BROOK PARK, Ohio — Brook Park is working to move the ball down the field for a new Cleveland Browns stadium – and trying to stay above the fray that erupted this week.
City officials weighed in Thursday afternoon, following 36 hours of sparring between Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne and the Browns over the impact of the project and the team’s ask for $1.2 billion in public money.
RELATED: A 'betrayal of Ohio taxpayers' War of words heats up between Cleveland and the Browns
In a written statement, Mayor Edward Orcutt described the proposal as a “fiscally sound, innovative approach that will work for the public.”
He said the 176-acre project, a $2.4 billion enclosed stadium surrounded by roughly $1 billion worth of mixed-use development near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, will be a game-changer for the community he represents – and the entire region.
The city’s economic development commissioner echoed that stance.
“So far, the numbers look to pencil out,” Paul Marnecheck said during an interview at Brook Park City Hall. “Now, there’s still work to be done on it, but… Mayor Orcutt has issued an order to all of us. And that’s ‘forward march.’”
The Browns aim to start construction in Brook Park early next year so they can move in 2029, after the team’s lease ends at Huntington Bank Field on Cleveland’s lakefront. They're asking the state and Cuyahoga County to issue bonds to help pay for the stadium.
Under the Browns’ proposal, suburban admission taxes, income taxes and parking taxes from the entire project would go toward paying debt service on the county-issued bonds – along with revenues from a proposed increase in the countywide bed tax at hotels and a fee on rental cars.
Ronayne has roundly rejected that plan, saying it’s a bad deal for taxpayers.
“The overly optimistic projections on the financial modeling put this county at risk,” he said Wednesday, during a news conference where he urged the Browns to stay Downtown and work with Cleveland to renovate the existing, city-owned stadium.
In his written statement Thursday, Orcutt said Brook Park has taken a deep look at the proposal and the financials. He said the Haslam family, which owns the Browns, has been transparent, responsive and collaborative throughout that process.
“Ideally, we would collaborate with Cuyahoga County on such a generational project for this area and one that, based on the comprehensive and innovative approach, will not only pay for itself but generate revenue that can be utilized for important projects not only in Brook Park but throughout our region,” Orcutt wrote.
Financing experts say Brook Park can’t shoulder the load of issuing $600 million in bonds. Asked about that Thursday, Marnecheck said the city is still exploring all its options.
“I’d prefer not to say if Brook Park could or can’t, until we have a chance to really go through that with our financial experts,” he said, referring to law firm Bricker Graydon.
He said the topic of infrastructure —who pays for it, how it’s funded and who will ultimately own it — is still being discussed. Those costs often fall on the public sector.
“What we’re doing today, it’s not only for the next five years,” he said. “We’re talking 30, 40, 50 years. How do we structure this today so it makes sense for the long-term?”
As a lifelong Browns fan and longtime season ticket holder, Marnecheck is thrilled by the possibility of a new stadium. In their messages to fans about the project, the Browns have said a new Huntington Bank Field would have the closest front row – and back row – to a field in the NFL.
“As a guy who sits up in the nosebleeds by choice, because that’s where I like to be, this is exciting. I could have close seats. ... It’s really exciting to see what this could be for my beloved Browns,” Marnecheck said.
But that vision hinges on securing a mix of public and private financing. And the Browns are on the clock. They’re lobbying the General Assembly to include support for the project in the next biennial budget, which must be approved by late June.
RELATED: Browns reveal more details about Brook Park plans in a pitch to state lawmakers
Meanwhile, in Northeast Ohio, there's no shortage of debate about the numbers.
In a written statement Wednesday, Bibb called the Brook Park plans a “scheme.” Ronayne cautioned state lawmakers to take a closer look.
“It’s risky for us, as the county, and it’s risky for the state of Ohio,” he said. “If I were in Dayton, if I were in Cincinnati, if I were in Columbus, if I were in Youngstown, if I were in Toledo, I’d be wondering about this plan in Cleveland and its risk to my taxpaying dollars to the state of Ohio.”
RELATED: War of words heats up between Cleveland and the Browns
Conversations about the financing plan moved out from behind closed doors earlier this month when the team's general counsel made a pitch to an Ohio House committee. The Browns insist that their projections are conservative, and that the public will more than recoup what it spends.
The public process hasn’t started yet in Brook Park, but it could kick off soon.
“We’re still working through that,” Marnecheck said of the next steps. “We’re hoping to have some announcements for the public, but we want to make sure that when we do present to the public, we have everything properly calibrated and we’re ready to make a full presentation.”
His message to everyone who’s watching all the twists and turns in this saga?
“Stay tuned. There’s still a lot of information to come.”
You can read the statement from Mayor Orcutt below:
