Cleveland airport opposes proposed height of new Cleveland Browns stadium

The Cleveland Browns’ effort to construct a new domed stadium in Brook Park has a new opponent: Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

A top official with the airport, Director of Port Control Bryant Francis, has publicly voiced his opposition to the project as it is currently proposed.

“At Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, safety is, and will forever be, our top priority,” Francis said in a statement, according to Spectrum News 1. “Any structure that could impact the safety or operations of the airport is a serious concern.”

Dome’s Height An Issue

At issue is the height of the dome.

Being at a peak of 221 feet, it is argued that a building of that size, in that location, would impede protected airspace and ultimately constrain airport operations in the future. Currently, the maximum height allowed at that location is 163 feet. This 58-foot difference is too much for reasons of safety, according to Cleveland Hopkins.

The airport was brought into the conflict after an August 1st denial of a required permit from the Ohio Department of Transportation, with the matter being deferred by ODOT to the position held by the airport regarding height.

Matt Bruning, a spokesman for ODOT, told Cleveland 19 News there are “options to keep the project moving forward,” including the Browns agreeing to a reduction in height of the building, an appeal being won by the Browns, or for the airport system to “change its position and accept the current plans.”

Browns Disagree

The Cleveland Browns are contradicting the need for this concern, pointing out that the Federal Aviation Administration has already conducted an evaluation and concluded the new stadium would pose no obstruction or create any other hazard so long as the roof is equipped with lights for pilots to see.

Despite the setback, the team continues moving forward with the project as they continue to work with regulators.

It is not often that the region’s two primary transportation agencies are at such stark odds. The FAA conducted a study and concluded that the stadium poses no hazards.

However, Cleveland’s airport system and ODOT contend that this is not correct, and the stadium, as proposed, is in fact a hazard due to its height.

It is not clear how this dispute can be worked out. Ultimately, either the Browns will agree to a roof that is at least 58 feet lower than they desire, the decision will be overturned on appeal, or the airport system will adjust its standards.

The only other option for the Cleveland Browns, if none of those conditions are met, would be to shift their plans entirely and possibly build elsewhere. However, considering the Ohio General Assembly granted the organization $600 million as part of the biennial budget to help fund the project in Brook Park, moving the project seems unlikely.