15 women investors back Cleveland’s NWSL bid

Fifteen Cleveland-area businesswomen have joined forces to financially support the
Cleveland Soccer Group’s bid for a National Women’s Soccer League expansion
team. The investors are a who’s-who of Cleveland-area women business
leaders (CSG). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Cleveland Soccer Group (CSG), which submitted a bid for Cleveland to be awarded a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) expansion team, announced today that it is being backed by a group of 15 local, influential businesswomen as investors. However, the money they have raised thus far has not be publicly disclosed. If successful, this would be Ohio’s first women’s professional soccer team.

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Haslams reveal Brook Park domed stadium plans

The Haslam Sports Group released this and other renderings today in officially announcing
the proposed venue for Cleveland Browns’ home games in suburban Brook Park (HKS
Architects). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

One day after NEOtrans broke the news that the Cleveland Browns’ home games would likely be moved from Downtown Cleveland to a proposed domed stadium in suburban Brook Park (and why), the football team’s owner Haslam Sports Group has outlined what that could look like. However, the Haslams stopped short of saying it was a done deal despite their obvious enthusiasm about the Brook Park stadium-development.

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It’s Brook Park

This is a conceptual rendering commissioned by the Haslam Sports Group showing
the future home of the Cleveland Browns in suburban Brook Park along with park-
ing and stadium-area development, starting with a hotel, restaurants, shops and
public spaces (anonymous). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

A COMMENTARY

In the coming weeks, the owners of the Cleveland Browns will reveal their plans to build a $3.6 billion domed stadium and associated development in the Cleveland suburb of Brook Park. According to public sector sources familiar with the plans, owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam have their capital funding identified for the stadium and a small first phase of development.

Cost of the new domed stadium and the provision of about 20,000 parking spaces, almost entirely in surface lots, is estimated at $2.2 billion. Half of that will be privately funded and create new tax revenues that will fund the other half. Much of the funding for the stadium will come from bonds serviced by new stadium-related revenues and city, county and state taxes generated by stadium activities and employment. Another $1.4 billion in private, stadium-area development is planned.

The Haslams have reportedly identified their bond financing firm, a company with lots of experience in financing sports stadiums, arenas and entertainment venues. And they have hired their joint-venture construction management team for the Brook Park site — M.A. Mortenson Co. of Minneapolis and Independence Construction of Independence, soon to be relocated to Brecksville.

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Cleveland Moves plan seeks resident input

Cleveland city planners want your input to develop a transportation plan for the
community that makes walking, biking and taking transit safer and more enjoy-
able for people (KJP). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

The City of Cleveland recently launched public engagement for Cleveland Moves — the city’s five-year multimodal transportation plan. Cleveland Moves will create a strategy that builds on the city’s ongoing work to make it safer, more comfortable, and more convenient to walk, bike, and take transit in the city. A presentation about the planning process and its goals was delivered yesterday to the City Planning Commission.

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CWRU Humanities Building planned on Bellflower

For now only a featureless massing, Case Western Reserve University’s proposed
Humanities Building on Bellflower Road is shown to satisfy Cleveland Planning
Commission requirements to win permission for demolishing a vacant house in
University Circle (CWRU). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Cleveland City Planning Commission today approved a conceptual design for Case Western Reserve University’s new Humanities Building and to demolish an abandoned fraternity house at 11333 Bellflower Rd. to make way for it. Most of the rest of the roughly 1.6-acre site in University Circle is used as a parking lot.

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Mayor Bibb’s offer to Browns may be last-ditch effort

Cleveland Browns Stadium looms large in the foreground with Cleveland City
Hall in the background, beyond the wind turbine. An overture from City Hall to
the Cleveland Browns might make the wind turbine move but it may not stop
the Browns from moving (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb sent a letter today to Jimmy and Dee Haslam, owners of the Cleveland Browns, urging them to stay in Downtown Cleveland. Bibb also publicized the city’s $461 million contribution to renovate Cleveland Browns Stadium to show to the public that the city has made a strong financial offer to the National Football League team. But that might not be enough to keep the Browns at the deteriorating lakefront stadium.

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RTA Waterfront Line returns with limited service

A Waterfront Line train departs Downtown Cleveland’s North Coast Station at East
9th Street. The light-rail line from Shaker Heights and Tower City Center will
return to regular service Aug. 4 but for weekends and holidays only (KJP).
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Starting Sunday, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) will restart regular service on the light-rail Waterfront Line in Downtown Cleveland, a 2.2-mile extension of the Blue/Green lines from Shaker Heights. But the service will be limited to weekends and most federal holidays only, and then from just 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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