Last week, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb announced that the Cleveland Browns intend to move forward with their plan to move the team from the stadium in Downtown Cleveland to the City of Brook Park. The Haslam Sports Group wants to build a $2 billion domed stadium complex on an old Ford auto plant site.
The team's owners, billionaires Jimmy and Dee Haslam, hope to split half the cost, or about $1 billion with the public, though they haven't released details of their financing plan yet. City and county leaders are strongly against the move, and Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne has pledged not to provide county funds.
Brook Park Mayor Ed Orcutt is for the move. The Haslams said in a statement last week, "A solution like this will be transformative not only for Cleveland and Northeast Ohio, but also the entire state of Ohio from the resulting events, tourism, and job creation. Additionally, moving the current stadium will allow the city and region's collective vision for the Cleveland lakefront to be optimally realized, and downtown will benefit from the major events the Brook Park dome brings to the region."
On Thursday's "Sound of Ideas," we're going to discuss the intended move to Brook Park, with local leaders, including Brook Park Mayor Orcutt and County Executive Ronayne. We'll also hear from Ideastream Reporter Abbey Marshall, who has been closely covering this story.
Later in this hour, we'll discuss the Cleveland Public Library launching a new interactive art installation on Saturday, Oct. 26. The exhibit, titled "The BAND," was created by Los Angeles-based artists, FriendsWithYou. Visitors will have the chance to interact with five fuzzy robotic characters who will perform a choreographed dance set to an original score by composer Norman Bambi.
The exhibit will be free and open to the public in Brett Hall, Monday through Saturday, 10a.m. to 6 p.m. until Spring 2025.
Guests:
-Abbey Marshall, Reporter, Ideastream Public Media
-Edward Orcutt, Mayor, City of Brook Park
-Chris Ronayne, Executive, Cuyahoga County
-Samuel Borkson, Artist, FriendsWithYou
-Arturo Sandoval III, Artist, FriendsWithYou
-Tiffany Graham Charkosky, Director of Arts & Culture, Cleveland Public Library
