Plans to build a domed Cleveland Browns stadium in Brook Park have hit a major obstacle. The Ohio Department of Transportation – after an intervention from Hopkins Airport, managed by the city of Cleveland – has refused to issue a building permit.

Did the mayor block the investment?

Airport officials indicated that the facility could interfere with air navigation and encroach on the airspace around the airport. The decision surprised many, especially since the project had previously won approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA ruled that the stadium did not pose a threat, despite exceeding allowable height limits, and even agreed to the installation of red warning lights on top of the structure.

Editor Chris Quinn, in the Today in Ohio podcast, suggested, however, that this was no coincidence but rather a possible political strategy by mayor Justin Bibb. Since the city controls the airport, Quinn speculates that Bibb may have deliberately pushed to block the project in order to keep the Browns in downtown Cleveland.

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The investment faces increasing problems

The technical requirements for the project are enormous – the stadium would have to be lowered by at least 60 feet, which many experts consider unfeasible. This could mean that the Brook Park project will become unrealistic, and the Browns will be forced to consider other locations – including a return to the city center.

For the Haslams, the Browns’ owners, this is another blow to a controversial venture that has been questioned from the very beginning. As Quinn noted, even those who conditionally supported the stadium emphasized that Brook Park was a terrible location. The new situation may force a plan B – and could ultimately decide that the club remains at Huntington Bank Field in downtown Cleveland.