County executive says Browns dome plan ‘won't pan out,' but Jimmy Haslam disagrees
CLEVELAND (WJW) – While Cleveland Browns leaders stress they are focusing all their efforts on plans to build an enclosed stadium in Brook Park, Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronanye still is holding out hope the team will have a change of heart.
Ronanye spoke to the FOX 8 I-Team Friday and said he also believes the enclosed stadium project will not be successful. He said he will not support it, even though it is planned to be built in Cuyahoga County.
He believes the Browns should continue to play games in downtown Cleveland. He said moving the team to Brook Park will hurt downtown businesses.
'We don't see necessarily this deal is going to pan out,' Ronayne said. 'So if you claim it is the next big investment, we don't buy it. We want them to come home.'
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This week, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam spoke exclusively to the I-Team. He and a top executive revealed they are no longer talking about plans to renovate the existing stadium on the lakefront. Instead, team officials are focusing completely on building a dome in Brook Park with development around it.
The Browns are promising to invest more than $1 billion and are asking the state and county for $600 million each in bond money to be paid back with profits from the project. State officials are still discussing the funding proposal and are expected to have a decision by the end of June.
Ronayne still says no.
'We've said, 'not with our support,'' Ronayne said. 'We've said, 'if you're going to Brook Park, you're doing it with other sources of support.''
While the Cuyahoga County executive thinks county money to help with the enclosed stadium project is a risk for taxpayers, Haslam disagrees.'This project in total, if you count the real estate, would be north of $3 billion,' Haslam said. 'That'll be the fourth or fifth largest project ever done in Ohio period.'
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The mayor's office issued the following statement:
'We will continue to pursue our legal strategy and remain confident that the Modell Law applies to HSG's attempt to move the Browns out of Cleveland.'
Haslam, however, is not looking back.
'We want this project to succeed,' Haslam said. 'We want a can-do type environment. Yes, we can do that.'
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