MidWest
Medical Mart, Convention Center Design Unveiled in Cleveland
August 17, 2010
Architects working on designs for the new Cleveland convention center have proposed a contemporary makeover for the Cleveland Mall, the century-old public park where Cuyahoga County plans to build what it hopes will be the nation's first medical mart, local newspaper
The Plain Dealer reported last week.
In an Aug. 5 presentation to stakeholders, including the Cleveland Design Review Committee, Landmarks Commission and City Planning Commission, Seattle-based LMN Architects introduced its vision for Cleveland's planned medical mart, which will be built on the site of the existing, 85-year-old Cleveland Convention Center in downtown Cleveland, parts of which will be rebuilt in order to create a new and improved convention center facility that's connected to the medical mart.
Lauded by commission and committee members, the proposed design includes a re-imagined Cleveland Mall that consists of a grassy slope rising more than 20 feet toward Lake Erie between the medical mart and Cleveland's Public Auditorium; a low glass-fronted building that would serve as the entrance to the underground convention center at the bottom of the hill; and tree-lined promenades lined with "urban rooms," such as gardens or a dog park.
"It's a pretty exciting design scheme," said Cuyahoga County spokesperson Jeff Appelbaum, according to The Plain Dealer. "It solves all the issues in a dramatic and fun fashion."
Upon completion in October 2013, the new facility will have approximately 120,000 square feet of permanent showrooms available for lease by medical manufacturers, as well as 300,000 square feet of exhibit space and approximately 160,000 square feet of meeting space. According to LMN's designs, the project's medical mart portion will be a modern, four-story glass structure centered around an atrium. Its convention center component, meanwhile, will inhabit the city's existing convention space, which is located underground — beneath the Cleveland Mall — and will be completely renovated with flexible interiors that can be configured in a variety of ways.
"This is extraordinary," Landmarks Commission member Bill Mason told The Plain Dealer, speaking about the proposed design. "It's a great innovation. Surprising, but makes sense at the same time."
Despite its enthusiasm for LMN's plans, the Design Review Committee has delayed its vote on them by several weeks, pending additional information about project specifications. If the designs are approved, the project's developer, Chicago-based MMPI, expects to break ground on construction as early as October.
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