CLEVELAND — The extensive renovation of what is now called Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse has drawn rave reviews from fans and patrons, albeit following a contentious battle over just who should pay for the upgrades.
But with the arena now glistening in the downtown Cleveland sun, a separate species has not taken as kindly to the new look, or at least seems more confused by it.
According to Signal Cleveland's Nick Castele, the Cavaliers are asking the Gateway Economic Development Corporation for $845,975 to paint the FieldHouse's glass exterior with a new film coating. The reason? The structure is currently a danger to birds, who might fly into it and badly harm themselves.
The Audubon Society recommended the change to the team, which in turn brought its concerns to Wednesday's Gateway board meeting. Officials say the film would not be visible to the human eye but would deter birds from going near the space.
The Cavs designated the project as a "capital repair," meaning Gateway and taxpayers would be obligated to pay for it. This didn't sit well with everyone on the board, with one member warning the nonprofit doesn't have much money to give the team with other repairs in the pipeline.
"I don't want to argue with the Audubon Society, I really don't have anything against birds," Board Member Debbie Berry said, "but we’re making a significant investment when there are not a lot of dollars readily available."
Per Castele, the Cavaliers have already maxed out their allotted funds raised from Cuyahoga County's sin tax, and Gateway already approved $24.4 million for elevator and video overhauls a year ago. The team is actually paying for much of that upfront, with the expectation that they will eventually be reimbursed.
"We are maxed out," Cavs Executive Vice President for Venue Operations Antony Bonavita told the board when asking for the new funds.
Gateway chose to approve the funds for the glass coating, although Berry voted against the measure. Any cost overruns will be covered by the Cavaliers.