Medical mart idea intrigues Nashville council members

Dallas trip offers vision for existing convention center By Michael Cass • THE TENNESSEAN • January 21, 2010 Two days before voting on a new convention center, five Metro Council members, including some of the project's biggest critics, flew to Dallas with senior state officials to talk to the developer that wants to reuse the existing convention hall. Council members said they came away impressed by the developer, Market Center Management Co., which wants to spend $250 million to convert the existing convention center into a medical trade center. They visited the company's fashion and apparel mart, a 5-million-square-foot operation, on Sunday. "I learned more in those few hours than I had in the previous 12 months about this project," Councilwoman Emily Evans said Wednesday. "It was clear that the operators, these are people who are knowledgeable about their business and attentive to all kinds of details." Market Center wants to turn the Nashville Convention Center into a 15-story facility where hospitals and other health-care companies can comparison shop for beds, technology and other products. First it needed — and got — the council's approval Tuesday of the new, $585 million convention center, scheduled to open in 2013. But the company's chief executive said he wasn't trying to sway any votes. "I didn't have any motive in this," Bill Winsor said. "We were asked to give them an opportunity to see how a market works." Evans and fellow council members Jason Holleman, Mike Jameson, Jerry Maynard and Charlie Tygard flew on a state plane with two of Gov. Phil Bredesen's Cabinet members — Revenue Commissioner Reagan Farr and Matt Kisber, commissioner of economic and community development. Evans and Jameson have been especially critical of the new convention center project, arguing that it will struggle to attract enough visitors to pay off Metro's debt without burdening taxpayers. They and Holleman voted against building the facility but wound up on the losing side of a 29-9 vote. Maynard and Tygard voted to approve the financing package. Kisber and Farr said the purpose of the Dallas trip was to help council members get a better understanding of how the medical trade center would operate. "Several council members had a lot of questions about the medical mart, how tangible it was, what the economic impact would be," Farr said. Kisber said the Bredesen administration had stayed out of the contentious convention center debate. Tygard, who chairs the council's Health, Hospitals and Social Services Committee, was encouraged to go by Mayor Karl Dean's administration. He said he was impressed by the company's organization and vision. "This isn't a real estate deal," he said of the convention center reuse plan. "It's a marketing strategy." Winsor, who first saw the convention center in October 2008, said he expects negotiations with Metro to start in earnest now that construction of the new facility has been approved. Attorneys in Tennessee are reviewing a proposed lease to make sure it complies with local laws. Once they complete the review, Market Center will send the proposal to city officials. The one-day plane trip to Dallas and back cost the state $3,712.50. Kisber said state officials regularly take local officials on trips to learn about economic development prospects. Work to start in spring On Wednesday, Dean met with the convention center construction and design team to talk about the next steps for the project, which is expected to break ground by late April. Marty Dickens, chairman of the Convention Center Authority, said workers soon would start cordoning off properties the city already owns in the convention center footprint. Metro still needs to acquire some parcels through negotiations or eminent domain. "It's a full schedule," Dickens said. "This isn't a real estate deal," he said of the convention center reuse plan. "It's a marketing strategy." Winsor, who first saw the convention center in October 2008, said he expects negotiations with Metro to start in earnest now that construction of the new facility has been approved. Attorneys in Tennessee are reviewing a proposed lease to make sure it complies with local laws. Once they complete the review, Market Center will send the proposal to city officials. The one-day plane trip to Dallas and back cost the state $3,712.50. Kisber said state officials regularly take local officials on trips to learn about economic development prospects. Kisber and Farr said the purpose of the Dallas trip was to help council members get a better understanding of how the medical trade center would operate. "Several council members had a lot of questions about the medical mart, how tangible it was, what the economic impact would be," Farr said. Kisber said the Bredesen administration had stayed out of the contentious convention center debate. Tygard, who chairs the council's Health, Hospitals and Social Services Committee, was encouraged to go by Mayor Karl Dean's administration. He said he was impressed by the company's organization and vision. "This isn't a real estate deal," he said of the convention center reuse plan. "It's a marketing strategy." Winsor, who first saw the convention center in October 2008, said he expects negotiations with Metro to start in earnest now that construction of the new facility has been approved. Attorneys in Tennessee are reviewing a proposed lease to make sure it complies with local laws. Once they complete the review, Market Center will send the proposal to city officials. The one-day plane trip to Dallas and back cost the state $3,712.50. Kisber said state officials regularly take local officials on trips to learn about economic development prospects. Work to start in spring On Wednesday, Dean met with the convention center construction and design team to talk about the next steps for the project, which is expected to break ground by late April. Marty Dickens, chairman of the Convention Center Authority, said workers soon would start cordoning off properties the city already owns in the convention center footprint. Metro still needs to acquire some parcels through negotiations or eminent domain. "It's a full schedule," Dickens said. Michael Cass can be reached at 615-259-8838 or