Testimonials

	Testimonials How do you feel a new convention center will affect Cleveland and Northeast Ohio? Dave Hiscock, Cleveland, Harick LLC "As our wise forefathers knew when they built public hall in 1920, an attractive and functional new convention hall is an important element in establishing national prominence and leading the city forward...." Buck King, Cleveland "This can be done privately!" Joseph Meredith, Jr., Garfield Heights "I think a new Convention Center at Tower City would have a tremendous effect on Downtown Cleveland. A new Convention Center at this location would have a far bigger impact on the downtown market and this region than the current Convention Center site. The Tower City location's close proximity to Gateway, the East 4th Entertainment district, the Warehouse District, the Flats and the Euclid Corridor clearly make it the right choice. And you can include the fact that RTA could deliver conventioneers directly from Hopkins Airport to the Convention Center, completely untouched by Cleveland's sometimes tough winters. And the RTA Lakefront line could also shuttle conventioneers to and from Lakefront attractions like the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame, the Science Center, and Cleveland Browns Stadium. When you include these facts in the equation, the answer is Tower City. And lastly, as a native Clevelander, I have often wondered why the area behind the Tower City Complex looked unfinished. I can't think of any city that I have visited that looks like this – with a cliff off Huron Street and an office complex with its back to the river. This proposal by Forest City would allow the city to complete the connection to the Cuyahoga River by designing a Convention Center Complex that cascades down to the river, instead of turning its back on it. Thanks." Joshua "I don't think this will really do so much for Cleveland. All I think this will do is make a little rise in business. Businesses will not come to a different city that does not look good. They come because there are good neighborhoods with people who have good intentions and good morals in life, people who are well respected individuals. We need to work on rebuilding some of the people here first." Derek Ware, Atlanta GA "It will have a positive effect on Cleveland and many surrounding communities, not just in Northeast Ohio. I have seen first hand the effects of an upscale Convention Center. It would bring jobs and revenue to Cleveland." Steele Nowlin, Broadview Heights "It will help the Rock Hall, Science Center and downtown retail, as well as keep the Flats and Warehouse Districts afloat. There are not enough local patrons to do that. I believe done correctly, that it can also be a positive shot to the arts in all forms as visitors and families take side trips and do evening events. I like the Terminal site because of access to shopping and to the transit to the Flats. Wouldn't it be great if it needed to be extended to Severance and the museums with additional lakefront development along the way?" Jonathan Glance, Cleveland "Having just come from Denver's Convention center, it is clear to me that conventions have a very positive impact on the local economy. The streets (and shops) were filled with conventioneers spending liberally with their company's expense accounts. Locating a convention center in proximity to an existing retail/restaurant node is the most logical solution, in that that node will get a shot in the arm from the convention traffic. That is why the river site is my vote. Anything we can do to help Tower City and Euclid Ave/East 4th will be great. And the Warehouse District is right around the bend." Dan Rothenfeld, Bratenhal "The Mall Plan is the opportunity to complete a reconnection from lakefront amenities to Public Square, infusing existing yet disconnected resources – Galleria, Arcades, Warehouse District – with a core institution, incorporating Amtrak and utilizing Burke Airport." Sandro Santoli, Parma (soon to be Cleveland) "I think it can have a positive effect if it's built properly and requires financial resources from the entire region, not just the city of Cleveland. We've heard all this talk about regionalism. Now is an opportunity to make it work for something that all of northeast Ohio will benefit from. This means that all of Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, Medina, and Lorain counties should chip in or no one from those counties should be offered jobs out of this and hotels in those counties should not be included as suggested accommodations for those who attend the convention." J.C., Medina, A Meeting Planner (with 20+ years experience) "This would be the most positive move for Cleveland. Cleveland is a secondary convention/meeting city with so much to offer. We have a Continental hub, great hotels with terrific room rates, great meeting venues such as the House of Blues, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the theatre district, Jacobs Field, the Science Center and wonderful Warehouse district restaurants. We also have a taxi industry to support. These businesses will not exist on tourist traffic alone. Yes, we have the IX Center, but that is located at the airport with nothing to do and scattered hotels/motels, and the facility is old and not very appealing to out of town association and corporate meetings. I don't believe the new convention center is looking to take those big IX shows away from the center. The new convention center should set its sights on association and corporate meetings and tradeshows. These are the kinds of events that fill up a city and give people jobs! I am from D.C. and before the first convention center was erected, that area was the worst place to drive through and walk around. Now, there are many grand hotels, wonderful shopping, and fantastic restaurants. With the second convention center, which now houses "Springtime in the Park," (a tradeshow for meeting planners and hoteliers/vendors with approximately 1800 booths) and many other meetings and tradeshows, a lot of people and business (especially for the taxi industry) has been brought to this newly rejuvenated area. The Inner Harbor in Baltimore (www.harborplace.com) (secondary meeting city) is another city that went through a major rejuvenation and is now a premier meeting area. Hotels in Baltimore in season (which is April to October approximately) cost over $200/night and they are booked at least 2-3 years out. Rack rates are about the same. Isn't that the kind of business Cleveland is looking for? The Inner Harbor is a great place for meetings and families. Cleveland needs to position itself as a great meeting place -- Cleveland also needs a Convention Bureau that supports this enthusiasm! I know associations here in Cleveland that won't take their own tradeshows/meetings to the convention center. So why should anyone else? If Cleveland doesn't wake up and do something about the convention center and making downtown Cleveland the "hot spot/premier city" for meetings and tradeshows, we are going to miss the boat completely and eventually Continental will pull its hub, the House of Blues will close and many other venues will wonder why they are still here! Don't think Cleveland wants that kind of reputation. Thank you!" Robert Toth, Cleveland "This will reinforce and re-invigorate the concept that Cleveland IS and always has been - "The Best Location in the Nation. " " IF, IF, IF we highlight and use our Local – in order of importance to this Center -Cleveland, Inner-ring and Outer-ring Suburban talent/artisans/craftsmen. This will uplift and instill civic pride and ownership. We have the talents and resources, let's USE them!" Penny Jeffrey, Parma Heights "Very little, unless the city designs and markets a facility with specific, small/medium REGIONAL conferences. I have been in convention centers in Detroit, LA, SF, Dallas, Chicago, San Diego, Boston, Philadelphia, DC, Toronto, Atlanta, San Antonio, Las Vegas, New York City, etc. and have yet to experience one that is well-designed, user-friendly, or aesthetically pleasing. They all lose money, even in better markets than Cleveland. What would be different here, unless CFA designs in a totally new way? Our convention center would have to be totally different in order to get any favorable attention. We don't need something else that loses money big time." Jennifer Helmick, Kent "I believe that a new convention center would be crucial to the further development of Cleveland. It has the potential to create and maintain jobs, strengthen our economy, and draw visitors from around the US and the world to our great city." Allen Harris, Cleveland “I have been to several conventions at the current facility and agree, wholeheartedly, that something has to change significantly. I am pleased that the center will remain at its current site, primarily because costs need to be kept low. If a new convention center is created that utilizes the best of what that site has to offer (Lakefront view, access to entertainment attractions, and access to Amtrak/RTA) AND costs are kept in check, it will be a boon to Cleveland. If we spend too extravagantly (and all the data shows future national convention income is tentative at best) then we will set ourselves up for a huge failure. A modest, useable, and uniquely-Cleveland convention center should be our goal." Anonymous "It will retain and expand jobs for Clevelanders." Is your job affected by convention business? Steele Nowlin, Broadview Heights "I think we need it to keep Downtown alive and active. There are not enough local dollars to continue to support the arts, museums, Warehouse and Flats districts. I live in the suburbs and do not have a job that would be affected in any way by a convention center. But a center would help maintain a great lifestyle in the Cleveland area." Tell us what you would like to see in an expanded Convention Center. Damon Stakes, Parma "Promoting attendance year-round at the Cleveland Convention Center My suggestion to promote year-round attendance at the Cleveland Convention Center has nothing whatsoever to do with building a new or an expanded convention center. This is a here and now proposition, a novel and inexpensive way to promote Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and Northeast Ohio. Please give this proposal a second look. During the Great Depression, the City of Cleveland opened the Great Lakes Exposition, attracting four million visitors to the city, in 1936. Yes, 4,000,000! Seventy years later, we need to transform Cleveland and Northeast Ohio into the vacation location in 2006. Convert the Cleveland Convention Center into a magnet to attract visitors during the weeks and months that have no activities presently planed. According to the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland, no events are planed for February and July and only one event each for August, October, and December. Establish a permanent Great Lakes Exposition Visitors and Information Center at the Cleveland Convention Center during these under-utilized times. Through exhibits, maps and pictures, showcase Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and Northeast Ohio. Encourage people to journey to local amusement and historical areas, biking, hiking and horticultural locations, and area museums and sporting events. Every week that the Cleveland Convention Center is available, spotlight a new exhibit. Focus on something regionally unique to all greater Clevelanders and to a world-wide audience. Capture our past and our imaginations. For example, underwater photos of sunken ships, legends of treasures and tragedies on Lake Erie, eye witnessed accounts of the Lake Erie Monster, ghost sightings, the mob to the macabre (Kinsbury Run), the National Air Races, Nano technology, medical marvels, reveal only a glimpse, we have so may stories to share. There is a reason that Cuyahoga County is larger in population than Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming. Lets show it to the world. Make Cleveland and Northeast Ohio - The Vacation Location." Anonymous "The present center has a charm and coziness that a new center, despite modern gadgets and glitziness, cannot capture. I went to the I.X. Center for the first time in 2005 for the R.V. show. I went remembering the show from the old convention center which was a disappointment. The I.X. is great for the proper exhibits (indoor amusement parks, etc.), but for an intimate relaxed time it can't compare. You should poll people who have been to the same show at both places and see what they think. Regardless of the outcome, Cleveland is too great a town to sit idly by. I wish the best to whatever the choice. This city deserves it." Joshua "A connection with Tower City! It helps so much with parking!" James Lee, Lakewood "I work for various contractors. My primary job is to move the shows in and out. I worked my first show at Public Hall in 1973 and have worked in Portland, San Jose, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Detroit, Indy, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Boston, Charlotte, West Springfield (Mass), Nashville (both Opryland and the downtown center), Atlanta, and Baltimore. I look forward to the long, long- overdue, new Cleveland Convention Center." Don Toth, Olmsted Twp. "I would like to see a casino attached to one side with a hotel on the other side. Get a casino to look at the idea and foot the bill to review the possibility. Don’t be in hurry. Let’s do it right the first time. If you do what’s on the table now, who is going to stand for the cost overruns? And they will happen." Anna, Cleveland "Re-use and expand the existing convention center instead of building a new Convention Center. Downtown Cleveland has enough abandoned buildings without having yet another vacant property." Sandro Santoli, Parma (soon to be Cleveland) "It would be nice to connect the Convention Center to an indoor rapid station. That way people can easily get from the airport to the Center without stepping into cold or wet weather. You should also rent space out to restaurants who want to set up shop there. Food at convention centers in other cities is usually run by the convention center so it tends to be low quality and high priced. People like to meet and talk over food and beverages so people would spend a lot of money there. Also, there's nowhere to sit in other convention centers. So it would be nice to have more couches and tables around for people to gather. Dry erase boards scattered around walls here and there are another way to encourage dialogue and people will associate Cleveland with a productive place to meet." Howard Hoehn, Westlake "I would like to see the expanded Convention Center provide more for Cleveland than just bigger and newer facilities. The Mall site over the RR tracks would be a good example. It would provide more direct access to the lakefront, stadium, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as well as the Science Center. In addition, it would connect to the Amtrak Station (which is really isolated) and provide an opportunity for an improved station. The proposed parking garage would serve all of the facilities mentioned above. As far as providing for overall improvement to the area, this site appears to be a "no brainer" and can be accomplished with little impact on any existing adjacent facilities." Raymond Wicktora, Cleveland "I would like to see the Public Hall/Music Hall/Little Theatre complex restored and put to greater use as a performance venue. Spaces like these would be nearly prohibitive to duplicate today. Night-time entertainment uses would complement (primarily) daytime convention uses in the remainder of the center." Chris Bongorno, Cleveland "I can appreciate the need to update and expand our current Convention Center. I understand the role it plays for the hospitality, tourism and business sectors of our local and regional economy. However, as a resident, if I'm going to see tax increases that affect my day-to-day life, I want to feel that this isn't being built strictly for out-of-towners and local business interests that won't directly benefit me. That being said, I feel that it is critical for the design of the new facilities to provide some sort of amenity for Downtown residents and workers that is clearly absent at present. This could be recreational or entertainment or just creative space for public use, such as galleries, events, movies, a museum of Cleveland history, etc. This would involve a great deal of public input and I believe it is imperative to selling the idea of building a new convention center in a saturated market to the wider Cleveland constituency." Steve Yannaras "If we're going to invest in this, please ensure quality design. For example, do not build something along the likes of the new Cincinnati Convention center - something like the Pittsburgh center would be nice. The design I've seen with elements that include expansion over the railroad tracks would be an excellent way to go. This will be a long term structure, so build it in a functional but also, eye pleasing way." Brandon Vulpitta, Avon Lake "The convention center is one of the many great projects that will make downtown a more vibrant place with people, hotels, restaurants, and shops. Though I may not personally use the convention center regularly, the influx of visitors will support the type of restaurants and shops downtown I want, and they will help preserve Cleveland's cultural institutions' status as world-class. I can't believe anyone would be opposed to building a new convention center on the current site. This will help preserve the civic integrity of the mall, create jobs, and create a buzz about the city that will draw in new residents and corporations. Even though critics point to the fact that convention center business has dwindled nationwide, I believe Cleveland can capture a huge part of the convention center market. Holding a convention in Cleveland makes a lot of sense. The outdated space may have kept conventions away, but the new center will make Cleveland a very attractive choice. Almost 45% of the US population lives within 500 miles of the city, enabling many to drive. Those choosing air will have no trouble flying into the major international airport that is Hopkins and taking the Rapid directly to the doorstep of the Convention Center. Cleveland is at the middle of cities like Pittsburgh and Detroit, Cincinnati and Buffalo, and New York and Chicago! I know there are a lot of conventions in Las Vegas, and Orlando. The Southwest and West Coast are also attractive because of the weather, but these are unrealistic places to have big conventions. None of the cities in states like Nevada, Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California have anything like Cleveland's Playhouse Square, West Side Market, Terminal Tower, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cedar Point, University Circle, or the Cleveland Orchestra. Cleveland hotels, restaurants, and parking are so cheap compared to other cities. Where else can you stay at the Ritz for anywhere close to $200? Intuitively I believe that given Cleveland's excellent location, top rate museums and cultural institutions, affordability, and increasingly better nightlife, downtown convention center business will thrive and become an important part of local economy. For the new design I feel it is extremely important that the Convention Center helps to bridge downtown with the lakefront. Putting the main entrance on the new Lakefront Boulevard, creating pedestrian bridges from the Mall to the harbor, and putting the hotels and mixed-use development that the Convention Center calls for around E.9th and W.3rd can do a lot to accelerate the Lakefront. A Lowes Hotel would be great for Cleveland. They tend to be large, but very nice, and a little family oriented too - would be great for the Harbor. Going with the lakefront alignment gives the city the chance to build a much needed parking structure in the heart of the Civic Center on the West Block. Convention attendees, Civic Center employees, North Coast Harbor visitors, and Browns' game attendees could all use this parking structure. It should be very large, convenient, safe, and reasonably priced. This can provide revenue for the cash strapped city, and promote economic development by lessening the demand for surface parking lots on Public Square and in the Warehouse District. This would enable new retail space, offices, and residences to be constructed. I would like to see the city to create a new large scale passenger train station terminal between the Convention Center and E.9th with perhaps a hotel and mixed-use development. A modern high speed rail system in the US is inevitable with soaring gas prices, and the obvious efficiency of modern rail systems in other countries. Amtrak ridership is increasing anyway right now. Make North Coast Harbor a rail destination. Just think of the experience for visitors. They leave a beautiful glistening rail terminal, view the Rock Hall, our new convention center, the lake, downtown skyline, and hopefully hotels and entertainment just footsteps away. The experience would be incredible. Burke should not be viewed as hindrance to lakefront development either. There are plenty of other areas to develop on the lakefront, and it is one more reason that would make the Cleveland Convention Center attractive. Perhaps a new convention center can host a variety of functions and civic events. It would be great if the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony could move to Cleveland (perhaps utilizing the Public Auditorium). Make the induction ceremony a red carpet and highly publicized national affair in Cleveland. Perhaps the Rock Hall, and annual induction ceremony could prompt MTV or VHI to set up a new studio in a mixed-use block on E.9th. This would be similar to the MTV studio on Times Square, and it would broadcast programs year round and nationwide from the E.9th studio's glass windows with views of the Rock Hall, the lake, convention center, and skyline. Without a doubt I foresee Cleveland's lakefront becoming a major international crossroads of tourism, commerce, and popular culture. The convention center is the first step." Robert Toth, Cleveland "In order of importance: An energy conscious use of multiple passive heating/cooling resources and "green" materials; professional and amateur artwork installations by resident Clevelanders; a certified daycare center; a wholly wi-fi Center; a freshwater aquarium stocked with local fauna; interactive, multi-lingual kiosks of the (immigrant) History of Cleveland; an underground link to Tower City transportation." Penny Jeffrey, Parma Heights "A building that is easy to access for pedestrians as well as vehicles, aesthetically pleasing, easy to get around in, has excellent signage, has meeting rooms that are pleasant to use. As a veteran of nearly 40 years of convention attendance, I have yet to find a convention center that is a pleasant experience. Meeting rooms have concrete block walls, lousy lighting, and have the aesthetic sensibilities of Soviet airports. They are nightmares to navigate--poor signage, long distances (why not moving sidewalks or indoor shuttles?), and are only pleasing when you walk out the door!" Allen Harris, Cleveland “Other than the many obvious improvements that need to be made, I would like to see a Convention Center that makes abundant use of our excellent public transportation system. It should have a specific stop on the Rapid and clear and accessible connections to and from the Rapid station to the main lobby. Special bus stop areas should be created and should be seen as being equally as important as car accessibility. Cleveland's Convention Center will be extremely close to the Amtrak Station, and so it should have clear and convenient connections with that station. All publicity should make mention of the accessibility of public transportation. The information center should have system-wide and route maps readily available. Ample multi-lingual signs should be posted throughout the facility, geared for guests and not just for employees of the facility. Secondly, I believe our convention center should be environmentally-friendly, using sustainable building methods, as well as highly energy-efficient. With the amazing number and high-quality of organizations and individuals in Cleveland who are experts in the field, this should be quite easy to achieve."
		.: Top :.

		.: Top :.
		.: Top :.

		.: Top :.