Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mayor Orcutt says Browns stadium plan will not take homes; outlines traffic mitigation and gives Blue Abyss update
Summary
Mayor Jim Orcutt told council Oct. 7 that the city’s Browns stadium and mixed‑use feasibility work does not include plans to take private homes, summarized traffic mitigation proposals for event days and said the Blue Abyss project faces capital‑stack delays but land remains in private hands. The city continues federal and state grant outreach and
Mayor Jim Orcutt used his Oct. 7 report to address resident concerns about the proposed Browns stadium and mixed‑use development and to provide brief updates on related economic projects.
"We're not taking anybody's homes," Mayor Orcutt said, responding to residents' questions about property acquisition following media coverage. Orcutt said the city has no plan to take homes or city streets for the project and added that the administration will correct false narratives when they appear in the media.
Orcutt summarized the status of grant and funding efforts. He said the city presented a "track funding application" seeking $70,300,000 in funding for a new Browns stadium and mixed‑use buildable units and that state review meetings and federal outreach are underway. He said a 1,610‑page feasibility study shows that, on non‑major‑event days with all six buildable units in place, overall traffic would be roughly 0.25% lower than today.
On traffic and neighborhood protection, Orcutt and council members discussed several design and traffic‑control measures: realigning Angle Road north of the railroad tracks to tee into a proposed Ring Road boulevard, blocking certain local streets during major game‑day events (including restricting vehicle traffic at the railroad tracks south of Angle and blocking Glenway at Angle), creating parking east of Interstate 71 with pedestrian pathways and a pedestrian bridge at Angle Road, and using signage and traffic‑management investments to reduce cut‑through traffic. Councilman Treuer raised egress concerns for event departures; Orcutt said the administration has studied traffic patterns, is consulting engineers (Osborne Engineering) and will invest in cameras and a command center to manage flow at events.
On Blue Abyss, a proposed aquatic research/development project, the mayor said the initiative has encountered capital‑stack delays and staffing changes among partners. "Nothing has changed on that," he said; attendees were told developer representatives have gone to England to continue negotiations and follow‑up meetings are planned. Orcutt added that the city sold the land to a developer tied to the project, and that the land remains under developer ownership.
Why it matters
The mayor’s remarks address core resident concerns about property impacts, traffic and economic development. The feasibility study and traffic‑management plans will shape future zoning, road‑work and funding decisions; the city’s outreach to state and federal partners signals an active pursuit of external funding.
What’s next
Officials said residents will receive more detailed materials and that the city will host a public meeting about proposed road and mixed‑use changes Oct. 28 at the recreation center for property owners within the 500‑foot notification threshold. The administration described further coordination with ODOT, engineering consultants and public‑safety and public‑works staff as ongoing.
Speakers quoted in this article are named in the council transcript.
