Cleveland Browns
Despite uncertainty over whether the Cleveland Browns will remain at their lakefront stadium or move to suburban Brook Park, the city is pressing ahead with its plans to revitalize the downtown shoreline.
In April, Cleveland applied for $260 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation to support a $440 million overhaul of the Ohio 2 Shoreway and to build a lakefront “land bridge” connecting the Mall to North Coast Harbor. This marks the city’s first major federal funding effort in its quest to enhance the downtown lakefront, following numerous failed attempts over the past century.
City officials discussed the grant application and ongoing lakefront initiatives earlier this week to dispel any notion that the uncertainty surrounding the Browns’ stadium location is hindering their efforts. Jeff Epstein, the city’s chief of integrated development, and Scott Skinner, director of the new North Coast Waterfront Development Corp., emphasized that the Shoreway revamp and lakefront connector are vital regardless of the stadium’s fate.
“We hope the stadium remains on the lakefront, but these are essential pieces of the century-long dream of connecting and activating our lakefront,” Epstein said.
The future of Burke Lakefront Airport is also under review, with two studies nearing completion: one on regional air traffic implications and another on economic development. Regardless of Burke’s outcome, the Shoreway and lakefront connector projects are deemed necessary.
The Browns, owned by Jimmy and Dee Haslam, ignited the latest round of lakefront planning in 2021 with a $1 million proposal for a large land bridge. However, the Haslams have since expressed interest in a $2.4 billion domed stadium and entertainment district in Brook Park, potentially on a site near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
The Browns are also exploring the possibility of remaining at the city-owned lakefront stadium, where their lease expires in 2028, with renovations estimated at $1 billion. Team spokesman Peter John-Baptiste affirmed the Browns’ support for the city’s lakefront efforts, independent of the stadium decision.
The city’s recent low profile on lakefront planning may have suggested a stall in efforts, but Epstein and Skinner outlined a comprehensive timeline of ongoing projects, emphasizing continued public involvement. These initiatives include planning for placemaking projects and events to activate 22 acres of parking lots north of Browns Stadium, forming a New Community Authority to finance major projects, and completing design work for the downtown waterfront.
Public meetings are scheduled in July to discuss reconfiguring the Shoreway, potentially altering its connection to the Main Avenue Bridge and including a multi-modal transit facility. Additionally, the city will soon release studies on the future of Burke Lakefront Airport.
Cleveland is seeking the $260 million grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Mega Grant Program, with further grant pursuits planned regardless of this attempt’s outcome. Skinner’s agency has engaged AECOM to explore various federal funding sources for the lakefront plan, and the city’s downtown tax increment financing district is viewed favorably for grant requests.
Skinner expressed confidence in ongoing political support for the project, noting bipartisan backing from officials in Columbus and Washington, D.C. The Biden administration’s support for large transformational projects adds to the optimism, though Skinner believes the project’s merits will ensure continued support regardless of future election outcomes.
