Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam haven’t yet revealed anything about where they plan to get $1.2 billion in public funds by, as their executive VP Dave Jenkins put it in a press statement, “leveraging the fiscal impact of the project,” but if they had any ideas of getting the county to kick back future taxes to a new dome in Brook Park, looks like that ain’t happening:
In a letter to Cleveland Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam Sunday, Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne and County Council President Pernel Jones Jr. say they will not support a stadium proposal for Brook Park and will focus on renovating the existing lakefront stadium.
“The proposal to build a new stadium in Brook Park does not make fiscal sense for Cuyahoga County residents and taxpayers,” the letter says.
With the county out of the picture, that would leave only tax money from Brook Park (which doesn’t really have any) or the state of Ohio, which would have even less reason than the county to want to move the Browns from Cleveland to just outside Cleveland. Though Jenkins did say they would be exploring “innovative funding mechanisms,” maybe something involving a television that can see the future?
The Haslams subsequently released a statement saying that “it would be short-sighted for Northeast Ohio to rule out any options at this point” and that they hope to keep “working together and keeping and open mind,” so clearly they’re hoping to keep the Brook Park option alive regardless. But if not, Cuyahoga County officials notably didn’t rule out using county money on renovations to the Browns’ current lakefront stadium, so there’s still a chance they could package something along with Mayor Justin Bibb’s $240 million to get into some real money. Which would be worse for Cleveland taxpayers, obviously, but better for the Haslams, and certainly reason enough to rattle that Brook Park saber for as long as is necessary. Not that the Haslams wouldn’t necessarily like a Brook Park dome that came with a $1.2 billion check — what self-respecting fat cat wouldn’t? — but if Plan B is a slightly smaller pile of money bags, that’s still better than a guy playing in a 25-year-old stadium could expect without levying a move threat, even if just to the suburbs.
It looks like the Haslams saw the old biddy and her thousand or so children play the Arlington Heights game and figured, let’s try that one too. Hopefully Haslam and great great grandma will both lose and will be stuck in those ancient 20 year old stadiums. By the way Haslam, you are welcome to go to Columbus and propose a diesel tax to pay for your Brook Park dome. Oops, that would mean your other business would be paying for your stadium, billionaires don’t do that. They find a way for everyone else in Cleveland or Ohio to pay for gold plating their stadium.
He doesn’t own the Pilot Flying J anymore. He sold that to Warren Buffet.
The Haslams should thank Cleveland and be grateful for having the opportunity to own the Browns. Instead, they beome dirtier than spittoons for continuing to demand more public money. Shameful.
I do not understand why the County (well I do, pressure from the City of Cleveland) would be so against money for the Brook Park location, but okay for money at the current lakefront site, which could be developed for other purposes.
People have been saying for years, that they shouldn’t have built the current stadium on the lakefront. So the County is saying, let’s throw more money at the 25 year old stadium on the lakefront?
They think they can spend less to rehab an existing stadium than to build a new one? They are probably also not confident (and lack the vision) about getting the lakefront land developed.
Ahh so this is the new strategy. Have a boogeyman threaten a new stadium then shout down the boogeyman to make your constituents think you’re on their side. Then once you have them in your pocket, let them know that you will only give money for renovations to the current stadium, which is what you wanted all along
Memphis Browns sounds good, remember the owners are from Tennessee.