10-07-2025
Dan Gilbert has become Cleveland leaders' favorite billionaire
Cleveland leaders now have a billionaire they feel they can worship in good conscience.
State of play: It's Cavs owner Dan Gilbert. His investments downtown are being celebrated and painted in stark contrast to the Haslams' impending Browns move.
Driving the news: That was the subtext from elected leaders who spoke at a "topping off" ceremony for the Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center this week.
Leaders also praised the nearly 200 tradespeople who erected in nine months the structural frame for the riverfront building that will become the Cavs main training facility.
It'll open in 2027 as part of the first phase in Gilbert's $3.5 billion riverfront master plan.
What they're saying: "Give it up for Dan Gilbert," Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne said in coaxing the crowd into a round of applause.
"He's a guy who gets it, who understands the importance of reinvesting in downtown."
Zoom in: Ronayne, Mayor Justin Bibb and others touted two other high-profile, Gilbert-led "wins" for Cleveland:
A new WNBA franchise, slated to launch in 2028.
And the announced Rock Block development north of Rocket Arena, to be anchored by the immersive sports bar concept Cosm.
Between the lines: The downtown Cosm is an extra-sweet victory for the Gilbert-aligned camp, as the Haslams had pursued the sports bar for their planned Brook Park development adjacent to a new stadium.
Follow the money: Cavs CEO Nic Barlage said Gilbert's investments in local sports and entertainment infrastructure will total more than $1.1 billion after the WNBA franchise arrives and the Peak Performance Center is complete.
