Whiting-Turner is constructing the Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center for the Cavaliers, set to open in 2027. The facility will provide top-notch care for athletes and the public, with advanced training and medical services offered by Cleveland Clinic specialists. The design emphasizes engagement with the Cuyahoga River and holistic athlete development. The project aims to boost Cleveland's status as a sports science hub.
Cleveland Cavaliers/Whiting-Turner photo
Construction manager Whiting-Turner Co. of Cleveland is building the facility, along with Bedrock’s affiliate, Aquila Developer LLC, which is overseeing the development. Kansas City-based Populous serves as project architect.
As the new home and training facility of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center will be one of the world's largest training facilities when it opens in 2027. The more than 210,000-sq.-ft. structure will provide comprehensive care for accomplished athletes, as well as the public.
"This has been in development for the last few years, and to see it now under construction is an amazing feeling," said Antony Bonavita, Cleveland Cavaliers chief venues and development officer. "Rock Entertainment Group is beyond excited to bring a training facility of this caliber to the city of Cleveland and its community, to help both the weekend warrior and our Cleveland professional athletes reach their fullest potential."
The center will offer personalized expertise in training, treatment, nutrition and recovery from professional medical specialists at Cleveland Clinic, which is consistently ranked as one of the world's top hospitals. The new facility will offer comprehensive care, with patients having access to sophisticated testing and training equipment, along with experts from a variety of specialties that include sports medicine, cardiology, pulmonology, exercise physiology, neurology, nutrition, psychology and genetics.
Construction manager Whiting-Turner Co. of Cleveland is building the facility, along with Bedrock's affiliate, Aquila Developer LLC, which is overseeing the development. Kansas City-based Populous serves as project architect.
"The vision for the Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center is to serve as more than just a practice or training facility," said Bonavita. "By creating a sustainable hub of resources to serve our players, we have an opportunity to retain and attract the league's top talent, strengthen the lifespan of their careers and help them reach their highest potential, both on and off the court. This facility will represent a vital investment in our culture and future success in the NBA.
"The Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center will be the first vertical development of Bedrock's pioneering $3.5 billion Cuyahoga Riverfront master plan. We are ecstatic and honored to be the first to build on the river and help set the tone for future development."
Since conception, the project has been driven by the guiding principles of embracing the river, creating an iconic destination and elevating the athlete's experience.
"Throughout development, these principles have guided the project team, and we've continually challenged ourselves to not accept conventional thinking and deliver a project of this caliber that Cleveland deserves," said Bonavita. "As a result, the building isn't inwardly focused; it instead engages with the Cuyahoga River, the site, the city and public realm spaces in a way that is truly wonderful and draws inspiration."
Site preparation began last year, with early work focusing on the first phase of reconstruction of steel bulkheads along the river's edge. During the planning process, it was determined the defunct Eagle Avenue lift bridge over the river would have to be demolished, as well as the Stones Levee Road truss bridge over the former CSX railroad right of way.
Because of the intense amount of foundation work involved, those monitoring construction progress will likely have to wait to witness the vertical structure, according to published reports. Still, the excitement continues to build.
"The design will catalyze the Cuyahoga Riverfront development and energize the city of Cleveland," said Bonavita. "The building's design connects the movement of the river with the motion of the athlete, blending seamlessly with the industrial character of its environment."
"The conception of the elite training program encompasses the combination of heart, mind and motion to create a truly holistic focus and experience," said Griffiths. "Alongside the Cleveland Cavaliers, the center will not only cater to professional athletes from around the world, but athletes of all levels and sports, including the health and wellness of all Clevelanders."
Griffiths noted the sweeping curtain wall, integrated with a patterned frit, will hover over the public riverwalk, maximizing daylighting into the building and creating a porous connection to the public realm.
"The ground level includes a rippling form-lined concrete façade that relates to the human-scale of pedestrians alongside the riverwalk. Bronze-toned aluminum blades run vertically up the facade, shading the expansive glass, while expressing a sense of undulating movement across the surface and its rounded corners. Exterior lighting is utilized extensively to create a dynamic evening experience, adding a secondary layer of color and activation."
Braselton said, "The architecture of the building is contemporary and dynamic, while also rooted in a sense of place and representative of its context and site constraints.
"Populous, alongside the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Clinic and Bedrock, is proud to play a committed role in shaping the future of Cleveland and revitalizing the public connection to the riverfront. It's always a privilege to be a part of such a substantial and impactful project, especially one with such a connection to the public and the wider city."
Bonavita added, "As the latest evolution in the partnership between the Cavaliers and the Cleveland Clinic, the project will create a lasting community asset that invites elite and everyday athletes from around the world to Cleveland. It also aims to position the city as a global sports science and wellness destination." CEG
Cindy Riley
Birmingham, Ala., native Cindy RIley originally planned on a career in law, but during her sophomore year in college realized journalism was her true calling. A magna cum laude graduate of Samford University, Riley first worked in radio and TV. Named Best News Anchor, Best News Reporter and Best Investigative Reporter by the Associated Press, she interviewed numerous personalities, ranging from Dr. Henry Kissinger and President Bush to Michael Jordan and Captain Kangaroo.
As a print journalist, Riley has covered a variety of topics, including construction, business, health and the arts. In addition to CEG, her work has appeared in special reports for USA Today and the L.A. Times. Other publications have included New South Magazine, Portico, Thicket, Alabama Heritage, B-Metro, Business First and Birmingham Business Journal.
Read more from Cindy Riley here.
Today's top stories
