In apparent retaliation for the perceived public “trashing” of Public Auditorium, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson excoriated the private company developing the city’s much-anticipated medical mart project.

Numerous industry experts say the first of the nation’s three competing medical mart projects to establish itself will enjoy a considerable advantage over the other two. It may be too early to tell who has a leg up, but here we present a breakdown of each project as it stands today … until plans change again.

Merchandise Mart Properties Senior Vice President Mark Falanga discusses the new development deal to build a new medical mart and convention center in Cleveland, the company’s definition of public and private information, and what it will take to land the tenants and clients to prove a medical mart can really work.

Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. will subsidize the first 25 companies that take up residence in its Cleveland medical mart, a company executive said Thursday. Vice President Mark Falanga said MMPI would use short-term leases and “whatever it takes” to attract the first 25 businesses into its showroom, most likely medical manufacturers.