Medical Mart Site Selection Public Meeting - will anyone show up to the party?

What: Public Hearing Regarding the Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center Site Selection
When: Thursday, February 12th, 2009
2pm
Where: Cleveland Public Library 325 Superior Ave., Cleveland, Ohio

Weeks after the decision to select the Mall Site as the primary location (dependent upon foundation and further cost analysis) the County Commissioners (selection board) will hold a public meeting with MMPI (Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc.). Present at the meeting will be the documentation that was presented to the various selection committee members which positioned the Mall Site as the premier location.

The official stand on the meeting is interesting. Jim McCafferty stated on an interview with WCPN that the public meeting is not in response to public outcry but instead was planned all along. It doesn't really matter to me if it is in response or not, in fact, I almost would rather that the meeting was a direct reaction in attempting to involve the heightened tone of the public in what could be the largest civic project this decade.

Regardless, the public meeting is a go and now the burden is on those vocal public groups to show up, take the time to disseminate the distributed information and offer thoughtful and direct comments.

I suppose I can admit that I am interested in the event and hope that certain specific milestones occur:

• The information disseminated is legible, laid out in an intelligent and understandable order and made available via handouts or web access both previous to the meeting and after.
• That public commentary is limited to the task at hand and not to grind personal axes about which political party is doing what or who is in who's pocket. Comments that question cost estimations, building technique, proposed growth and expansion plans, tax income, maintenance, public use, etc should all be welcome and directly answered.
• That representatives of involved professional communities such as Cleveland AIA or NSPE are on hand to take part in the meeting, gather information on the public's reaction and offer insight from a professional standpoint.
• That intelligent questions are respected and if direct answers cannot be given because the information is not at hand then requested information will be released at a later date (not too late).
  

From a personal standpoint I would also be greatly interested in being privy to the information regarding cost, construction technique, aesthetics, use and planning as it becomes available and would hope that the either the City or the County would create or update webspace to track progress and to use as a reference. There is a difficulty that breeds within this city, most likely not completely isolated to our fair region, of massive distrust of our political officials and by extension any civic project. Transparency will go a long way to quieting some of the voices and may actually result in intelligent suggestions and more efficient solutions.

See you on Thursday.

cite yer source: WCPN

more fun:
Medical Mart Project blog hasn't been updated since Dec. 2007.
Cleveland Merchandise Mart "official website" - soon with content?
MMPI Chicago Merchandise Mart