Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Stadium Redevelopment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mayor says Brook Park not committed to $422 million; outlines financing questions and Circle K traffic review
Summary
Mayor Orcutt told council the city is not committed to the multi-hundred-million-dollar redevelopment figure reported in media coverage about the Cleveland Browns project, described revenue streams being discussed, and said a Circle K traffic-impact presentation will be heard at a special meeting next week.
Mayor Patrick Orcutt told the Brook Park City Council on Tuesday that media reports tying the city to a $422 million figure for a Browns-related redevelopment project are incorrect and that the city has not committed to that amount.
"Unless you hear it from me, don't believe it," the mayor said, responding to recent reports. He described ongoing talks with state representatives and county officials and said the city is working to structure revenue streams tied to the stadium project so the municipal general fund would not be tapped for construction costs.
The mayor outlined potential revenue sources he said are being discussed at the state and local level: admissions taxes on tickets, parking tax revenues from parking lots associated with the site, and income tied to the development footprint. He said the city’s current admissions tax rate is 3 percent and that the proposal under discussion would increase the admissions and parking-related revenues that could be applied to the project. He also said the Browns and affiliated entities would cover certain legal costs and that the city would insist on financial backstops to protect against cancellations or other risks.
Orcutt also described repair and funding gaps at the existing stadium. He said the existing stadium needs roughly $120 million in repairs and that roughly $4.5 million in sales-tax-based funding is available to apply toward repairs; based on current revenue patterns the mayor estimated that over the next nine to 10 years the stadium would generate roughly $40 million toward repairs.
Councilmember Austin McPherson pressed for clarity after the mayor’s remarks, saying he was concerned by public statements that indicated "no existing tax money is gonna go into this" without detail on how expenses and risks would be handled. Orcutt replied that any commitment the city makes would include a backstop provision to protect taxpayers in case of a lost season, strike, pandemic or other revenue disruption.
Separately, Orcutt confirmed the city has scheduled a special council meeting next Tuesday to consider a traffic-impact presentation from Circle K and its engineers for a proposed site on Route 237. He said the city will not pay for the Route 237 improvements the developer proposes and that traffic and civil engineers will present a solution to the planning commission’s recommendation prior to a council vote.
The mayor closed by saying the city has not agreed to a fixed total dollar commitment and that any participation would be limited to what the city can afford and would include protections for the city’s general fund.
