Ed Morrison · Med Mart: Where’s the evidence that this idea will work?

November 22nd, 2008

Jay Miller at Crain’s told us about the failed efforts to start a Med Mart in Birmingham.

Promoters of Cleveland’s medical merchandise mart proposal believe they have a winner on their hands, but the early-1990s failure of a similar venture in Birmingham, Ala., and comments from national medical marketers suggest the local project isn’t a slam dunk.

In 1992, Birmingham opened the Medical Forum, a 10-story building created to help raise the southern city’s profile as a prominent medical center. But the concept of using most of the building as a one-stop shop for medical equipment makers to display their wares quickly was abandoned, and the building now is used as traditional office space.

“The medical industry proved to be totally different than what we expected,” said Jack Fields, who at the time was charged with filling the new building for the Birmingham-Jefferson (County) Convention Center.

“We found that buying decisions were not made by the medical professionals but by purchasing agents,” said Mr. Fields, who now is executive director of Birmingham’s convention center complex.

Now Roldo uncovers the failed efforts for a Med mart in Baltimore.

By 1997 it was forgotten dream in Baltimore. Nothing ever happened to the wonderful $600-million idea born in 1991.

“They could never make the project work,” said Heywood Sanders, Professor of Urban Studies in the Department of Political Science at Trinity University at San Antonio.

Read more.

Seems to me, we need a business plan from Sam Miller, Albert Ratner, Tim Hagan or Joe Roman, the prime promoters of this untested idea to rescue Tower City.

(That follows the logic of Congress, which recently told the automakers to come up with a plan before we invest public money: Congress wants business plan from automakers.)

Markets don’t lie, and past experience tells us that a passive Med Mart (aka medical showroom) will not work.

Where is there any evidence supporting this idea? (Aside from web sites, artist drawings, press releases and salesman’s puff from Fred Nance.)

At the same time, developers in NY are preparing to test a far more sophisticated model of a multi-functional medical facility.

World Product Centre facilities will include state-of-the-art permanent showrooms, conference and educational facilities, media centers and traditional office space. The building will also feature a Consumer Health Pavilion open to the general public, including students, tourists and other healthcare consumers. The Pavilion will offer guided tours, interactive forums, and a wealth of information supporting health literacy, prevention and wellness, and those considering careers in healthcare. Hewlett Packard (HP), the world’s largest technology company, is designing a vendor-neutral technology infrastructure that will, as Tom Tillar, HP Principal for WPC, describes, “support one of the smartest and technologically advanced buildings ever developed.”

Current plans call for over 120,000 square feet of education and conference space that includes a two-story, 499-seat, fully digitized auditorium. Medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare associations, and WPC itself will offer events of all kinds, including accredited professional and medical education courses. ”

How will the proposed Cleveland Med Mart stack up to this multi-functional facility? Will Cleveland be building a Medical Mart that will be out of date the day it opens?

It’s hard to say without a business plan.

Last 5 posts by Ed Morrison

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Category: Economic Development
3 Comments »

3 Responses to “Med Mart: Where’s the evidence that this idea will work?”

  1. Save NCB: Where is the Greater Cleveland Partnership? | Brewed Fresh Daily Says:
    November 22nd, 2008 at 7:11 pm

    [...] The Greater Cleveland Partnership seems invisible on this one. It’s self-absorbed leadership seems too busy with an obsession to save Tower City with the Med Mart scheme. [...]

  2. Justin Balck Says:
    November 24th, 2008 at 1:40 pm

    Wait a second… I thought the plan was 1) increase our taxes, 2) redirect money to cronies, and 3) call the project a success and bury any followup (Gateway).

    This plan has a long track record of success in Cleveland. People have made their careers out of it.

    Can Cleveland do it? Yes, we can!

  3. Keystone Cops | Brewed Fresh Daily Says:
    December 13th, 2008 at 2:16 pm

    [...] The County Commission imposed a tax on the citizens of Cuyahoga County to pay for a convention center and a medical mart without a business plan or a proper siting study. No one has yet explained how all this will work. [...]