formerly known as the Medical Mart, has drawn deep skepticism from county residents who responded to a cleveland.com survey and oppose sinking more money into what many view as a boondoggle of a building. The two candidates vying to replace current County Executive Armond Budish next year - Republican Lee Weingart and Democrat Chris Ronayne - also oppose the spending. The center, which finished construction in 2013, has been mostly vacant for years. Its construction over a decade ago, coupled with a renovation of the attached convention center, cost county taxpayers $465 million. The Cuyahoga County Convention Facilities Development Corp., county leaders, and tourism officials want the facility renovated so it can serve as more space for the convention center, which they say will make Cleveland a more attractive place to host events and conventions, and draw in more business. The renovations would double the size of a junior ballroom to 22,000 square feet, create more meeting space on the upper floors of the building, and add escalators, stairs, restrooms and other improvements meant to be more conducive for hosting conventions and large numbers of attendees. David Gilbert, president and CEO of Destination Cleveland, previously said the renovations would bring Cuyahoga up to the "middle of the pack" in the convention industry, but not doing any work would result in lost convention business. The $31 million in economic development revenue bonds the county will issue to fund the renovations are expected to take 20 years to pay off. Yearly debt payments would amount to $2.5 million, to be split evenly between the county and the non-profit that oversees the complex. The county anticipates a 5% interest rate, but the final rate won't be known until bonds are issued. Council on Tuesday voted 8-1 in favor of the plan. Nan Baker was the only member to dissent. Cheryl Stephens and Jack Schron were absent and did not cast a vote. Baker said the county must do something to repurpose the Global Center, and favored portions of the renovation plans, such as adding escalators and improving an outdoor patio area. But she drew the line at plans to expand the ballroom, which she said would cost $20 million. Baker said that expansion ought to be considered at a later date, after officials show the initial renovations are successful. One supporter, Sunny Simon, said the plan was necessary because the Global Center is attached to the convention center, and "nobody's going to come in and take over this part," she said. "Its just going to rot...I think it'd be short-sighted of us to sit back and let it languish." ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/08/cuyahoga-county-council-advancing-plans-to-renovate-global-center-even-as-projects-cost-increases.html CLEVELAND, Ohio - The total cost of proposed improvements to the Global Center for Health Innovation grew from $46 million to $54 million on Tuesday, but Cuyahoga County Council is limiting its contribution to $40.4 million, for now. The county's contribution includes $31 million in debt to cover the bulk of renovations meant to officially merge the Global Center with the attached convention center. It also includes $9.4 million in cash - the $5 million council previously pledged from stimulus funds, $3 million from the general fund to cover the cost of inflation since the project was first proposed, and $1.4 million accumulated through naming rights on the facility. Another $9 million will come from the Cuyahoga County Convention Facilities Development Corporation's reserves, though as one councilmember pointed out, the fund is entirely supported by the county through annual payments to the governing board. Left out of funding was about $5 million to build a skywalk connecting the convention center to the Marriott hotel at Key Tower, which the majority of council members seemed to favor, but not entirely on the county's dime. Members wanted to know how much the hotel might contribute and how Cleveland officials feel about the bridge before considering the added cost. But even without the bridge, inflation has already driven the project's cost up to $49.4 million, an increase over the $46 million initially quoted for the same amount of work. "I'm sure it's justified, but it's still an increase that I didn't expect, to see this number go higher," Councilwoman Nan Baker said during Tuesday's Committee of the Whole meeting. Still, council voted to advance the proposal to second reading, with Council President Pernel Jones, Jr., giving it his full support and Councilwoman Sunny Simon stressing urgency in locking in the debt to avoid the risk of even higher interest rates. The current plan anticipates a 5% interest rate on a 20-year bond, with an annual debt service of $2.5 million to be paid equally by the CCCFDC board and the county. Councilwomen Yvonne Conwell and Cheryl Stephens voted against the spending. The vote followed three hours of council's questions after presentations by convention and tourism officials who stressed again their belief that the renovations are needed to make the convention center more attractive to host events and conventions. They want to double the junior ballroom to 22,000 square feet, create more meeting space on the upper floors of the Global Center and add escalators, stairs, bathrooms and back-of-house improvements to support the higher occupancy the tourism industry predicts will result from the changes. David Gilbert, president and CEO of Destination Cleveland, said the renovations would bring Cuyahoga up to the "middle of the pack" in industry standard, compared with competitors, but not doing any of them will eventually cost the county business. He characterized the renovations as "a cross between a need and a want," but warned "every year we wait, the further we fall behind." Council seemed receptive to the concept, but strongly questioned whether the scope should include expanding the junior ballroom, which accounts for nearly half of the project cost. Baker repeatedly pointed to several other ballrooms within close proximity to the Global Center that may also fill the need, especially if the county does decide later to build the skywalk connecting the convention space to the Marriot hotel, which also has a 10,000 square foot ballroom. Numerous officials, including Ron King, general manager for the Global Center, countered that event planners are looking for convention space with flexible sized rooms without having to send people outside to get there. Most convention centers support two ballrooms - one grand ballroom and one junior - so that it can also host multiple events simultaneously, he said. "Which is what exists now," Baker said. "Yes, it does," King conceded, though he said the expanded space offers more opportunities for use. A cleveland.com reader survey previously showed that most respondents do not support renovations, and the two candidates running to be the next county executive have also opposed the spending. Council repeatedly acknowledged those concerns during the meeting, but indicated they hope to make the convention expansion succeed where past ventures have failed. "I get a lot of people that tell me the Medical Mart was a disaster and we shouldn't be throwing good money after bad...but I don't think that's the right question," Councilman Dale Miller said. "I think the right question is from where we are right now, what is the best way we can take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves at this time "I think you're on the right track," Miller said. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2022/05/global-center-renovation-helps-expand-clevelands-travel-business-builds-on-proven-impact-david-gilbert.html CLEVELAND -- Cleveland's travel industry is poised to return to its position as a growth sector, despite the two-year pandemic. An important growth driver is the ability to host events and conventions at Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland. Opened in 2013, HCCC has hosted 1,500 conventions and events with nearly 2 million attendees, bringing $1 billion of outside spending to the region's economy and contributing to the creation of 5,000 hospitality jobs. But a lot has changed since the complex opened. According to Conventions, Sports & Leisure International (CSL), which studied our convention center in the context of industry demands, event planners now require different types of space - they need larger, flexible rooms that accommodate modular setups; outdoor space; and more natural light. They need technologically advanced space that allows hybrid attendance and engaging on-site experiences. They won't settle for less as they book events through 2030. To remain competitive and attract these events, we must expand the convention center complex. This investment will strengthen downtown Cleveland and support the region. Now is the time to do it. Competitors like Columbus and Louisville are expanding. And, in 2024, we will host the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). According to ASAE, about 20% of ASAE attendees will book an event in the host city within five years - if the host venue meets their needs. We can efficiently and cost-effectively expand the complex to showcase it during ASAE by fully using the largely vacant West Block building, also known as the Global Center for Health Innovation, as part of the Convention Center. The structure, which is fully attached to and integrated with the Convention Center, frequently serves as the complex's "front door." The atrium and junior ballroom on the West Block's first floor were built as part of the convention center's meeting space. An expansion of the first-floor meeting space will add the large, divisible rooms event planners demand and of which our competitors already have more. The former Medical Mart occupied floors two through four, space that can easily be adapted into flexible meeting space, with outdoor access and natural light. The project would cost an estimated $46 million, about half of which is being asked of Cuyahoga County. This modest $23 million investment is the best solution to two pressing needs for the county: expansion of convention center space and solidifying the West Block building's future. Logistically, it would be expensive and complicated to disconnect the West Block from the Convention Center complex and sell it to a private entity, as some have advocated. The structures share many systems, including mechanical operations, data services and security monitoring. Separating the buildings would take away the first-floor meeting space, reducing Cleveland's competitiveness and leading to lost business. This expansion of and investment in the Convention Center complex will be a catalyst for regional economic growth, creating 490 hospitality jobs, $18.4 million in wages and more than $3 million in tax revenue annually. The CSL study determined that this investment could realize a 23% increase - or $21 million annually - in direct spending by visitors, compared to our pre-pandemic three-year average. If we do nothing, we stand to lose 9% ($7.8 million a year) in event-related spending. Here's the bottom line. While the Medical Mart concept didn't succeed as many hoped it would, we cannot allow that past to determine our future. The Convention Center is a regional asset that re-energized Cleveland's meetings and conventions industry, made us more competitive and created jobs. Failure to invest in it now undermines the $465 million investment made in the Convention Center and the people working in hospitality that rely on a strong convention presence. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ SMG, as managing agent ("SMG") for the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland (the "HCCC") and the Global Center for Health and Innovation (the "GCHI") on behalf of the Cuyahoga County Convention Facilities Development Corporation ("CCCFDC"), is seeking to retain a firm to provide Design-Build services under a bridging design-build project delivery system for the project described in Exhibit A attached hereto (the "Project"). In addition to a Project description, Exhibit A contains a description of the scope of services required (the "Services"). Each firm submitting a response to this RFQ is hereinafter referred to as a "Responding Firm." The HCCC (located at 300 Lakeside Ave E, Cleveland, Ohio) and GCHI (located at 1 St. Clair Avenue NE, Cleveland, Ohio) are managed by SMG as agent for CCCFDC. (SMG and CCCFDC are collectively referred to herein as "Owner.") Project Management Consultants LLC ("PMC") has been engaged as Owner's project representative, with Ellis Katz as the point of contact. All comments, questions or requests for information concerning this Request for Qualifications (and the corresponding procedures and requirements) must be addressed in writing, via email to the following: Project Management Consultants LLC Attention: Ellis Katz Email: Ellis.Katz@AboutPMC.com If a Responding Firm is unable to deliver its Response by email, it should immediately contact Ellis Katz at (216) 566-5853 prior to the Response Due Date for further delivery instructions