CLEVELAND — It's been three years since the Charge, the G-League affiliate of the Cavaliers, moved from Canton to Cleveland. In those years, the Charge has bounced from home to home. This week, however, the team will hit the hardwood for the first time in their new permanent home, an iconic building in Downtown Cleveland—Public Hall.
On Friday, the Charge will make their debut in the new venue as they host the Wisconsin Herd at 7 p.m.
Choosing Public Hall for the Charge was a no-brainer, according to Charge senior vice president and chief operating officer Rocco Maragas.
"It happened pretty quickly and it was a no-brainer to be able to move into this venue," Maragas said. "As soon as we walked in, we knew that we needed to grow and needed space to do it, and this offers the most opportunity we could have ever imagined."
When you walk through the doors of Public Hall, it's hard to envision a basketball game being played there rather than some on-stage performance. Every doorway and every corner of the 102-year-old building is fashioned with some ornate design, painting or feature. The space is embellished with gold leafy trims and works of art on nearly every wall. Each ceiling was crafted with no detail spared.
There's a reason the iconic building has hosted so many different performances and events.
"It's hosted The Beatles and political conventions, Rock Hall ceremonies and All-Star events," Maragas said. "Being able to be the next great act at Public Hall, it just gives chills. It's a great honor."
The Charge called Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center home for some time. They outgrew the space. This season, as they awaited renovations on their new home, they began the season sharing Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse with the Cavs.
Work happened quickly to turn the space at Public Hall into the home of the Cleveland Charge. On the lower levels, locker rooms needed to be created. Rooms were renovated, and lockers were erected. A workout room outside the locker rooms was a must, as was space for coaches and trainers. The Charge walk up the winding ramps from the lower level up to the auditorium where the court has been installed. The visiting team takes the stairs (a fun detail not overlooked).
Inside the auditorium is where the experience of a Charge game will become truly unique.
The seating extends on the floor around the sidelines to a riser setup on one baseline and VIP seating on the other. Food will be served in the space between the court and the stage. The upper-level seating gives a theatre-style view of a basketball game, an unexpected bonus to sitting higher up.
The court, which is the Cavs' city edition court from the 2023-24 season inspired by Playhouse Square, matches the aesthetic of the building. Those ornate features around the building echoed in the court design. The wine and gold on the hardwood complement the gold railings and wine seating.
"I think guys are excited when they play on different courts, especially when they can feel connected to it," said Charge general manager Liron Fanan. "To feel a part of Cleveland, to feel a part of the Cavs, a part of this history and this organization—our guys saw that...and they were extremely excited to play on it. It gives them a different level of motivation I feel, and that's part of what we're trying to do here....It matches this building perfectly so we couldn't ask for a better fit."
For years, the Charge have developed talent that often times ends up playing for the Cavs. From Dean Wade and Craig Porter Jr. to Emoni Bates and Luke Travers, talent comes from the G League affiliate. Each time they take the court, they aim to put on a show.
The extended floor seating at Public Hall allows more fans to get an up-close-and-personal view of the game. It allows young fans to take the court after games and shoot around. It allows the crowd to meet the players, who regularly hold autograph sessions on game days.
The Charge aims to be a fun product to consume for any level of sports fandom. With acts like The Beatles, Lauryn Hill, Janis Joplin, Prince, David Bowie and a long list of other bands, politicians and different acts taking the stage at Public Hall over the decades, the Charge will now join that list of performers inside the iconic ad historic venue.
It could seem like a lot of pressure, but the pressure is what the Charge is all about after all.
"We'll take it. Pressure—it builds wonderful things. Diamonds, NBA players, a number of great things in Cleveland," Maragas said.
Fans can take in the experience themselves at any Charge home game, starting with their debut at Public Hall on Friday. To learn more about tickets to games, click here.
