January 2Jan 2 Well that’s the end of that, browns 100% out of Cleveland… assuming this can be confirmed
January 2Jan 2 10 minutes ago, BoomerangCleRes said: Well that’s the end of that, browns 100% out of Cleveland… assuming this can be confirmed Can't wait to see how they're paying for it. Sidenote: Twitter/X has always been a cesspool, but having been a few months removed...yikes, it's bad out there. Somebody let this guy know that 4/5 of these stadiums are in their respective city limits/downtowns. Edited January 2Jan 2 by GISguy
January 2Jan 2 21 minutes ago, BoomerangCleRes said: Well that’s the end of that, browns 100% out of Cleveland… assuming this can be confirmed Yeah lets wait for the official word and not from Jimmys PR firm..aka Daryl Ruiter/92.3
January 2Jan 2 This statement seems a little more open-ended. “We have executed the clause and taken the necessary steps in our land purchase agreement with the current owners to solidify our future purchase of the 176-acre site in Brook Park for a new Huntington Bank Field enclosed stadium, along with an adjacent mixed-use development,” Haslam Sports Group chief operating officer Dave Jenkins said in a statement. “While work remains with our public partners on the project, this is a key step in our efforts to create a responsible long-term stadium solution that delivers a world-class experience for our fans, attracts more large-scale events for our region and positively impacts our local economy.” Edit: All these articles coming out saying the purchased the land doesn't sound accurate. The Browns are volleying back at Bibb with this mini-update. Edited January 2Jan 2 by coneflower
January 2Jan 2 12 minutes ago, GISguy said: Sidenote: Twitter/X has always been a cesspool, but having been a few months removed...yikes, it's bad out there. Somebody let this guy know that 4/5 of these stadiums are in their respective city limits/downtowns. Looks like sarcasm here and if you look at the profile it's clearly so. X is still the best place to get ahead of the news curve. But you need to mix your follows because if you seek outrage (or an echo chamber) the algorithm is happy to oblige. And click on profiles for perspective vis a vis someone being serious (or not).
January 2Jan 2 Looks like it is confirmed. https://fox8.com/news/i-team-browns-buy-property-for-dome-project-in-brook-park/
January 2Jan 2 All of these articles and updates say "executed a clause" or "take next step towards purchase" which are far from them actually purchasing it. Unless I've missed something I feel like this was just a fluff update and we really are not in any different position than we were before.
January 2Jan 2 48 minutes ago, simplythis said: Looks like it is confirmed. https://fox8.com/news/i-team-browns-buy-property-for-dome-project-in-brook-park/ I wonder if this includes the large strip of land that First Energy owns for the mains lines that's right in the middle of the plot or not. If not, I hope they enjoy owning a donut shaped piece of land. Reading the announcements more though, nothing sounds official.
January 2Jan 2 Actually, they have made a significant earnest deposit and they have until 12/31/25 to close on the transaction. https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/cleveland-browns-firm-up-deal-to-buy-brook-park-land-for-domed-stadium-project
January 2Jan 2 “We have executed the clause and taken the necessary steps in our land purchase agreement with the current owners to solidify our future purchase of the 176-acre site in Brook Park for a new Huntington Bank Field enclosed stadium, along with an adjacent mixed-use development,” said Dave Jenkins, HSG’s chief operating officer, in a statement. https://www.crainscleveland.com/sports-recreation/browns-owners-take-next-step-toward-new-brook-park-stadium
January 2Jan 2 Browns move a step closer to Brook Park By Ken Prendergast / January 2, 2025 The owners of the Cleveland Browns football team have completed the next part in the process toward building a new enclosed stadium in suburban Brook Park, officially executing a clause in a land purchase agreement to acquire the site. The site at 18300 Snow Rd. in the Cleveland suburb will not only house the new Huntington Bank Field enclosed stadium, but also a planned, adjacent mixed-use development. MORE: https://neo-trans.blog/2025/01/02/browns-move-a-step-closer-to-brook-park/ "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 2Jan 2 "...which they hope will be paid 50/50 by public and private sources". Keep dreaming, Jimmy.
January 2Jan 2 Sort of interesting the new Cuyahoga county council president represents Brook Park and wards in Cleveland that include the airport: https://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/01/cuyahoga-county-council-elects-new-leader.html
January 3Jan 3 HSG is so arrogant in their posturing! None of what they say of this development benefitting Cuyahoga County and Downtown Cleveland should be believed. It is nothing more than a billionaire trying to gain as much profit for himself and let the citizens pay for half. It is time they show us the alternative plan for the lakefront location and let us decide what is viable. This truly makes me not want to follow the Browns any longer
January 3Jan 3 Has this been mentioned on here?: https://huntingtonbankfield.com/all-events/acdc/?utm_source=browns-homepage&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=announce
January 3Jan 3 16 minutes ago, MyPhoneDead said: Has this been mentioned on here?: https://huntingtonbankfield.com/all-events/acdc/?utm_source=browns-homepage&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=announce Damn.....I first saw AC/DC in the Browns venue just over 45 years ago (!) and they have Cindy Lou Who and company opening.
January 3Jan 3 19 hours ago, coneflower said: Sort of interesting the new Cuyahoga county council president represents Brook Park and wards in Cleveland that include the airport: https://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/01/cuyahoga-county-council-elects-new-leader.html We find it interesting that Dale Miller - a an elected politician of 45 years - has no public statement either way on this. Did it come up during his re-election in November? We can't find it anywhere. Let's hope he surprises us in a good way when his position is finally made public. No hurry Dale (or for media to ask)...
January 3Jan 3 I just thought about something... IF this move happens over to BP, are we gonna kiss the Goodyear Blimp goodbye? I would presume there would be no more aerials of the city being that close to an airport. Just another reason to kill this 🤣
January 3Jan 3 5 minutes ago, Oldmanladyluck said: I just thought about something... IF this move happens over to BP, are we gonna kiss the Goodyear Blimp goodbye? I would presume there would be no more aerials of the city being that close to an airport. Just another reason to kill this 🤣 They would probably still fly the blimp over downtown. Also the Blimp couple probably operate in the immediate vicinity of the stadium without affecting operations at CLE. It was able to do so with BKL still functioning.
January 3Jan 3 I'm bored of all these drip feed stories about architects and planners and land acquisition whilst the obvious question is where is all the funding coming from. Just for fun, given we are now into 2025, my prediction is the stadium deal gets done with some pretty flimsy concessions like the Browns paying for the demolition of the current site and better cohesion with the RTA station at Brook Park. The Modell law stuff doesn't really lead anywhere but attorney pockets getting fatter although provides amusement to petty people like me. Mixed use development is put "on hold" and the stadium goes ahead on its own. Tenants may sign phony letters of intent but the reality is the money pot is empty and all financial focus goes on getting the stadium itself done by hook or crook. Outside bet for me though as things progress is we end up with a redesign, a carbon copy of the Buffalo stadium, roof removed due to a funding gap with a canopy type cover over most seating and perhaps a reduction in capacity with circa 15k parking spaces. The same fans begging for all this then complain they are getting rinsed on obscene PSL prices, the Browns will spin it all as "listening to our fans" by playing outdoors and having ample tailgating space, probably some jibes about getting away from Lakefront wind. There will be continued push from the Bengals and Cincinnati for a deal at the same time and there will be a renovation of Paycor comparable in cost to Brook Park, with the state largely covering both from the public's side. Happy new year! Edited January 3Jan 3 by snakebite
January 3Jan 3 Superbowl Fanfest coming to Huntington Bank Field. https://fox8.com/news/super-bowl-fanfest-coming-to-huntingtown-bank-field/
January 3Jan 3 2 hours ago, simplythis said: Superbowl Fanfest coming to Huntington Bank Field. https://fox8.com/news/super-bowl-fanfest-coming-to-huntingtown-bank-field/ Get your tickets quick: Verizon customers can claim free tickets on a first-come, first-served basis starting Friday by visiting VerizonFanFest.com, with an option to bring guests to their city’s experience. The events are anticipated to collectively draw around 150,000. So basically about 5,000 tickets per stadium. Hurry... https://verizonfanfest.com/
January 4Jan 4 2 hours ago, Willo said: Get your tickets quick: Verizon customers can claim free tickets on a first-come, first-served basis starting Friday by visiting VerizonFanFest.com, with an option to bring guests to their city’s experience. The events are anticipated to collectively draw around 150,000. So basically about 5,000 tickets per stadium. Hurry... https://verizonfanfest.com/ Sounds pretty nice! Noticed looking at the list it’s not all NFL stadiums hosting the events. Cincy for example is at TQL Stadium not Paycor/Bengals which will be great since it’s a new venue. I figured the league would make Verizon use all NFL sites.
January 4Jan 4 What I am not understanding about Jimmys proposed property in Brookpark is that it has the same address 18300 Snow Rd. as the Weston's Forward Innovation Ctr https://forwardinnovationcenter.com/available-spaces/west-property-3/ which has just completed construction of a 364k warehouse that is already half leased. I am not sure why no one ever talks about this project which has plans for even more of a build-out of the 210 acres. Is there room for both? Will this new building come down?
January 4Jan 4 8 hours ago, freethink said: What I am not understanding about Jimmys proposed property in Brookpark is that it has the same address 18300 Snow Rd. as the Weston's Forward Innovation Ctr https://forwardinnovationcenter.com/available-spaces/west-property-3/ which has just completed construction of a 364k warehouse that is already half leased. I am not sure why no one ever talks about this project which has plans for even more of a build-out of the 210 acres. Is there room for both? Will this new building come down? Sometimes addresses need to be reconfigured depending on how parcels get sliced up vs. what was there before. It’s likely the stadium will ultimately be “1 Bernie Kosar Way” or something of that nature.
January 6Jan 6 On 1/3/2025 at 12:21 PM, snakebite said: The same fans begging for all this Are there fans begging for this? It's a serious question because I wouldn't know personally. The die hard fans I know love going to those brutal, snowy games in December and see it as a badge of honor.
January 6Jan 6 On 1/2/2025 at 11:00 AM, TBideon said: Jimmy being forced to sell is as likely as bulldozers heading towards Burke I honestly don't know if the Modell Law will be upheld or not. But I do know that accepting public money always comes with strings attached. For example, minimum wage rates, minority and female vendor participation, green building standards, job creation/retention, etc. So I see no reason why a requirement to remain physically located in the City of Cleveland would be any different? If the other requirements can be enforced, why can't this one? Furthermore, the State of Ohio has a vested interest in seeing that the law IS enforced. No politician wants to open the door on their laws and sovereignty being over ruled. This puts everyone in a real pickle. I suspect that's why DeWine was really in town - to try and broker a deal to end this amicably. But then Jimmy had to start blasting Ronayne in that survey and forced the City to escalate things. In my opinion, Haslam painted the City/County/State into a corner on this one. Forcing a sale seems hard to enforce, but maybe the court could determine that they are required to pay back the public money instead? I'm guessing that's what SHW would have to do if they decided to move.
January 6Jan 6 On 1/3/2025 at 10:57 PM, freethink said: What I am not understanding about Jimmys proposed property in Brookpark is that it has the same address 18300 Snow Rd. as the Weston's Forward Innovation Ctr https://forwardinnovationcenter.com/available-spaces/west-property-3/ which has just completed construction of a 364k warehouse that is already half leased. I am not sure why no one ever talks about this project which has plans for even more of a build-out of the 210 acres. Is there room for both? Will this new building come down? Weston would be selling the land to the Haslams, so this project would be done if the Haslams go through with the plan to move the stadium there. The new building looks like it would stay, since it's there in the new stadium renderings.
January 6Jan 6 15 minutes ago, Dino said: I honestly don't know if the Modell Law will be upheld or not. But I do know that accepting public money always comes with strings attached. For example, minimum wage rates, minority and female vendor participation, green building standards, job creation/retention, etc. So I see no reason why a requirement to remain physically located in the City of Cleveland would be any different? If the other requirements can be enforced, why can't this one? Furthermore, the State of Ohio has a vested interest in seeing that the law IS enforced. No politician wants to open the door on their laws and sovereignty being over ruled. This puts everyone in a real pickle. I suspect that's why DeWine was really in town - to try and broker a deal to end this amicably. But then Jimmy had to start blasting Ronayne in that survey and forced the City to escalate things. In my opinion, Haslam painted the City/County/State into a corner on this one. Forcing a sale seems hard to enforce, but maybe the court could determine that they are required to pay back the public money instead? I'm guessing that's what SHW would have to do if they decided to move. I feel the nuts and bolts of why this law is bad has been discussed in multiple boards. Let's just say it's too vague and contravenes federal law. Edited January 6Jan 6 by TBideon
January 6Jan 6 1 hour ago, Dino said: Are there fans begging for this? It's a serious question because I wouldn't know personally. The die hard fans I know love going to those brutal, snowy games in December and see it as a badge of honor. If social media or fan forums are a barometer at all, there is a large number of people who are oblivious to the public financial ask and are fiercely supportive of the move as they see anything which involves them going Downtown as irritating or even bordering on dangerous, as irrational and blown our of proportion as it may be.
January 6Jan 6 12 minutes ago, snakebite said: If social media or fan forums are a barometer at all, there is a large number of people who are oblivious to the public financial ask and are fiercely supportive of the move as they see anything which involves them going Downtown as irritating or even bordering on dangerous, as irrational and blown our of proportion as it may be. I nelieve you. But I think it's important to ask whether these sentiments are reflected in any way on attendance or the bottom line. In other words the fans and their opinions really don't matter much as long as they (or really corporate interests) keep buying into the awful product.
January 6Jan 6 3 hours ago, snakebite said: If social media or fan forums are a barometer at all, there is a large number of people who are oblivious to the public financial ask and are fiercely supportive of the move as they see anything which involves them going Downtown as irritating or even bordering on dangerous, as irrational and blown our of proportion as it may be. I'm sure a lot of those are the same people who are mesmerized by the shiny bauble that costs too much but they buy it anyway only to be suprised when the credit card bill comes. Some may even have a hint of buyer's remorse but by then it's too late.
January 7Jan 7 The quotes from the state Republican leadership make it sound like Jimmy getting state money is gonna happen. This doesn’t sound like somebody who has a lot of big concerns. “This is a $4 billion development in the state of Ohio. I think $1.2 billion of that is for a football stadium, but there are transportation parts to it, housing parts to it," Huffman said. "And what they're asking for is some of that to be paid for with bonds, bonds that would ultimately, the suggestion - and it usually is with these things - is that the taxes recouped will pay the public's cost for the bonds. But in this case, the organization is actually guaranteeing that that will happen, which that never happens in these cases. So, we'll just have to see what the final product is. But I know they've been working for some time." https://www.ideastream.org/2025-01-07/lawmakers-expecting-cleveland-browns-ask-for-stadium-money-possibly-in-state-budget
January 7Jan 7 Well if Jimmy gets his state money then l guess all the backdoor/insider stuff will have paid off. Always nice to be an insider. And what a great game it is. I donate several million to your campaign then you find me a billion from the taxpayer trough.
January 7Jan 7 Brown's seeking state assistance.https://www.wkyc.com/article/sports/nfl/browns/cleveland-browns-domed-stadium-brook-park-haslam-sports-group-ohio-lawmakers-cuyahoga-county-officials/95-231a8855-ff29-41bb-ae5e-bf3cc1d1cd9c
January 7Jan 7 State should respond with a revenue-sharing agreement so that Ohioans can benefit from the investment. Otherwise, DeWine should stop taking that criminal's calls.
January 8Jan 8 On 1/7/2025 at 3:24 PM, coneflower said: The quotes from the state Republican leadership make it sound like Jimmy getting state money is gonna happen. This doesn’t sound like somebody who has a lot of big concerns. “This is a $4 billion development in the state of Ohio. I think $1.2 billion of that is for a football stadium, but there are transportation parts to it, housing parts to it," Huffman said. "And what they're asking for is some of that to be paid for with bonds, bonds that would ultimately, the suggestion - and it usually is with these things - is that the taxes recouped will pay the public's cost for the bonds. But in this case, the organization is actually guaranteeing that that will happen, which that never happens in these cases. So, we'll just have to see what the final product is. But I know they've been working for some time." https://www.ideastream.org/2025-01-07/lawmakers-expecting-cleveland-browns-ask-for-stadium-money-possibly-in-state-budget Lol what else they gonna say to convince them? Yeah theres a risk we might not pay off the bonds actually. Course not
January 9Jan 9 On 1/7/2025 at 4:35 PM, cadmen said: Well if Jimmy gets his state money then l guess all the backdoor/insider stuff will have paid off. Always nice to be an insider. And what a great game it is. I donate several million to your campaign then you find me a billion from the taxpayer trough. Unfortunately the Bengals will be foraging the same trough. Whatever money Dewine gives the Browns, they will want an equal share.
January 9Jan 9 9 hours ago, Cleburger said: Unfortunately the Bengals will be foraging the same trough. Whatever money Dewine gives the Browns, they will want an equal share. how much money does their owner give the state party though? 😇
January 9Jan 9 So something I was thinking about the other day; Ronayne needs to be more careful with his posturing than Bibb. The Haslams have already made clear what their line of attack against Ronayne would be, he's playing favorites with Cleveland and always will. Obviously Ronayne would say that's not true and Cleveland being the county seat and the nucleus of the county needs to be strong and should be the entertainment destination for the region and that's what will most benefit NEO. However, in politics as soon as you're explaining you're losing. And it doesn't matter that this specific disagreement is over Brook Park; the other suburbs, municipalities, villages, towns could probably be easily swayed to believe that if there is ever a case of Cleveland or another municipality Ronayne will side with Cleveland every time--again, true or not. That said, I think this gives Ronayne a different hand to play and it could be pretty potent. I think he should determine what the County would give for the Browns to stay downtown and say, "here is what the county will offer for wherever you want to locate within Cuyahoga county*". Any request over that from the Haslams and Ronayne gets to now argue, "look, I'm willing to support development throughout the county, but what I'm not willing to do is write a blank check for a billionaire just because they want to spend more tax payer dollars. If the Haslams want this they have the funds, they should pay for it." This is more or less in line with his current argument, but I think it is more potent because it allows him to highlight just how financially irresponsible it would be for the county or state to put up 2x the money when there was an option at half the cost. *Obviously not anywhere in the county. If he picked a location on the county line, putting the stadium in Cuyahoga but all the promised ancillary development in another country so Cuyahoga wouldn't be able to collect the taxes then that would be a non-started but those are details hammered out in negotiations. Ronayne: Public investment in Browns stadium worth considering. But how much?
January 9Jan 9 his argument against favoritism is already pretty compelling. county has spent hundreds of millions on event spaces/hotels downtown and putting money toward a direct competitor hurts the taxpayers investment. it's not saying the browns should be downtown because he loves downtown - it's saying the convention center, sports arenas, Hilton hotel are all in a worse spot if the browns move to brook park.
January 9Jan 9 50 minutes ago, Whipjacka said: his argument against favoritism is already pretty compelling. county has spent hundreds of millions on event spaces/hotels downtown and putting money toward a direct competitor hurts the taxpayers investment. it's not saying the browns should be downtown because he loves downtown - it's saying the convention center, sports arenas, Hilton hotel are all in a worse spot if the browns move to brook park. I don't disagree, I guess the point I was trying to make is this is a defensive argument and the approach I was suggesting allows Ronayne to go on offense.
January 9Jan 9 1 hour ago, Luke_S said: So something I was thinking about the other day; Ronayne needs to be more careful with his posturing than Bibb. The Haslams have already made clear what their line of attack against Ronayne would be, he's playing favorites with Cleveland and always will. Obviously Ronayne would say that's not true and Cleveland being the county seat and the nucleus of the county needs to be strong and should be the entertainment destination for the region and that's what will most benefit NEO. However, in politics as soon as you're explaining you're losing. And it doesn't matter that this specific disagreement is over Brook Park; the other suburbs, municipalities, villages, towns could probably be easily swayed to believe that if there is ever a case of Cleveland or another municipality Ronayne will side with Cleveland every time--again, true or not. I think he has a pretty great relationship with other mayors throughout the county and those same mayors recognize that we have the highest tax rates in the state; contributing tons of money towards a billion+ dollar enterprise isn't fiscally responsible when the county has a ton of fiscal problems as is. These snippets are important to consider w/funding for a new stadium...just exactly where would county funding come from?? The county is facing a projected $25 million budget deficit in 2025, it continues to rank among the highest poverty rates in the nation, and it’s preparing to invest about $1.5 billion in a new jail and courthouse. It’s also still trying to figure out how to keep up with repairs at Progressive Field and Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, since spending has outpaced revenue. The county recently took on new debt to help pay off past-due repair bills while it tries to identify a more sustainable funding source. Edited January 9Jan 9 by GISguy
January 10Jan 10 Browns respond to the city - See You in court - https://fox8.com/news/i-team/i-team-browns-respond-to-city-demand-on-modell-law-in-stadium-fight/
January 10Jan 10 https://www.wkyc.com/article/sports/nfl/browns/cleveland-browns-art-modell-law-domed-stadium-mayor-justin-bibb-brook-park-response-letter/95-39262e45-df0b-452e-a3aa-13f3f791dfa5
January 10Jan 10 New PD Opinion piece in favor of staying downtown: https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2025/01/what-browns-fans-want-should-matter-and-thats-keeping-the-team-downtown-susan-mccauley-sadid.html
January 10Jan 10 42 minutes ago, ryanfrazier said: Even if they move to Brook Park? Yes, they would make donations to support the downtown lakefront as part of the deal to let them move to Brook Park. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
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