Cleveland Browns Brook Park Stadium Proposed Site
Aerial showing part of the proposed location for a new Huntington Bank Field for the Cleveland Browns. The covered stadium and surrounding development, totaling 175 acres, would be bordered by Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to the west, Engle Road and I-71 to the east, the Ford Cleveland Engine Plant to the north and Snow Road and airport parking to the south.John Pana, cleveland.com
When it comes to major infrastructure projects, going it alone is rarely the right play. Yet that’s exactly what Brook Park is doing with its eye-popping $71 million funding request for road improvements around the proposed Browns covered stadium site.
In Friday’'s episode of Today in Ohio, the panel criticized the premature money grab — a request that exemplifies everything wrong with Northeast Ohio’s fragmented approach to regional planning.
“This does feel like it’s way over the skis for multiple reasons,” said Chris Quinn. “One, the money’s not there yet (for the stadium.) They don’t have it in the state budget. This is not a done deal… It seems like you should wait until it’s happening before you ask for it.”
The application to the Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC) outlines extensive changes: left-turn lanes, bridge constructions, road realignments, and a pedestrian bridge. It’s a comprehensive wish list for Brook Park, but therein lies the problem—it’s for Brook Park, not the region.
The request ignores the bigger picture. The Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is undergoing a massive renovation with plans for a new terminal. The entire transportation network around that area will need careful consideration, not piecemeal approaches that serve single interests.
“The much worse part of this is, and we’ve been saying this for a while, we need a regional traffic study over there to figure out what’s best for everybody, including the airport,” Quinn emphasized. “Brook Park is looking out for Brook Park. That’s not the way we should be designing the roads and choosing how we spend our highway money.”
Lisa Garvin highlighted a glaring omission in the proposal, noting, “What’s bothersome to me is they’re not even addressing the 480 west exit onto 237… A lot of people use 480 to get to the airport and ostensibly to the stadium. So that isn’t even being addressed.”
It’s not just about the Browns stadium. It’s about creating an integrated transportation system that works for everyone—stadium-goers, airport travelers, local businesses, and residents.
The podcast hosts reserved particular criticism for Congressman Max Miller’s quick endorsement of the plan.
“This should be stopped in its tracks because we need to look at that whole setup. And the stadium is not the sole cause of traffic issues there, but it’s going to make them untenable. So let’s be thoughtful.”
He continued, “Max Miller, look at what you’re doing. If you want to serve the area, think larger. Work with the airport, work with others over there to do the right thing. I hate this.”
This is a textbook case of putting the cart before the horse—especially considering the Browns stadium deal isn’t even finalized and might not happen. While the organization has previously suggested road improvements would cost around $80 million, rushing to secure funding without comprehensive planning is foolish.
Listen to the discussion here.
Note: Artificial intelligence was used to help generate this story from Today in Ohio, a news podcast discussion by cleveland.com editors. Visitors to cleveland.com have asked for more text stories based on website podcast discussions.
Listen to full “Today in Ohio” episodes where Chris Quinn hosts our daily half-hour news podcast, with Editorial Board member Lisa Garvin, Impact Editor Leila Atassi and Content Director Laura Johnston.