Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Clinic, and Bedrock Real Estate Embark On An Innovative Future
Photo Credit: Cleveland Cavaliers
On a blustery fall morning in October, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Clinic, and Bedrock Real Estate broke ground on the site of the future Cleveland Clinic Peak Performance Center. The 210,000-square-foot facility will become the new home for the Cleveland Cavaliers and will focus on enhancing athletes’ overall performance.
Throughout the morning, the importance of the Gilbert family to the city of Cleveland was highlighted multiple times. Since taking over the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2004, the Gilbert family have invested copious amounts of time and resources into the city. “When this facility is finished, Dan and his family will have invested over two billion dollars in this region,” said Nic Barlage, Cleveland Cavaliers, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and Rock Entertainment Group, CEO. “With another two to three billion in the pipeline to come.”
Thomas Mroz, MD, Chairman, Orthopaedic and Rheumatologic Institute at Cleveland Clinic and Director of Spine Research at Cleveland Clinic expanded upon the importance of the Gilbert family stating, “Everything is potentiated by the Gilbert family. They’ve been an incredible partner to the Cleveland Clinic. So, we are beyond grateful for what Dan Gilbert and his family have done for us.”
According to Cleveland Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations, Koby Altman, Dan Gilbert gave two stipulations for the Cavs getting a new training facility. It had to be located in downtown Cleveland and they had to dream big.
The final stipulation of “dream big” is what will make this partnership transcend beyond the sport of basketball. “I think we are going to disrupt the sporting industry with the insights that we gain from the data repository,” explained Dr. Mroz. “We’ll be able to deploy advanced computing in order to give athletes specific insights which will really be able to disrupt how we fundamentally approach athletics.” Dr. Mroz expanded upon his points stating, “Regardless of sport. Regardless of gender. Regardless of level of play. We’ll be able to deliver back athlete-specific insights in a manner that no other entity has ever done.”
It’s important to note, this partnership isn’t just about the future of sports in the greater Cleveland area.
For Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, this historical groundbreaking holds a special place within his heart. In 1969, two years after Carl Stokes was elected the first African-American Mayor of Cleveland, the Cuyahoga River famously caught on fire. The next day, Mayor Stokes set out on a journey to raise awareness of the cost of air and water pollution in Cleveland and the United States.
Today, on the banks of the river that once caught fire, the fourth black Mayor of Cleveland, Bibb, is set to embark on a future that will help stimulate the economy and bring jobs back to the community. “Fifty years later, this groundbreaking is a symbol of not just Cleveland’s comeback, but also America’s comeback,” said Mayor Bibb.
So, yes, the future is bright due to this partnership. However, this innovative facility is a symbol of how hard Cleveland has worked to become known for more than being the city whose river caught on fire. Soon, people will take Cleveland seriously, because the city will be known for cutting-edge science that shapes the world of sports and sports medicine.
