State agencies question Browns' stadium math
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Two state offices have independently suggested that the Browns' tax revenue projections for a proposed Brook Park stadium are overstated.
Catch up quick: House Republicans passed the biennial state budget earlier this month, which included $600 million in state-backed bonds for the project.
- Paying back those bonds could cost Ohio taxpayers nearly $1 billion, once interest is included, according to Gov. Mike DeWine.
- Team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam have argued that the stadium and surrounding new development will generate sufficient tax revenue to pay back the debt over the next 25 years.
Driving the news: The Ohio Legislative Services Commission (LSC), the bipartisan office that reviews statehouse legislation, and DeWine's Office of Budget and Management (OBM) both say the Haslams' math is too optimistic.
What they're saying: "The projected economic impact runs directly counter to decades of research and evidence about the cost and benefits of professional sports stadiums," writes OBM director Kim Murnieks in a memo first reported by Signal Statewide.
By the numbers: The Browns' projections are based on attracting 1.5 million more visitors annually to Brook Park than to the current lakefront stadium.
- The LSC analysis, which was prepared at the request of state Sen. Nickie Antonio, notes that the Browns would have to sell out the 70,000-seat venue 21 times per year, in addition to 10 sold-out Browns games, to reach that figure.
- None of the three nearby domed stadiums — in Minneapolis, Detroit and Indianapolis — had more than 12 events with 50,000+ attendance in 2023.
The other side: The Haslam Sports Group questioned the memos' assertions in a statement, saying that the team has addressed multiple questions with DeWine and other state officials directly.
- It claimed the LSC memo contained "several inaccuracies and misinformation," but did not elaborate.
What's next: The state budget is due by the end of June. The Senate is now reviewing the House version.