By presenting a fresh image of Cleveland, some say, the 2016 RNC could lead to new interest, investment and jobs.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As they look to the Republican National Convention arriving in 2016, Cleveland business leaders are envisioning themselves as storytellers.
They see an opportunity to present a new, more accurate image of Cleveland to a curious world.
A fresh perspective, they expect, will spark a new era of business interest and investment.
"This really adds a new dimension to Cleveland. This is recognition as a world-class city," said Dan Walsh, the regional president of Huntington Bank and a Cleveland native.
That kind of attention, Walsh predicts, will attract more visitors, innovators and ultimately jobs to Northeast Ohio.
Across the region Tuesday, business executives and economic development specialists voiced similar optimism. They talked of image and public perception as valuable commodities. And they expressed excitement that Cleveland will finally be able to present itself to eyewitnesses.
Many are mindful of what happened to Pittsburgh in 2009, when the former mill town became the surprise choice to host the G-20 Summit, a gathering of the heads of states of the world's largest economies.
Many in the Steel City thought they had already turned the corner toward a new economy. After the G-20, the rest of the world began to believe them, as international journalists widely shared a tale of renaissance.
Hosting the RNC in 2016 could be just as elevating for Cleveland, said Joe Roman, the president of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, the regional chamber of commerce.
"This is the biggest media event this town could host," Roman said. "The national and international news outlets are already covering us, talking about a city on the rise."
There will be more of that, said a confident Frank C. Sullivan, the chairman and chief executive of RPM International.
"Cleveland is the easiest city in the country to impress people with, because they tend to show up with deflated expectations," and then are awed by everything from the Cleveland Museum of Art to the beauty of Lake Erie, Sullivan said.
"I hope that my experiences with family and business associates becomes the experience with Republicans discovering Cleveland," he said. "As the eyes of America are on our fair city, I hope that they truly appreciate what a great city this is, that it's just a great place to live and work."
That opportunity comes with a staggering cost. According to press reports, Cleveland is expected to come up with nearly $60 million to stage a convention for GOP leaders, 50,000 guests and a national television audience.
Host committee members say much of the money has been raised but they have yet to divulge the donors and their contributions. KeyCorp chairman and chief executive Beth Mooney, who is working on the fundraising effort, said in an earlier interview that area companies and benefactors have been pledging support--regardless of political affiliation.
Many business leaders praised the bipartisan nature of Cleveland's effort, which they said stands in sharp contrast to the gridlock politics of Washington.
"It's also symbolic of how wonderfully our community works together, working in concert for the greater good of the community," said Umberto P. Fedeli, the president and chief executive of The Fedeli Group. "You have a Democratic mayor who's trying to bring in a Republican convention to showcase our community to the world."
The courtship with the national GOP formally began with Cleveland's bid in February. But it actually commenced six years ago, when the city tried and failed to attract the RNC of 2008, Terry Egger told a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
Egger, the former publisher of The Plain Dealer and the chairman of the Cleveland Host Committee, said the 2008 effort revealed to the city its convention shortcomings. Since then, downtown has added a convention center, hotels and hundreds of apartments.
Such a transformation would not have been possible without public-private cooperation, and that's not lost on site selection teams, Egger said in an interview.
"Obviously, that is a consideration for business attraction," he said. "There's far more than image here. There's substance. There's a business friendly environment. That's what led us to these accomplishments."
Joy Roller, the president of Global Cleveland, said the convention will allow Cleveland to present another of its strengths -- ethnic and racial diversity.
"We want to show what an international, global city we are," she said. "And we want to show people how welcoming we are."
There is some evidence that political conventions offer a short-term, economic jolt. Tampa spent more than $50 million staging the 2012 Republican National Convention. A business impact study concluded the spectacle pumped more than $200 million into the regional economy.
Huntington's Walsh noted that hundred of jobs will be created simply for projects needed to stage the convention. But he and others talked mostly of the ripple effects, the long-term advantages of presenting a new image of Cleveland to the nation and the world.
"What feels so good about this, it's really the culmination of 10 or 12 years of very hard work by a community that has really change itself," said the GCP's Roman. "Clevelanders know this is a great place to invest."
Soon, others will know that, too.
"That's what I think the long term impact will be," he said.
Plain Dealer reporters Janet H. Cho and Teresa Dixon Murray contributed to this story.