CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Proposed funding from the State of Ohio to help connect downtown Cleveland to the lakefront was not included in the state budget bill that passed the Ohio Senate last week.
In April, the Ohio House proposed $62 million to be included in the state’s 2024 fiscal year budget for the ‘Cleveland Municipal Land Bridge project,’ but that line item was not included in the 9,198-page bill that was passed by the Ohio Senate on June 15.
The $173 billion legislation that covers spending by the state over the next two years now heads to conference committee where members of the Ohio House and Senate will work to reconcile differences in the two different versions on the bill before sending it on to Governor Mike DeWine to sign.
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Should the reconciled bill not include any funding for Cleveland’s land bridge project, it would be a blow to plans for proposed development around Cleveland Browns Stadium and North Coast Harbor, which also includes the Great Lakes Science Center and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Haslam Sports Group, owners of the Browns, unveiled renderings of a potential lakefront transformation that included a land bridge to connect downtown Cleveland to North Coast Harbor in May 2021.
The state in conjunction with the city of Cleveland funded a feasibility study for building a land bridge and reconfiguring Route 2 through downtown.
The City of Cleveland has been seeking input online regarding the potential of building a land bridge by providing three choices for the public to consider and offer feedback on: 1 – “Build a land bridge over the existing freeway, known as the Shoreway. The speed limit would stay at 50 miles per hour and cars would move quickly through the area. There would be no side street intersections, driveways, or bike or pedestrian paths;” 2 – “build a land bridge and change the Shoreway to be a lower-speed local road. The speed limit would be no more than 35 miles per hour, cars could turn onto side streets or driveways without exit ramps, and people could walk or ride a bike nearby;” 2 – “leave the area like it is today. There would be no land bridge and the Shoreway would continue to operate as a freeway.”
Browns ownership has been steadfast in lobbying at the state and local level to encourage lakefront development around the stadium as well as improving the connection to downtown.
While speculation about the Browns’ desire for a new stadium has run rampant on the internet, the team has remained committed to extending the life of Cleveland Browns Stadium and their lakefront development proposal.
The Browns lease at the stadium, which opened in 1999, expires following the 2028 season and the team has been in the process of developing plans for a significant overhaul of the city owned facility which replaced Cleveland Municipal Stadium after the original Browns franchise relocated to Baltimore and the NFL awarded Cleveland an expansion team in a settlement agreement with fans and the city.
Although the team remains mum on renovation plans for Cleveland Browns Stadium, the overhaul is expected to be comprehensive to not only modernize the facility and bring it up to current NFL stadium standards but also to correct original design flaws that were the result of a compressed design and construction timeline from 1996-1999 as well as cost overruns during construction that caused certain aspects of the stadium to be scaled back.
The proposed stadium overhaul, which could cost in excess of $1 billion, the Browns are expected to pursue will likely include expanded concourses with improved views of the field and more protection from the elements for fans, modifications to the seating bowl to remove obstructions and improve sightlines as well as a significant expansion of the service level and foundation work associated with that to accommodate additional fan hospitality spaces, stadium operations and locker rooms.