CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) has confirmed the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) plan to sell the Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building in Downtown Cleveland, calling the decision a “slap in the face” to Cleveland.

Rumors over the potential closure and sale of the AJC building have been swirling since its appearance on a GSA disposal list earlier this month. The building had been listed for sale, then removed days later with no explanation given by the GSA.

The building was on the “non-core property list”, which identifies buildings that the U.S. General Services Administration deems are not “core to government operations, or non-core properties”.

“The Trump Administration is delivering a slap in the face to the City of Cleveland by rushing to sell the Celebrezze building,” said Congresswoman Brown. “The Celebrezze building is a critical cornerstone for Cleveland’s federal operations and a vital anchor for the downtown economy. This reckless and short-sighted fire-sale will disrupt essential federal services and undermine the City’s critical investments in the downtown economy. What’s more, it will inflict further trauma on public servants, who have been relentlessly attacked by DOGE and this Administration with return-to-work orders and indiscriminate firings. Our city and our people deserve better than being treated as collateral damage in DOGE’s reckless cost-cutting schemes.”

Congresswoman Brown says the federal government will look to short term leases for the 4,000+ employees that use the building within multiple federal departments. She fears that it would leave to even greater uncertainty:

“There is no guarantee that suitable relocation options will even be secured. The likely outcome is therefore not merely disruption—it is a direct reduction in federal employment in Ohio, with serious consequences for the local economy.”

The AJC building would be sold within the next three years, with the Congresswoman’s office telling 19 News that the federal government would need to find leases for every agency in the building, ensuring there is enough space, and physically move all equipment.

Agencies in the building include: Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

19 News has reached out to the GSA for comment and have yet to hear back.

Last week, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne called on the federal government to keep the building under federal ownership to keep these agencies downtown.

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You know the feeling. You’re watching an NFL game and a player pushes forward for a crucial first down. Maybe he got it. Maybe he didn’t. You won’t know for sure until a middle-aged man fully unfurls his chain and the entire world can see whether the tip of the ball reached the first down marker or not.

It appears, however, that when it comes to the NFL at least, those moments are no more.

While the Tush Push might be here to stay (at least for now), the NFL did approve at least some rule changes during the league’s Owners Meetings in Florida this week. But with all due respect to each team now being guaranteed a possession in overtime during the regular season and the 10 extra yards that have been added to touchbacks, perhaps no rule change possesses the potential to impact the way we view games more than the elimination of the chain gang in favor of an electronic line to gain measurement system.

To be clear, a chain crew will remain on the field for each NFL game in a secondary capacity, presumably in the event that there are technical issues with the line to gain system. Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology will be deployed to “accurately and efficiently measure the distance between the spotted ball and the line to gain,” similar to the system that the United Football League is using this season, albeit with a different provider.

First down technology in action for the UFL on Fox. 🏈📺🤖pic.twitter.com/QO7GTReKOZ

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 29, 2025

“The NFL and Sony are integrating world-class on-field officiating with state-of-the-art technology to advance football excellence,” the NFL’s EVP of football operations, Troy Vincent, said in a statement. “Combining the art of officiating with Sony’s trusted Hawk-Eye system is a healthy recipe for success in our commitment to raising the standards of accuracy, consistency and efficiency. Replay technology and data-driven insights from Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations aid us in advancing our efforts toward the future of football.”

The NFL’s move to such a system for line to gain measurements has appeared inevitable in recent years, with the league experimenting with the technology during last year’s preseason before opting not to implement it for the 2024 campaign after receiving mixed results. It’s unclear what (if anything) changed since then, but whatever it was, the league now appears comfortable making such a seismic shift.

Ultimately, technology is coming for us all, whether it’s the inevitability of robot umpires in baseball or the author of this story one day being replaced by AI. For now, it appears it was the chain gang’s turn to succumb to our technological advances, leaving us to savor those previous, anxiety-riddled moments that previously shaped our football viewing experiences.

Edwin James “Jim” Senter

OBITUARY

Edwin James “Jim” Senter, 80, a cherished husband, father, grandfather, and brother, passed away on March 30, 2025, at the David Simpson Hospice House of the Western Reserve, Cleveland, Ohio. Born in Hudson, NY, on December 27, 1944, to the late Edwin Jay and Betty Louise (nee: Plaus) Senter, Jim lived a life marked by dedication to his family, service to his country, and love for music.He is survived by his beloved wife, Charlotte (nee: Edwards) Senter; sons, Jeff (Kelly) Senter and Bruce Senter; grandchildren, Makenzie (Steven) Lux and Seth Senter; and his brother, Jerry Senter. A proud veteran of the Navy, Jim’s commitment to excellence continued in his 35-year career in Technical Sales at Avery Dennison. He found joy in the simple pleasures of life, reveling in bluegrass, country, and Christian music, finding solace in hunting, and cherishing every moment spent with family and friends.Family will receive friends on Wednesday, April 2, 2025 from 10:00am until the funeral service at noon at Painesville Assembly of God, 10949 Johnnycake Ridge Rd., Concord, Ohio 44077 with Rev. Jason Tatterson presiding. Burial will follow in Perry Cemetery where Military Honors will be rendered. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Teen Challenge International of Perry, 3032 Perry Park Rd., Perry, Ohio 44081 or www.teenchallengeusa.com