Cleveland, OH

Cleveland Browns’ quest for a domed stadium starts an NFL fight for Ohio dollars

Published

1 year ago

April 15, 2025

Cleveland Browns’ quest for a domed stadium starts an NFL fight for Ohio dollars

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A political battle fit for the gridiron is underway in Ohio, where state Republican leaders are clashing over whether to single out the Cleveland Browns for help building a new suburban domed stadium or impose tax hikes to fund stadium upgrades for the Cincinnati Bengals and other teams longer term.

Neither idea is without critics in both parties, who argue that underwriting National Football League stadiums siphons money from the state’s policy priorities, including funding infrastructure and public schools.

The most heated debate centers on a proposal by Haslam Sports Group, which owns the Browns, to relocate from the team’s existing open-air stadium on downtown Cleveland’s lakeshore — where they have played since 1999 — to a new $2.4 billion complex in Brook Park, about 15 miles (24.14 kilometers) south. The team has proposed a private-public partnership to which the state would contribute $600 million.

After the money was approved by the Ohio House last week, commissioners in Hamilton County, home to the Bengals, balked. They moved swiftly to re-up their request for $350 million for Paycor Stadium, where the Bengals’ lease is up June 30, 2026. The ask follows Bengals Executive Vice President Katie Blackburn’s comments at recent NFL meetings in Florida, where she said, “We could, I guess, go wherever we wanted after this year” — while noting negotiations are progressing.

The stadium debate heads to the Ohio Senate after their two-week spring break.

Browns dream big, Cleveland recalls Modell nightmare

Dee and Jimmy Haslam, generous Republican campaign donors, say they want a facility “consistent with other world-class NFL stadiums.” With the addition of a dome, the Browns could host year-round events during northeast Ohio’s severe winters and “catalyze meaningful economic impact” at an adjacent entertainment complex. They point out that eight in 10 home game attendees live outside city limits.

Leaders in Cleveland, where Browns games draw coveted economic activity to downtown and the tourism district along Lake Erie, are livid. The existing $247 million Huntington Bank Field was primarily funded by city and county tax dollars. To many, it’s a symbol of the hard-luck sports town’s commitment to the team it nearly lost when then-owner Art Modell notoriously packed off to Baltimore in 1996.

Modell’s messy exit, also hitched to a stadium dispute, led to a state law that says no owner of an Ohio professional sports team that plays most of its home games at a tax-supported stadium can go elsewhere without an agreement with its host city or unless the host city is given six months’ notice with an opportunity to buy the team.

Democratic Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and members of the city council have threatened for months to invoke the “Modell Law” to prevent the Browns from leaving their current location, where the lease runs through the 2028 season. The city plans to remake the so-called “North Shore” with an eye toward accessibility, economic development and environmental protection. The team has filed a constitutional challenge to the law, and the city sued it back.

Meanwhile, the clock for allocating dollars toward the project is running down: Lawmakers face a June 30 deadline to finalize the state budget for the next two years.

Governor and House have different funding ideas

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s budget proposal called for raising the $600 million by doubling the tax on sports betting companies from 20% to 40%. The idea was to create a long-term revenue stream that could help both the Browns and the Bengals, and other teams.

“The governor’s plan goes beyond one team,” DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney said. “The general revenue fund can’t afford that. Therefore, we need to look at something that is more sustainable and can help all the teams.”

The GOP-led Ohio House, however, rejected DeWine’s plan in a vote last week. Its version of the operating budget calls for issuing $600 million in general obligation bonds to pay for the Browns project instead. Paying off the bonds would cost the state about $1 billion over 30 years.

House Finance Chairman Brian Stewart told reporters that the “metrics” of bonds are better for Ohio taxpayers because officials project that tax revenue from the Browns’ “megaproject” will be ample to cover the $40 million a year it will take to repay the bonds.

Senate must work through the opposition

As the Senate takes up the bill, it must weigh opposition to the current plan from all quarters: DeWine, the city of Cleveland, the Bengals, legislative Democrats and Republican Attorney General Dave Yost, who is running to succeed DeWine next year.

“Ohio is getting ready to spend more money on a new stadium in one city for one football team than it will spend on new highway construction for the next two years in the entire state,” Yost wrote in a recent Columbus Dispatch op-ed. He called state money for the project a “spendthrift gift to a billionaire.”

House Democrats unsuccessfully fought to pause the funding proposal altogether, citing unanswered questions about revenue projections, economic impacts and commitments by private developers. Cleveland Rep. Terrence Upchurch told reporters that lawmakers have more important priorities than helping the Browns’ owners, “especially since they only won three (expletive) games last year,” referring to the team’s 3-14 record.

A fellow Democrat in the Republican-supermajority Senate has proposed prohibiting public dollars from going to any professional sports franchise without a winning record in three of its five past seasons.

___

AP Sports Writer Joe Reedy in Cleveland contributed to this report.

FILE – General view of the outside of Paycor Stadium, Jan. 26, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar, file)(AP)

Source link

Click to comment

Cleveland, OH

Guardians Set Off Alarm Bells for Kwan Yesterday

Published

3 hours ago

May 12, 2026

Press Room

Guardians Set Off Alarm Bells for Kwan Yesterday

Yesterday’s loss to the Minnesota Twins looks like an inflection point for the Cleveland Guardians’ leadoff hitter, Steven Kwan.

In the bottom of the 8th inning, with the Guardians trailing 5-3, David Fry and Brayan Rocchio singled to leadoff an inning against right-handed reliever Luis Garcia. For his career, Garcia has been a very serviceable relief pitcher with a 4.20 ERA. However, he is 39 years old and, as of today, has an ERA of 10.50 and an FIP of 6.12. So, to be clear, while potentially a competent middle reliever, not someone that an all-star hitter hitting leadoff should feel anything less than fully confident to get a hit or a walk.

Enter Steven Kwan. As of today, he has a 67 wRC+. He is having an awful year, no doubt. But, it’s May and he has a career wRC+ of 109. He also has a career 117 wRC+ vs. RHP. He also has a 213 wRC+ for his career in 3-1 counts. And, guess what? Steven Kwan worked a 3-1 count.

NOW enter Tony Arnerich, acting manager of the Guardians yesterday as Stephen Vogt dealt with what I hope is simply a nasty cold (he sounded TERRIBLE in interviews on Saturday). Arnerich put the sacrifice bunt sign on for Steven Kwan. He clarified this was the case after the game, as reported by Cade Cracas of Sports Illustrated on Twitter:

Are you curious how often a team’s leadoff hitter has been asked to lay down a sacrifice bunt in a 3-1 count with his team down 2 runs late in the game and at least one runner in scoring position? Well, I can tell you that from 2023 until yesterday, it did not happen one time. Let’s look further back… oh, ok, in the past decade prior to yesterday, it happened exactly ONE time… for the Chicago Cubs in 2022.

Here’s the thing… I don’t even know that having Kwan bunt was 100% the wrong call. I mean, aside from the fact that I am fundamentally opposed to sacrifice bunts except in situations where one run wins the game and the sacrifice bunt is with no outs to get a runner to third by an offensively-challenged hitter who knows how to execute a bunt, I think I understand why Arnerich decided his best hope was sacrificing Kwan’s chances for a hit and punting things to Chase DeLauter and Jose Ramirez. It’s because Arnerich recognizes that Kwan is nowhere near a 109 wRC+ or 117 wRC+ hitter as he currently exists.

We can’t say “Oh, Arnerich is new to the team, he doesn’t know about good Kwan.” Arnerich has to know these players inside and out, their present and their past and projected future. He knows Kwan has traditionally handled RBI opportunities well and has been very effective in 3-1 counts. If he didn’t know that, well, to be honest, he should be fired for lack of preparation. But, I think he did know that. I think he made the very pragmatic assessment that Kwan was more likely to provide a 67 wRC+ output in that situation which would make advancing the runners to get to actual good hitters a much riskier proposition.

Last night needs to be the flare fired off by the Guardians’ bench coach to the team to say “Hey, it’s time to move Steven Kwan from the leadoff spot.” It’s time to platoon Kwan vs. LHP. It’s time to let Kwan have more room to breath to figure out if he can get back to the hitter he was before June 2025. From June 2025 until now, Kwan has a 77 wRC+. He’s still walking at a good rate and striking out at a low rate. He’s just simply not hitting the ball well at all with a 15.6% hard-hit rate and an average exit velocity of 85 mph, and a 1.4% barrel rate. He is Austin Hedges (well, prior to this season) who strikes out a lot less. And, yes, that is the kind of player you can justify asking to sacrifice bunt to give your actual good hitters a chance to win you the game, even though a sacrifice bunt down two STILL seems insane.

After last night, the Guardians cannot have it both ways. Either Kwan is a leadoff hitter and should be trusted to figure it out and HIT. OR, he is what Arnerich told us last night… a bottom of the order hitter who should only be looking to flip the order over to hitters who can actually imapct the baseball. I know it’s a hard conversation and I know Kwan is a selfless player who volunteered to switch to centerfield to help the team, even having won four consecutive gold gloves in his previous position. You hate showing any lack of confidence in him, Vogter. But, there is absolutely nothing wrong with telling a struggling veteran, “We are taking some pressure off you and batting you 7th for a while. We’d love to have you back in the leadoff spot as soon as possible. We are going to give you more days off to try to fix what’s wrong and work with our supposedly competent hitting staff. We believe in you and this is a chance to take a deep breath and get back to being you.”

Will moving Steven Kwan down in the order solve the Guardians’ hitting issues? Of course not. But, it’s a simple, straight-forward way to try to help solve KWAN’S hitting issues, who remains a key to getting this offense humming. I would immediately install Travis Bazzana as the leadoff hitter and let him, DeLauter and Ramirez do their absolute best to drive pitchers insane for three batters for a while. But, after the message your bench coach sent last night, you simply cannot continue to bat Kwan leadoff and hope things magically change.

Source link

Cleveland, OH

Paint the Town: Sherwin-Williams Opens Massive 36-Story Headquarters in Cleveland – Scioto Post

Published

15 hours ago

May 11, 2026

Press Room

Paint the Town: Sherwin-Williams Opens Massive 36-Story Headquarters in Cleveland – Scioto Post

CLEVELAND, OH — Governor Mike DeWine joined city leaders and executives today to officially cut the ribbon on the new Sherwin-Williams global headquarters, a project that literally changes the skyline of downtown Cleveland.

The grand opening coincides with the company’s 160th anniversary. Founded in Cleveland in 1866, the paint giant is doubling down on its Ohio roots with a sprawling, one-million-square-foot campus.

By the Numbers: A New Hub for Talent

The new headquarters is more than just an office—it is a massive economic engine for Northeast Ohio:

36 Stories: The main office tower now stands as a prominent feature of the downtown landscape.
3,000+ Employees: The tower will house thousands of workers, bringing consistent foot traffic back to the city center.
$37.5 Million: The investment committed by JobsOhio to ensure the project stayed in Cleveland.
1 Million Square Feet: The total size of the campus, which includes a two-story welcome pavilion and a multi-level parking garage.

“Sherwin-Williams has called Northeast Ohio home for 160 years, and today is a celebration of their longtime commitment to Ohio,” said Governor DeWine during the ceremony. He noted that the state-of-the-art facility is designed to keep Ohio’s “best and brightest” students in the state after they graduate.

Investing in the Future

The headquarters is the second half of a two-part expansion. In September 2025, Sherwin-Williams opened its Global Research and Development Center in Brecksville, which currently houses 900 employees. Between the two sites and various other operations, the company now employs more than 6,500 Ohioans.

To keep the “talent pipeline” flowing, JobsOhio is also backing the “Create Your Possible” Career Accelerator at Baldwin Wallace University. The program provides mentorship and internships specifically for STEM and business students, creating a direct path from the classroom to a desk in the new 36-story tower.

Source link

Cleveland, OH

What’s it like being a news anchor at Cleveland’s ABC Channel 5

Published

1 day ago

May 11, 2026

Press Room

What’s it like being a news anchor at Cleveland’s ABC Channel 5

Note to readers:

The following item is a written record of the Ward 2 council community meeting from April 29, 2026, compiled by Akron Documenter Wittman Sullivan. It is not a reported story.

Documenters are residents who are trained to observe and document local government meetings. Their notes are edited before publication for clarity and accuracy — unless quotation marks are used, all text is paraphrased.

If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@signalakron.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.

Summary

Tessa DiTirro, an anchor and reporter from Cleveland television station News 5 (WEWS), talked with community members about local concerns, including traffic issues and community events. She lives in West Akron and graduated from Firestone High School and Ohio State University.
Multiple community events are coming up in Ward 2, including the Ward 2 Baseball Game in July at 7 17 Credit Union Park in downtown Akron and the annual Ward 2 Community Cleanup led by Keep Akron Beautiful at the Patterson Park Community Center on May 9 at 8:30 a.m. Sign up here.
A community member spoke with Ward 2 Council Member Phil Lombardo about traffic safety concerns on Cuyahoga Street, saying his concerns about crashes have been ignored.

Documenter follow-up questions

What is the exact criteria that determines the order of house demolition in Akron?

Ward 2 City Council Member Phil Lombardo started the meeting at 6:01 p.m.
- Ward 10 City Council Member Sharon Connor and Akron Public School Board Member Nathan Jarosz were also present.
- Lombardo said his campaign manager helps to schedule meetings.
Lombardo said the Ward 2 baseball game will be in July at 7 17 Credit Union Park with $8 seating in line with third base and a free hot dog. The first 1,000 fans will get a free Jose Ramirez bobble head.
- Keep Akron Beautiful is looking for a volunteer for a month to water a flower bed at the corner of Dan Street and Glenwood Avenue in North Hill.
- The annual Ward 2 cleanup is May 9 at 8:30 a.m. at Patterson Park Community Center, led by Keep Akron Beautiful, to make “this place look sparkling despite the orange barrels.”

Channel 5 anchor graduated from Firestone High School

DiTirro said she graduated from Firestone High School, Akron School for the Arts Visual Art program, and participated in choirs and musicals. She studied TV Broadcasting at Ohio State University and has worked in broadcasting in Wheeling, Cincinnati, Grand Rapids and now in Cleveland since July 2023.
- She said she has long ties to Akron and lives in West Akron, her parents live in West Akron, and she loves Dontino’s in Akron.
- She hosts Good Morning Cleveland on Channel 5 on Saturdays at 8 a.m. and Sundays at 10 a.m. Stories come from her listening to residents and reading social media, the Akron Beacon Journal and Signal Akron posts. She works with a photographer and producers to write 90-second to two-minute segments. Lombardo gives her some stories, she said, like the street light outage story.
- She works from 3 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesday through Friday and 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekends.
Lombardo asked if she works on investigative or feel-good reporting
- DiTirro said News 5 has an investigative team that she’ll sometimes pass ideas to. Still, she has the freedom to focus on community stories and accountability pieces as a morning news anchor.

Join the movement for transparency

Civic power can start with you! We train and pay Documenters to take notes at local government meetings and share them here. Learn more about becoming a Documenter.

DiTirro fields questions about news decisions

A community member asked her to cover the National Night Out against crime on Aug. 4.
A community member asked what her favorite story has been.
- DiTirro said in 2024, they covered the recycled Cleveland E-Scooters that were refurbished at Summit E-Waste Recycling (the company no longer rehabs scooters), which led to people across the country buying all of them.
Lombardo asked how hard it is to switch between sad and feel-good stories.
- Ditirro said, “It is tough,” but her producer helps her write a balanced show with smooth transitions.
A community member asked if she goes to churches and communities that read to children.
- DiTirro said she goes but doesn’t usually make stories out of it.
A community member asked how community concerns turn into a story.
- DiTirro said she’ll take larger community concerns to a team of producers and executive producers. Stories come from curiosity usually, but timely news such as crime usually takes precedent. She said the E-Scooter story came from curiosity.
A community member asked her to cover speed tables.
Connor asked how community members can spread good news.
- She said that community members elevating good news to her helps.
A community member with Progress Through Preservation said they need more time to find investors to save Firestone Plant #1. She said Tony Troppe hasn’t been given enough time for projects like saving St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in University Park.

🗓️ New events calendar! From block parties to concerts and kids’ activities, find fun around Akron and Summit County all year long. Dive into the calendar and start planning.

Residents raise concerns about Cuyahoga Street safety, vacant houses

A community member asked for a plan for Cuyahoga Street and asked why Sackett Avenue has a speed trap trailer.
- Lombardo said it was added after resident requests.
- The community member said his 31 calls have been ignored even after a family was killed on the 1600 block of Cuyahoga Street. He said he’s been asking for help since 2025, and a dead-end road got action before a street with an issue of head-on collisions and deadly speeding issues.
- An Akron Police Department (APD) officer said there were multiple resident complaints on Sackett.
A community member said they are putting a permanent speed table next to his house on Gorge Boulevard and said people will speed after passing it.
- Lombardo said the maintenance with the rubber tables is too much, but if anybody has concerns about asphalt speed tables, they can speak to the city council on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. during the public comment period.

Issues with vacant houses, potholes also raised to council member

A community member asked Lombardo about a vacant corner house in the community.
- Lombardo said the house should have come down. He doesn’t know the schedule since about 50 homes are demolished annually, but the city can’t schedule them since fire-damaged homes always take top priority.
- He said when he was riding with the police once and they checked on a vacant house at 857 Gorge Blvd., and when they knocked on the door, they were greeted by a squatter who had removed the condemnation sign.

Go deeper: Read our full explainer on how Akron decides which derelict houses to tear down next.

A community member said panhandlers near state Route 8 are getting close to cars.
- An Akron Police Department officer said they need a vendor’s license and may not go beyond the curb, but people shouldn’t pay them because it will be spent on drugs.
- A community member said people could give out “blessing bags” with toiletries and basic needs.
A community member said kids have been hiding money in hole in a rotted tree in her yard. She asked when the city would remove the tree.
- Lombardo said there isn’t a schedule, but if he gets an address, he can check with the municipal arborist.
- A community member said it can take up to six months to remove a tree.
- A community member asked why the city removes devil strip trees.
  - Lombardo said it is usually a disease or sidewalk damage.
- A community member asked who’s liable for damage if a devil strip tree falls on their house.
  - Lombardo said that is what home insurance is for.
A community member said a pothole keeps reopening near North High School on Tallmadge Avenue.
- Lombardo said they are looking for repaving grants in 2027, but it also needs utility work.

May speaker will be Akron Chamber of Commerce president

Lisa Mansfield from Vantage Aging said the Senior Summit Expo on May 6 at St. George’s Fellowship Hall in Fairlawn will have more than 75 vendor booths.

Lombardo said Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce President Steve Millard will be the meeting guest in May, WAKR will be at the meeting in June, and University of Akron President R.J. Nemer will be a guest speaker in July or August.

The meeting ended at 6:54 p.m.

Find your neighborhood news: See all of our reporting on Ward 2 neighborhoods North Hill, Merriman Valley, and Chapel Hill in one place.

Akron Documenters trains and pays residents to document local government meetings with notes and live-tweet threads. We then make those meeting summaries available as a new public record.