AUGUST 19, 2024
CRAIN’S CLEVELAND ILLUSTRATION
Keeping Browns downtown about more than money Advocates says moving the team to Brook Park would harm development, vision for Cleveland By Kim Palmer
Rolling out the welcome mat
Ohio, Michigan search out new ideas to combat an old problem — attracting more people PAGE 8
After both Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne stated publicly that they want the Cleveland Browns to remain at the current lakefront stadium site after the 2028 lease expires, Downtown Cleveland CEO Michael Deemer is joining the chorus. How and how much the public pays for whichever stadium the Browns eventually call home has been the main focus of discussion to date. But these downtown advocates argue keeping the team on the lakefront after the 2028 lease expires is not just about the financing. It’s true that the Browns’ eight regular season home games and other events at the stadium are critical to some restaurants and smaller retail with “razor-thin margins,” Deemer, president and CEO of Downtown Cleveland Inc., told Crain’s in a recent interview. But downtown offers some incredible opportunities for organizations such as HSG, he said.
Deemer noted that Cleveland over the last 15 years has seen more than $1 billion in infrastructure investment downtown. The city is part of a national trend moving development away from the suburbs and toward walkable, 15-minute cities. A potential move to Brook Park is a move away from density and transformational development, Deemer said. “That other option is to start from zero and try to build the exact thing that is happening here,” he said. “Building fake cities in the suburbs has a negative impact on downtowns. As a region, we have worked on combating sprawl and focused on building up the city, building up the core and growing from there.” The stadium is set to become an integral part of the downtown-to-lakefront connection puzzle, Deemer said. The planned Northcoast Connector “land bridge” at East Ninth will make getting to the stadium on See BROWNS on Page 22
Data demand sparks opportunity By Dan Shingler
In case you haven’t noticed, the U.S. electric system is handling some very large loads and preparing to take on many new sources of demand — some the size of cities — as data centers, cryptocurrency mines and other huge power consumers come online. That growth is coming faster than those who supply the na-
tion’s power expected, too. The publication Utility Dive reported at the end of 2023 that grid planners were predicting demand to grow by 4.7% over the next five years, doubling their 2022 estimates, with peak demand expected to grow by 38 gigawatts over that timeframe. That’s enough power to sustain about 28.5 million new homes coming online. It’s presenting a challenge to
electric grid operators, utilities, power generators and data centers, but also creating an opportunity for companies that serve those industries, including Eaton and Lubrizol. Eaton addresses the challenges facing customers that operate large computer centers as well as those who provide and deliver power to everyone, said Angie McMillin, president of
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Eaton and Lubrizol hope to cash in on industry growth
See DATA on Page 22
VOL. 45, NO. 31 l COPYRIGHT 2024 CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS INC. l ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
The workplace is evolving faster than ever, and these employers are adapting and thriving. PAGE 13
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