Honey, They Shrunk the Convention Center

There's been some hoopla about a preliminary design (finally) and some bare bones budget numbers (finally) for the new convention center. MMPI and LMN Architects released some pretty pictures and detailed floor plans. And I’ll be the first to say I think some of the design concepts are first rate. Four years and $100 million dollars later, but it’s a good start. 

Yet one glaring fact was overlooked by the media, the business community, the county candidates…and almost everyone else. I’ve told you before: I do my homework. I study the details because the devil’s in the details. And I think I noticed a disturbing one.

The new convention center is shrinking at an alarming rate. 

The three floor plans provided by LMN Architects and published in The Plain Dealer show “flexible interiors” of the convention center. One shows 300,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space, another includes “meeting space,” and a third includes two ballroom areas.  But the additional meeting, ballroom and facility areas are not additional spaces, only temporary conversions of exhibition space. 

What’s going on here? Every previous incarnation of the convention center, from the original space requirements provided by the county through all design proposals included  @ 300,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space PLUS conference facility/meeting and ballroom space of @ 160,000 sf. Unless something was omitted from the LMN presentation, about 20 percent of the total space is gone.  Somewhere between 65,000 and 110,000 sq. ft. of the new convention center has suddenly vanished into thin air. And that’s not just my opinion; some of the leading design, development and construction experts in this area agree. 

No doubt there’s a reason - money comes to mind. Has the county discovered that the convention center design cannot be kept within budget at original size requirements?  And instead of going public, did they decide to keep it quiet and try to tiptoe past the media and the citizens with a downsized version masked as “flexible” space? 

I suppose the county and MMPI can claim they’ll still be able to offer a full 300,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space for larger conventions. But aren’t these the same conventions that will need the maximum added ballroom or facility space as well? That means our new convention center is out of the running for the first tier conventions (not nearly big enough), and now the second tier as well (not quite big enough).  

The glorious new convention center we were promised is morphing into a modest-sized but very expensive party center. Can’t you just see those accordion-wall partitions now? 

I have been a supporter of the Med Mart/Convention Center project since its inception. It’s a wonderful concept and a perfect fit for Cleveland, with our peerless medical sector and wonderful amenities. And we need major projects like this to spur the region’s economy and get us back on the progress track. 

But it won’t mean a thing if we don’t do it right. And we can’t do it right if we don’t stop the shenanigans - the secret plans, no-bid contracts, bait-and-switch, lax oversight, promises broken - it’s all got to stop. And just like with the county itself, I’m going to roll up my sleeves, wade into to the convention center, turn it around, and get it back on the right track.

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