CLEVELAND — Downtown Cleveland has come a long way. Long called the "Mistake on the Lake," Cuyahoga County Chris Ronayne believes it's now the place to be.
"We have a downtown that continues to thrive because of sports, because of theatre, because of arts and culture, because of a growing residence downtown," Ronayne said in a Tuesday interview with 3News.
Ronayne is speaking out after the Browns officially made public their desire to move from the lakefront and build a new stadium in Brook Park. If the Haslam Sports Group wants to take the team from downtown, Ronayne says they will not get a penny of money from the county.
"I figure it's better to be direct," Royane said of his firm stance. "We have talked about this for months and months and months and months, and it's time to say where we stand, and where we stand is that the Browns belong in downtown Cleveland."
Ronayne says Huntington Bank Field and Municipal Stadium before it is a part of Cleveland's history, part of the skyline, and part of family tradition. He has expressed these same thoughts to Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam.
"We've said over and over again, 'Stay home, stay with us downtown. The Browns belong on the lakefront,'" Ronayne recalled of those conversations. "And they've told us over and over again, 'We're going to Brook Park.'"
At a town hall meeting Tuesday night at Sunbeam School in Buckeye-Shaker hosted by Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb reiterated, many agreed with one city resident who expressed disgust with the Haslams' ask for taxpayer dollars to build a new stadium.
"We personally don't believe in cities and counties and governments spending tax money on sports teams," he said. "If you want your own sports team, don't do it. You should go pay for it yourselves."
The man then added, "I hope they leave, and I'd go help them move if it was me."
There is a major issue with the proposed move to Brook Park, however. Currently, the city's infrastructure does not support the large amount of traffic that would come with game days.
Then there's the question of Brook Park's small police force.
"There's only 35 of them (officers)," Ronayne explained. "In Cleveland, there's over 1,100 police officers, to which 100 are needed on game day here in downtown Cleveland."
Ronayne says he is not budging, declaring that believes in Cleveland and wants to know why the Haslams don't.
"The burden of proof is on the Browns and the ownership of the Haslam Sports Group to say to us why they have to leave," Ronayne stated. "Why leave us now? Why leave us at a time in downtown when we are making it?"