Add Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to the list of transportation entities opposed to the Cleveland Browns plans for a dome complex in Brook Park, a project estimated to cost more than $3 billion for the dome and accompanying mixed-use space.
While Director of Port Control Bryant Francis said he's open to collaboration with the team, he confirmed the airport has had no conversations with Browns ownership, the Haslam Sports Group, since the Ohio Department of Transportation denied the Browns stadium a permit to build in August.
"While we value regional development, no single project should come at the expense of the safety, efficiency, and reliability of an asset that benefits the entire region," Bryant said Wednesday to a group of reporters, whom were asked not to photograph or record the meeting.
This comes after the Federal Aviation Administration found that the stadium’s proposed height would exceed air space of the neighboring airport by 58 feet, though the report ultimately issued a “no hazard” finding.
ODOT told the Browns to either reduce the height of the stadium or find somewhere else to build, though the agency recently said it's still in discussions with the team. Francis said the airport has not been part of those discussions. He said he's previously only engaged with the Browns about road congestion concerns in the area.
The Browns said other buildings that exceed the FAA's height limit already exist within the three-mile radius of the airport, but when asked by reporters, Francis said he didn't know and couldn't speak to any projects that were approved before he assumed his role in 2023.
The Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is owned by the City of Cleveland and operated by the city's Department of Port Control. Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb has strongly condemned the Browns' intention to move out of the Downtown, city-owned stadium and attempted to block it by invoking a state law.
Francis said he did not have conversations with the mayor about the airport's stance to also oppose the stadium.
The Browns' lease at the current downtown stadium runs through the 2028 season.
The team has not yet responded to a request for comment.
