Turn left. No, turn right. No, turn diagonally. No go straight.
It’s always good to have crisp, credible directions. Otherwise, how do you know where you are going?
Cuyahoga County Commissioners yesterday gave new directions to where they want to take us. If only we had any idea that they had any real idea where they are taking us.
What they said yesterday doesn’t jibe at all with what the plan for the medical mart and the convention center was when the Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP), at the Commissioners’ behest, said when announcing plans last August on the proper site for the project.
The site chosen in August was to be at Tower City on the Cuyahoga River for the convention center and at the Higbee building for the medical mart.
In August the site was $50 million cheaper; yesterday the higher-priced site became $108 cheaper. My, what you can do by just writing figures on a piece of paper.
In August, the water table made the weight of the mall site unworkable; the new story – the mall site affords a workable foundation to lower costs. You can change anything these days.
Other reasons for the August site selection that seem to have evaporated: The project can be done quicker utilizing the Higbee building, “accelerating the project while maintaining Cleveland’s leadership in this new endeavor;” it won’t interfere with the existing convention center; infrastructure costs “minimized;” it will revive Tower City retail; and first on its list, we have “Connectivity” – public transportation from Hopkins Airport to University Circle and indoor links to hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues (Gateway). “Cleveland’s climate makes connectivity even more important.”
Never mind!
The 98-page GCP-guided August report (and the $100,000 or so) with backup documentation apparently went down the drain as the Commissioners and MMPI (Merchandise Mart Properties Inc.), the Chicago outfit given the task of building and operating this new venture, met and hastily changed it all once again.
Sorry, Sam and Scott, we’re going in another direction.
We may, however, have more unseen problems than were admitted yesterday.
“This wasn’t a well-choreographed play,” said Nance. His words are already in contest for “Understatement of the Year”.
I understand that a question was asked about the use of eminent domain in taking the property at the corner of Ontario and St. Clair.
The answer, as I was told, was that eminent domain could not be used since the project will be under the control of MMPI, which isn’t a governmental bond but a private business.
This could have a great effect on cost and also time – two ingredients important to overall cost - as there will have to be private bargaining with the owners of a substantial part of the building of the medical mart, which would sit on this land.
It’s clear that the County Commissioners – Jimmy Dimora, Peter Lawson Jones and Tim Hagan – wanted to cut through the debacle they’ve helped create over this error-prone idea.
Scott Wolstein’s attempt to nudge himself into the deal with his desire to have the project built where his stalled Flats development is planned likely forced the Commissioners into a decision.
It’s difficult for anyone to have confidence in this hurried decision.
We can partially blame the Plain Dealer for its role in pushing so hard for a resolution of the entire medical mart/convention center issue.
They want the square into the round hole no matter what.
The paper may have pushed so hard, put so much pressure on public officials that we have a hastily developed plan than hasn’t been carefully evaluated and will lead to further problems.
Oh, well, when we have those terrible cost run-overs (I know MMPI is supposed to be responsible but I don’t believe it and there is no contract with MMPI) Tim can find some County money to gloss over the embarrassment.
Here we go again folks.
Links:
[1] http://realneo.us/content/george-voinovich-should-go-quietly
[2] http://realneo.us/content/roldo-bartimole-0
[3] http://realneo.us/content/goldbergs-message-pd-staff