‘A pivotal moment': Greater Cleveland Partnership backs Browns dome plan

Yahoo

20-05-2025

[Watch previous FOX 8 I-Team coverage in the player above.]
CLEVELAND (WJW) — Members of Greater Cleveland's regional chamber of commerce, which fosters development in the region, said they support the Cleveland Browns' move to Brook Park.
In what it called 'a pivotal moment for Greater Cleveland,' the Greater Cleveland Partnership's executive committee said it 'endorses a domed stadium that anchors a mixed-use development in Brook Park as well as support for all our professional sports facilities,' reads a statement found Tuesday on the partnership's website.
10-year-old boy killed in crash on US Route 422 in Solon identified
'GCP also asks all parties to work together for accelerated development of a vibrant downtown lakefront and riverfronts,' reads the statement. 'The business community has and will continue to support the success of our public officials. We will continue to work with them on these transformational opportunities to provide long-term and lasting benefits to support the growth of downtown, Cleveland and the region.'
Executive committee members with conflicts of interest recused themselves from the endorsement, according to the statement. That presumably refers to Browns co-owner Dee Haslam, one of the numerous local and Ohio-based executives who sits on the committee. Huntington National Bank, Sherwin-Williams and FirstEnergy are also represented.
'Professional sports are an economic engine,' reads the statement, and a domed stadium in Brook Park means a 'transformative' $3.4 billion investment in the region.
Domed stadiums in regions similar to Cleveland can draw up to three times as many visitors per year, and the demand for large-scale, live entertainment is expected to continue growing, according to the partnership. A domed stadium in Brook Park could also synergize with new development at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
'While a downtown dome is ideal, financial and development constraints have been challenging; the Brook Park option is more practical to move forward,' reads the statement.
Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne disagreed, calling the plan a 'boondoggle' when speaking to reporters on Monday. He and Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb want to keep the Browns playing downtown.
'The truth is simple: You're pushing a costly, risky and poorly conceived plan that uses public subsidy to diminish our region, our communities and our businesses,' he said.
City leaders issued a statement to the FOX 8 I-Team on Tuesday that reads:
'The city of Cleveland is focused on delivering a world-class lakefront for Cleveland's residents, visitors and businesses. It's disappointing to see a small number of individuals from the regional chamber supporting the financial interests of the Haslams at the expense of Cleveland and taxpayers.'
The Browns sought $600 million in state bonds, to be repaid with profits from the new stadium, and planned to put up more than $2 billion on their own for the stadium and surrounding development. When the county wouldn't get on board, Haslam Sports Group said they'd go on without them.
Haslam Sports Group Chief Operating Officer Dave Jenkins, in a statement to the I-Team, said the Browns' open-air lakefront dome is 'a short-term solution' and that there's a bigger upside with the county's participation.
'We have had extremely positive and constructive collaboration within our community, with corporate leaders and with state officials who understand and support the transformative nature of this opportunity,' Jenkins wrote.
' … By not participating, [Ronayne] is not impeding this transformative solution, he is negatively impacting the growth of Northeast Ohio and the several hundreds of millions of excess dollars generated on the public side that could go towards lakefront redevelopment, the city of Cleveland and other Cuyahoga County needs.'
'Saw a little purple jacket': Teen rescued child from river after deadly Fremont train accident
A vacancy at Huntington Bank Field could also lead to new mixed-use development that 'supports a more vibrant downtown and activated waterfront,' reads the statement. It could also mean the closure of Burke Lakefront Airport to make more room.
'Once the stadium decision is settled, GCP asks the team, Cleveland and Brook Park and county to collaborate on accelerating the lakefront development,' reads the statement.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.