Ohio's Cuyahoga County has completed the task of assembling teams to construct and operate a 650-room hotel that will adjoin the Cleveland Convention Center and Medical Mart, with Hilton Worldwide pegged to manage the $260-million facility and a joint-venture team headed by Turner Construction, Ozanne Construction Co. and Van Aukin Akins Architects, all of Cleveland, to serve as the project's designer and builders.

A committee of county officials and consultants selected the Turner team from a field of four competitors, including teams headed by Gilbane Building Co., Panzica Construction Co. and Hunt Construction Group. In a separate competition, McLean, Va.-based Hilton Worldwide, new to Northeast Ohio, was selected from a field including Hyatt, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Marriott, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and White Lodging.

Assuming the Cuyahoga County Council approves contracts by mid-November, demolition of a county administration building on the project's site could begin as early as December or January. County officials are targeting a 2016 opening date and anticipate the publicly owned project will create 600 jobs during peak periods of construction. County officials intend to finance the project with bonds, based on portions of hotel revenues and new tax revenues, in addition to funds remaining from construction of the convention center.

As planned, the hotel will include about 55,000 square feet of meeting space, in addition to a restaurant, lobby bar, health club and swimming pool. Below-grade corridors will connect facility and convention center.

Turner previously served as CM for the Cleveland Convention Center, a $465-million, 1-million-sq-ft facility that opened in June.