CLEVELAND — This week, the Greater Cleveland Partnership's executive committee voted to endorse Haslam Sports Group's plans to build a new Browns stadium in Brook Park. On Wednesday, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne responded, blasting the regional chamber of commerce in a letter — and pulling out of several GCP committees.
According to the letter, Cleveland and Cuyahoga County are leaving GCP's civic vision, city development committee and air services task force meetings.
Bibb and Ronayne accused the chamber of turning its back on local business owners in Cleveland in favor of the Brook Park venture.
"It is unclear whose interests GCP represents – but it is clear you do not represent the business owners in downtown Cleveland that stand to lose millions of dollars in revenue or the business owners across Cuyahoga County who would have to compete against a new publicly subsidized entertainment district in Brook Park," Bibb and Ronayne wrote in the letter.
"It does not represent the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, or the countless private businesses that have invested billions of dollars into a strong urban core for our region," they added. "As elected leaders in this community we must advocate for the business leaders that we collaborate with every day that work with us, in partnership, for the betterment of our community."
Read their full letter below:
Bibb and Ronayne both oppose Haslam Sports Group's plan to leave city-owned Huntington Bank Field on the lakefront for a suburban domed stadium in 2029. State lawmakers are considering make-or-break funding for the Brook Park project as part of the next state budget, which must be approved by the end of June.
Members of GCP's executive committee — a group of 24 chief executives and business leaders — voted almost unanimously to endorse the stadium move on Monday afternoon, after months of behind-the-scenes talks between the chamber of commerce and the Browns, the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County.
GCP said several executive board members, including Haslam Sports Group CEO Dee Haslam, recused themselves from the vote.
In its endorsement announcement, GCP said a Downtown dome would be "ideal," but the Brook Park option is more "practical to move forward" because of timing, cost and logistical challenges on the lakefront.
The Browns explored a renovation of the existing, open-air stadium before they pivoted to Brook Park, where they have designs for a mixed-use stadium district on a 176-acre site.
Haslam Sports Group showed both proposals to Cleveland-area business leaders last year but did not publicly release any images of the Downtown stadium concept until this month, after one rendering leaked out.
RELATED: After leak, Browns release rendering of shelved Cleveland stadium renovation plan
Watch more about the Greater Cleveland Partnership's endorsement below:
RELATED: Greater Cleveland Partnership's executive board endorses Brook Park stadium plan
