The Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center continues to take shape, and it is already enhancing the region’s economy.
The 36-month, $465 million construction venture currently employs nearly 600 tradespeople on site, 20 percent of whom are Cleveland residents and 51 percent Cuyahoga County residents.
“We’re working for Cuyahoga County,” says Dave Johnson, director of PR for Cleveland MMCC. “This is a public project. Not only is it one of the largest construction projects in North America right now, but it’s certainly one of the largest public construction projects taking place in North America.”
The project has also engaged area small businesses in contract work, with a project high of 35 percent being completed by Cuyahoga County small business enterprises.
“In relation to our goal of 25 percent, we’ve been able to exceed that county goal throughout the project,” says Project Executive Marty Burgwinkle of Turner Construction Co.
In addition to using local tradespeople and businesses to boost the region, Turner strives to streamline operations to avoid wasted labor. The company utilizes Building Information Management (BIM), which generates and manages a digital model of the project for use in construction planning and management.
Executives from Turner gave Smart Business an exclusive video interview to discuss how BIM has been used throughout all stages of the construction of the Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center:
Watch: “Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center: Building Information Management streamlines operations”
The entire construction project is 66 percent complete, and is on time and on budget to be completed by the original contractual date of Aug. 31, 2013, says Burgwinkle.
Permanent power was installed in the Convention Center in late May, with the entire facility on track to have permanent power by the end of the summer. July saw the topping out of the last structural steel beam for the Convention Center, as well as the last piece of precast for the Medical Mart.
To see the project’s progress for yourself, check out the Cleveland MMCC live webcam.
How to reach: The Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center, www.ClevelandMedicalMart.com
Turner Construction Co. – Cleveland, www.TurnerConstruction.com/Cleveland
