CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The City of Cleveland appealed the Ohio Department of Transportation has approved an aviation permit for the construction of the Browns’ new stadium in Brook Park.
The appeal was filed on Friday.
“ODOT’s decision is not supported by reliable, probative, and substantial evidence, and it is not in accordance with the law,” the city said in the appeal.
The City of Cleveland owns and operates Burke Lakefront Airport and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, and it files this appeal out of an abundance of caution in order to provide a safe and secure environment for all passengers, visitors, and employees.
The Cleveland Department of Port Control also released the following statement:
The City of Cleveland, Department of Port Control, has appealed the recent decision by the Ohio Department of Transportation, Office of Aviation (ODOT), granting a construction permit with a waiver of obstruction standards. The Department maintains that this decision could have implications for the airport’s continued safe and efficient operations. Ensuring the highest levels of safety and reliability remains our top priority.
In August, ODOT denied the permit for the new stadium, saying the proposed dome was 58 feet over the limit and would need to be no more than 163 feet tall.
This approval follows a review and a detailed analysis by ODOT’s third-party aviation consultant of additional information submitted by both the City of Cleveland Department of Port Control and Clyde & Co., attorneys for the Haslam Sports Group.
The independent third-party consultant determined that, based on all information, construction of the proposed building would not change current flight operations at Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport. Applying sound aeronautical principles, the consultant found that “the proposed stadium would have no adverse effect on the safety and efficient use of the aeronautical environment” and recommended approval of the issuance of a permit with waiver of obstruction standards.
ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn agreed with that recommendation.
Statement from Dave Jenkins, Haslam Sports Group President
“We respect both the comprehensive work that the FAA did to determine that our stadium project poses no hazard to the surrounding area and ODOT’s diligent process to confirm these findings. Safety is of paramount importance to all of us and was at the forefront of our detailed and deliberate process with our FAA consultants, whom we engaged with well before our architects began designing the stadium. We value our collaborative work with the FAA and ODOT, and also understand the importance of similar collaboration with Cleveland-Hopkins Airport leadership to ensure efficiency and success of both the airport’s modernization efforts and our project in Brook Park. We welcome and hope for productive dialogue and working sessions with airport leadership and other relevant stakeholders as we move forward with these transformative economic development initiatives for all of Northeast Ohio.”
Statement from Cuyahoga County:
Cuyahoga County is disappointed by ODOT’s decision to approve a construction permit for a stadium next to Cleveland–Hopkins International Airport, despite safety concerns outlined by the Airport Director, and in contradiction with standard practice to defer to local authorities regarding safety concerns. We remain deeply concerned about the stadium project’s impact on airport safety and risk to the traveling public, and will be following up with ODOT leadership directly.
Statement from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
Ensuring safe and reliable operations has always been our highest priority. As we’ve emphasized previously, any project with the potential to affect the airport’s operations is a major concern. While we respect ODOT’s decision, its reversal does not change our position: development matters, but not if it comes at the expense of the airport’s safe, efficient, and reliable operations. We remain open to collaboration and dialogue with our partners to ensure growth benefits the region while always prioritizing safety.
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