Dan Gilbert has become Cleveland leaders' favorite billionaire
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County Executive Chris Ronayne tells the crowd to "give it up" for Dan Gilbert. Photos: Sam Allard/Axios
Cleveland leaders now have a billionaire they feel they can worship in good conscience.
State of play: It's Cavs owner Dan Gilbert. His investments downtown are being celebrated and painted in stark contrast to the Haslams' impending Browns move.
Driving the news: That was the subtext from elected leaders who spoke at a "topping off" ceremony for the Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center this week.
- Leaders also praised the nearly 200 tradespeople who erected in nine months the structural frame for the riverfront building that will become the Cavs main training facility.
- It'll open in 2027 as part of the first phase in Gilbert's $3.5 billion riverfront master plan.
What they're saying: "Give it up for Dan Gilbert," Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne said in coaxing the crowd into a round of applause.
- "He's a guy who gets it, who understands the importance of reinvesting in downtown."
Zoom in: Ronayne, Mayor Justin Bibb and others touted two other high-profile, Gilbert-led "wins" for Cleveland:
- A new WNBA franchise, slated to launch in 2028.
- And the announced Rock Block development north of Rocket Arena, to be anchored by the immersive sports bar concept Cosm.
Between the lines: The downtown Cosm is an extra-sweet victory for the Gilbert-aligned camp, as the Haslams had pursued the sports bar for their planned Brook Park development adjacent to a new stadium.
- As NEOtrans reported, a Cosm location appeared in renderings of the new stadium site.
Follow the money: Cavs CEO Nic Barlage said Gilbert's investments in local sports and entertainment infrastructure will total more than $1.1 billion after the WNBA franchise arrives and the Peak Performance Center is complete.
Reality check: Those investments are subsidized by taxpayers in the form of tax breaks, tax credits, tax increment financing, lopsided lease agreements and other handouts.
The bottom line: After criticizing the Haslams for having "abandoned" Cleveland," leaders have turned Gilbert into a hero for staying.