Cuyahoga County Approves Purchase Of Properties For Medical Mart

Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Topics: Economy, Politics
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It's another step in getting the medical mart and convention center project off the ground. Ideastream's Bill Rice reports.

Cuyahoga County’s commissioners have approved an option to buy two of three properties that have long been an issue in moving forward on the medical mart.  The county will pay 15 million dollars for an office building and parking garage on St. Clair Avenue.  That’s higher than the county auditor’s appraisal of the properties, but well below the original asking price.  Joe Tegreene is an attorney for the California investment company that owns the properties, and has been negotiating with the county for the past year. 

TeGreene:  “We had an appraisal that the properties were worth 24 million dollars, so we think the county got a good deal and the county thinks we got a good deal.  But that’s what negotiation is all about.”

The contract gives the county the ability to back out of the deal should plans for the facility change. 

Now, there’s just one more parcel the county needs for the medical mart - the Sportsman’s restaurant that sits between the two other properties.  County Administrator Jim McCafferty says talks with the owner have been reopened. 

Bill Rice, 90.3.