The Cleveland Browns broke ground on Thursday for their $2.6 billion domed stadium project in Brook Park, which is set to open for the 2029 NFL season. Gov. Mike DeWine joined team owner Jimmy Haslam, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and others to celebrate construction on the project, which actually began last month.
The three shared the stage at the groundbreaking to take questions about the project. Haslam said he sat down with DeWine's team two years ago to talk through what the state's role might be in funding the project.
"I'll be quite honest, my goal was to be supportive of this and do what we could at the state level because we needed state money. But you also have the Haslam organization putting a ton of money into this thing as well, and that's sometimes something that is forgotten," DeWine said. 鈥淭he state for the last 30 to 35, 40 years has participated in in the building of new stadiums, new ballparks. We've also participated in renovations. We were as clear we're going to do that, and it's the right thing for us to do.鈥�
The state kicked in $600 million toward the stadium through the budget signed last year, with the Haslam Sports Group promising to repay the money over 30 years. DeWine's initial idea had been to raise the money for the Browns' stadium and other sports facilities projects through a tax on sports gambling operators.
"The legislature didn't go along with that. But what they did do is they came up with another plan, and it's a plan that also does not interfere with the money we need for education and all the other things that we want. So that's what makes this work," DeWine said.
Republican lawmakers replaced DeWine鈥檚 idea of taxing sports gambling companies with a plan to use unclaimed funds. Several of those lawmakers were also at the groundbreaking.
"We came up with a plan that's going to ensure that Ohio will will continue to be number one in sports for decades and decades and decades," DeWine said. "That money is going to be there to help not only build this stadium, it's going to be there to help other our other sports facilities around the state."
DeWine said the stadium project will bring jobs and economic development, and the domed facility will bring more entertainment to contribute to the quality of life in Ohio.
"We do not currently have a covered stadium in the state of Ohio. We don't have anything like this in the state of Ohio. We needed this in the state of Ohio. It was about time. And we're moving forward," DeWine said. "It's a great win for the state of Ohio."
A state and federal court battle is holding up the transfer of $1 billion of those unclaimed funds into a sports and cultural facilities fund, to pay the $600 million pledged to the Browns and $400 million for 14 sports operations that have applied for a share of the fund. The Haslam Sports Group could pay the money during the legal fight to keep construction on track.