Cleveland won’t be losing the Browns to Brook Park without a fight. And Cleveland secured a recent win by moving in silence.
Via Cleveland.com’s Today in Ohio podcast, Cleveland laid the foundation for the recent decision of the Ohio Department of Transportation to deny the permit for a domed suburban stadium.
The city, working with airport officials, sent “warning letters” regarding the height of the stadium, arguing it would interfere with air traffic.
Unlike other efforts by the city to oppose the new stadium, Cleveland quietly pursued the attack on the height of the venue.
“Nobody knew anything about this,” Chris Quinn explained on Today in Ohio. “And I suspect that Cleveland kept this quiet because the Haslams are so well connected. They went to Columbus, threw their money around, got everything they wanted. So with stealth, [the city] managed to get this done, and I don’t know if [the Browns] can overcome this hurdle.”
The permit was rejected because the stadium is 58 feet too tall. The choices are to make it shorter, or to move the stadium farther away from the airport.
“It really kind of caught the Browns by surprise,” Leila Atassi said during the podcast. “They seem to be shocked.”
At first blush, the news of the permit denial felt like a minor speed bump. Maybe it’s more than that. It remains to be seen how the Browns will respond.
