I had to read this story three times to make sure I was getting it right: The Cleveland city council and incoming Browns owner Jimmy Haslam discussed building a dome atop Browns Stadium yesterday — but not because Haslam requested it. Rather, it was Councilman Michael Polensek who asked Haslam about a roof, with the owner the owner responding that he was “completely open-minded.” According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Polensek is hot for a roof “in order to get more use out of the city-owned stadium.”
Stadium roofs typically go for well in excess of $100 million, and more like double that if you’re talking a retractable job. (Nobody’s saying yet who would pay for this, or how.) Let’s all put our thinking caps on and consider what possible indoor uses the city could have for a football stadium that would be worth a nine-figure expense…
…
…
All I’ve got is “maybe a Super Bowl or the NCAA Finals sometime.” Which would be a lot more tempting if the bidding for the Super Bowl and NCAA Finals weren’t so intense that cities have to put up additional millions just to host the thing. Still, Polensek has apparently been harping on this notion for years — anyone amid the flood of “The Browns are gonna get a dome!” coverage think they could find time to ask him what on earth he thinks they’re going to use it for?
Best. FoS. Story. Ever.
Why not just build a dome over the city of Cleveland? Then, you’d make sure the Indians have one too AND you could control the climate.
I wish I lived in one of those cities – like Cleveland – that have been so completely untouched by the economic difficulties of recent years that they’re eagerly searching for projects at which they can throw money.
Lucky Ohioans.
http://www.nflfootballstadiums.com/ClevelandBrowns.htm
I’m no architect, but looking at those photos, it’d be pretty hard to build anything on that stadium.
Can’t build a dome over that stadium, can we?
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1457102080/tt0115683
#Checkmate
*knocks over king, leaves table*
Didn’t being covered by a giant dome happen to Springfield once? I seem to recall a dome wall in Homer Simpson’s backyard. IIRC that worked out great.
Clevelanders have been talking about it for years, mostly because they are peeved about getting passed over for big events by the likes of Indianapolis and Detroit. Combine it with the decline of manufacturing and it further enhances the perception of the city being in decline.
Detroit doesn’t have a domed stadium. Pontiac does, but I can’t remember the last “big event” that was held there…
“Combine it with the decline of manufacturing and it further enhances the perception of the city being in decline.”
Good thing cities like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, etc all had the forethought to avoid the perception of decline by building domed…oh, wait. Never mind.