Thistledown Racino to Open on April 9

By Adrian Maties, Associate Editor

More gambling is coming to the Greater Cleveland area, as Ohio is getting ready to welcome its second ”racino,” or racetrack casino. Rock Ohio Caesars’ ThistleDown Racino will celebrate its grand opening on April 9 in North Randall. “American Idol” winner and Las Vegas headliner Taylor Hicks will kick off the festivities with exclusive concerts.

The Thistledown horse racetrack has been a fixture in the Cleveland suburb of North Randall since 1931. Rock Ohio Caesars, a joint venture between Dan Gilbert’s Rock Gaming and Caesars Entertainment Corp., invested $88 million to renovate the property and turn it into a new racino. It also developed the $350 million Horseshoe Casino Cleveland and the $400 million Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati.

Construction started last August. The facility is located on 128 acres, 10 miles southeast of downtown Cleveland. It now features 57,000 square feet of gaming space with 1,150 video lottery terminals, as well as new dining and nightlife options.

“We’re excited about so many things as the grand re-opening for ThistleDown approaches,” said racino general manager Rick Skinner in a statement to the press. “We’ve created 700 new jobs in this community to support these additions to our business. It is thrilling to see our new gaming floor and amenities take shape while we also prepare for our live racing schedule to start on April 19. Whether you’re a gamer, a horseracing enthusiast or both, we look forward to providing all our customers the fun, entertainment and great customer service that has become synonymous with Caesar’s Entertainment and the Total Rewards network.”

ThistleDown isn’t Ohio’s first racino. The Scioto Downs Casino & Racetrack outside Columbus opened its doors to the public last June. And just six miles south of North Randall, in Northfield, a joint venture between Hard Rock International and Northfield Park is developing a $275 million gaming and entertainment complex. Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park is expected to open in December 2013. By next year, there will be seven racinos in the state of Ohio.

Photo credits: www.caesars.com/thistledown

Cleveland’s Medical Mart & Convention Center Opening Early, Under Budget

By Adrian Maties, Associate Editor

Great news for the city of Cleveland. Its long-awaited $465 million Medical Mart & Convention Center will open early and under budget. City officials made the announcement on Wednesday, March 27, according to The Plain Dealer newspaper.

The 1 million-square-foot complex is located at St. Clair Avenue and Ontario Street, in the city’s downtown. It will feature a four-story, 235,000-square-foot Medical Mart facility attached below grade to a convention center with 230,000 square feet of Class A exhibit space. Also included are approximately 90,000 square feet of high-tech, flexible meeting rooms; a 32,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom that will be the largest venue in the city; and an 11,000-square-foot Junior Ballroom.

With the convention center built underground, the project allows for more than seven acres of green space. The complex is designed to achieve LEED Silver certification. It is anchored by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, Philips Healthcare, GE Healthcare, Johnson Controls, the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals.

Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. teamed up with Cuyahoga County to create the combined medical mart and convention center. Seattle-based LMN Architects designed the project, while the Cleveland office of Turner Construction Co. is the design-build contractor.

The Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center is the largest project in downtown Cleveland history and the only facility in the world targeted specifically to the medical and healthcare industries. The project was started in January 2011 and is now more than 90 percent complete. It was initially scheduled to open July 19 but is now expected to be completed June 1.

Last week, Forbes Magazine recognized Cleveland as one of 15 U.S. cities with emerging downtowns. The Medical Mart & Convention Center was among the important developments that helped the city make the list. Another Ohio city, Cincinnati, was also among Forbes’ top 15.

Photo credit: www.clevelandmedicalmart.com

Cleveland Clinic Plans to Expand Brunswick Facility

By Adrian Maties, Associate Editor

The Cleveland Clinic plans to expand its medical building at 3574 Center Road in Brunswick. The city’s planning commission approved preliminary site plans on March 7. Another review will take place on April 4. The clinic will then present more detailed site plans, including renderings of the building.

The non-profit academic medical center will move forward with the $20 million expansion project at its Brunswick Family Health Center later this year, according to The Brunswick Post. It will add 40,500 square feet to the 34,000-square-foot facility, more than doubling its size.

Plans call for a 24,000-square-foot, 24-hour emergency department, 16,500 square feet of medical office space on the building’s second floor, a rooftop helicopter pad and additional parking. The helicopter pad will not be used as a heliport, a place where helicopters are stored and refueled; it will only be a stop. The clinic’s helicopters will continue to be based at the Burke Lakefront Airport. Officials expect to use them once or twice a week at most.

The Cleveland Clinic has purchased land just south of the Brunswick Family Health Center, across Parschen Boulevard, to use as parking for its employees. It will add 73 new spaces in 2014, when the emergency room is expected to open, and another 90 spaces once the new third-floor offices are completed, sometime in the next three years. When construction is finished, the Brunswick Family Health Center will have a total of 354 parking spaces.

Cleveland Clinic officials will return before the planning commission on April 4. Once the commission has approved the more detailed plans, they will need to be reviewed by the Brunswick City Council. The expansion is expected to provide 60 new high-paying jobs to the city.

Photo credits: Cleveland Clinic

Port Authority to Issue $90M in Bonds to Pay for New Cuyahoga County HQ

By Adrian Maties, Associate Editor

The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority’s board of directors voted during its meeting on March 14 to sell as much as $90 million in bonds to finance Cuyahoga County’s new headquarters. The project is expected to revitalize one of downtown Cleveland’s older business districts and provide an anchor for surrounding mixed-use redevelopment.

Earlier this year, Geis Cos., a real estate developer and construction company based in Streetsboro, acquired the Ameritrust complex from the Cuyahoga County Council for $27 million. The company will construct an eight-story, 222,000-square-foot government headquarters building on a 0.72-acre portion of the property at East Ninth Street and Prospect Avenue and then lease it to the county.

Geis Cos. will not only construct but also manage the headquarters, which will belong to the Port Authority, as part of the bond deal. Cuyahoga County will lease the property until 2040. At the end of the lease term, it has the option to buy the building from the Port Authority for $1.

The Port Authority will issue the bonds in the weeks to come. The financing only applies to the headquarters building. The complex includes the Cleveland Trust Rotunda, Ameritrust Tower, 1010 Euclid Ave., the so-called “P and H” buildings and a parking garage with 1,050 spaces. Geis Cos. plans to turn them into apartments, retail space, offices and a hotel.

The Streetsboro-based developer will raze the “P and H” buildings to construct the new headquarters. Geis Cos. expects to deliver it by July 2014.

At the same meeting, the Port Authority board also approved the sale of 1906 E. 40th St. to Charter Stone Capital L.L.C. for $2 million. Currently leased to I Can Schools, the building was once home to Myers University and later to Chancellor University. Proceeds will help support the port’s 2013 capital program.

Photo credits: Google Maps.

Beachwood Hotel Rebranded as DoubleTree by Hilton

By Adrian Maties, Associate Editor

DoubleTree by Hilton and Twin Tier Hospitality L.L.C. announced last week they will reopen the Hilton Cleveland East Beachwood hotel as a DoubleTree by Hilton on March 11. The rebranding marks the pinnacle of a four-year hotel renovation.

The property transformation started with the renovation of the 404 guest rooms. It will continue, after the March re-opening, with upgrades to the front desk and lobby areas, and a new restaurant and lounge concept that will be unveiled later this year. Also, a new general manager, Robert Trammell, and new director of sales and marketing, Brenda Goodnight, joined the hotel’s experienced management team.

The Hilton Cleveland East Beachwood will become the DoubleTree by Hilton Cleveland East – Beachwood. It is located in Cleveland’s Beachwood suburb, just 25 minutes from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and close to many attractions such as the Great Lakes Science Center, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Ohio’s top tourist attraction, Amish Country.

DoubleTree by Hilton Cleveland East – Beachwood offers its guests 16,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and can accommodate groups of as many as 800. Amenities include indoor and outdoor pools, a 24-hour fitness center, a 24-hour business center and complimentary WiFi.

“This hotel’s convenient Beachwood location and long-standing reputation with business and leisure travelers in the area make it a perfect addition to the DoubleTree by Hilton family,” said John Greenleaf, global head of DoubleTree by Hilton, in a statement. “We are happy to play a key role in this tremendous transformation, and bring guests in this market a truly rewarding travel experience.”

Charts courtesy of Marcus&Millichap.

Photo credits: DoubleTree by Hilton.