As Ohio lawmakers mull a proposal to put forth $600 million in state-backed bonds to fund a new domed Browns stadium in Brook Park, Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne is making his own pitch to the state.
Ronayne, who has long advocated for keeping the NFL team in Downtown Cleveland in the city-owned lakefront stadium, sent a letter Monday to Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) and Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) requesting $350 million from the state's operating budget to renovate the existing Huntington Bank Field.
"There was a better way: It's the transformation of the lakefront and the renovation of the stadium that accompanies that," Ronayne told Ideastream. "It's a financially less risky proposition by a long shot."
He said the request closely mirrors a request made in April by Hamilton County, where the Cincinnati Bengals play, to renovate that team's stadium along the Ohio River.
Hamilton County made that request one day after the Ohio House passed a budget that included the $600 million to help build the new Brook Park stadium, according to WCPO.
"Fair is fair," Ronayne wrote in the letter. "The two NFL teams in Ohio... should receive an equal sum for stadiums that are comparable in age, structure and location on downtown waterfronts."
Ronayne said his proposal would save the State of Ohio $250 million, compared to the domed stadium proposal in Brook Park.
The bonds were included in the budget recently passed by the House: A proposal the state's budget director yesterday said Ohio does "not have the capacity for," while at the same time issuing bonds for other state priorities. Now, it's up to the State Senate to decide.
The estimated cost for a new stadium is $2.4 billion, as opposed to a $1 billion price tag to renovate the existing one. The Haslam Sports Group, the team's owners, have said they hope to secure half their funding for the new stadium from public sources. Ronayne has called that proposal "fiscally irresponsible."
"I think it's far from a Hail Mary," Ronayne told Ideastream of his optimism for the proposal. "I think it's the prudent pass. I think that the Browns have themselves been throwing Hail Marys with the $600 million request and the state legislature.
In his Monday letter, he cited "unanswered questions" about capital repairs, infrastructure costs and impact on local public safety and municipal budgets.
"Given these questions and concerns, I have made my position clear that Cuyahoga County taxpayers should not bear the risk for the Brook Park project," Ronayne wrote.
The City of Cleveland recently sued the Browns using a state law intended to raise obstacles to teams playing in taxpayer-funded facilities seeking to leave their host city. In his State of the City address last week, Mayor Justin Bibb doubled down on his commitment to keep the team in place, but said the city's lakefront plan will continue with or without the Browns stadium.
