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Gateway East garage undergoes conversion for RNC indoor media workspace

Posted at 2:57 PM, Jul 06, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-07 13:37:54-04

While attention is focused on converting inside Quicken Loans Arena for the Republican National Convention work continues at the same pace just outside on the Gateway East Garage.

Following the Cavaliers last home game in the NBA Finals, crews began working to make a temperature controlled indoor space out of the second floor of this outdoor garage.

"What you're seeing now is the shell of media row, the drywall has gone up, we changed the lights, there's carpet that's gone in but starting at the end of this week we'll actually bring in the design elements of it," said Lyndsay Keith of the RNC's Committee on Arrangements.

"You'll have all your major networks, you'll have bloggers, you'll have social, radio, everything so this is almost like a one stop shop," she said.

Convention organizers originally looked at locating all of the media workspace inside the new convention center but later opted to move the media row aspect over to the arena so the guests won't have to leave the security zone of the arena in order to meet with the various media.

The concept was born following Cleveland's failed bid for the 2008 Republican National Convention when the city proposed housing the media inside the Higbee Building before it became the Horseshoe, now Jack Casino.

When Cleveland fell short that year it was recommended if they were to bid again they include the garage in their bid, this time they did.

While this is a scaled down version that also helps in breaking down what it took weeks to build.

"I think the tear down is going to take like two days so it'll be pretty quick a lot shorter," said Keith.