Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne will hold a news conference this afternoon on the Cleveland Browns’ domed stadium proposal.
CLEVELAND — Amid the ongoing battle between the city of Cleveland and the Browns over the team’s proposed dome stadium project in Brook Park, Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne has scheduled a news conference for this afternoon.
You can stream Ronayne’s briefing, to be held at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown at 4:30 p.m., in this story. We will also carry the press conference live on our YouTube channel.
Last month, the Browns shared details of their plan to finance the $3.4 billion economic development project, which features a $2.4 billion domed stadium along with a mixed-use development.
Team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, along with their development partners, have committed to invest more than $2 billion in private capital. The state of Ohio would be asked to issue $600 million in bonds that would be paid back by tax revenues, while the city of Brook Park and Cuyahoga County would be asked for an additional $600 million in bonds to be covered by an increased admissions tax, parking tax, bed tax and rental car surcharge.
During a hearing of the House Arts, Athletics and Tourism Committee last week, Haslam Sports Group Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel Ted Tywang announced that the Browns are prepared to offer “up-front cash” to help alleviate any concerns the state might have about issuing $600 million in bonds toward a new domed stadium in Brook Park.
Also last week, 3News media partner Cleveland.com reported that the Ohio House Finance Committee will likely soon add language to the massive budget legislation to authorize $600 million in state-backed bonds to help pay for the new stadium.
Previously, Ronayne has said that he believes the Browns should stay on the lakefront.
“We have talked about this for months and months and months and months, and it’s time to say where we stand, and where we stand is that the Browns belong in downtown Cleveland,” he told 3News’ Lydia Esparra last October.
In January, Ronayne indicated that discussions over the future of the Browns stadium were continuing, saying county leaders would “continue to have a a dialogue about what’s appropriate as it relates to any public expenditure in a new facility or a renovated facility.”
“But our sports teams are very important and I say that plurally. We have the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers, we have the ALCS-bound Guardians and we have the Cleveland Browns. But we got to find a balance, and we also have to figure out in our communities how we support sports and recreation in the community,” he added. “So there’s a lot to work through as it relates to stadium location or renovation or new build, and what the county’s participation would be in it.