Convention Center Site Agreement Could Come As Early As Today

Monday, May 4, 2009
Topics: Economy, Politics, Health
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Last Friday, word was out to area media that a deal may have reached on the site chosen for a new convention center and medical mart, and that an announcement could be forthcoming. It didn't happen, but at least one Cuyahoga County Commissioner thinks the deal is, for the most part, settled. ideastream®'s Bill Rice reports.

Heading into the weekend, the Plain Dealer reported that Commissioners Peter Lawson Jones and Tim Hagan had issued seemingly conflicting statements on a deal for the downtown mall site - Jones saying that Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson had agreed to a 20 million dollar price tag for the mall site; Hagan saying that no such figure had been settled on. 

Then Saturday’s paper quoted Mayor Frank Jackson as saying he thought the commissioners were on track for a final agreement Monday. 

And on Sunday, Commissioner Jones was equally confident that the terms had been all but spelled out in writing. 

The mayor was aware of the terms…

For weeks the mayor has insisted he would drive a hard bargain for the property, and last week rejected an offer by the county of 17.5 million dollars. 

Jones said he expects a formal announcement of an agreement sometime this week.