Regionalizing sports stadium and airport finance in NE Ohio – can it work? Editorial Board Roundtable

A Plain Dealer/cleveland.com analysis just shook up the conversation about sports stadium finance and the future of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. “Daring to dream big,” the July 7 stories from reporters Lucas Daprile and Zachary Smith, pointed not just to a need for a more regional approach, but also to a potential financing mechanism — if all nine counties in Northeast Ohio adopt a quarter-percent sales tax to underwrite the initiatives.

This could mean that, finally, the conversation about paying for a new Browns stadium will involve more than just Cuyahoga County and the state. By putting money on the table, Browns fans from Ashtabula County west to Lorain County and south to Summit and Medina counties could get a voice about the design, location and concept of a regional state-of-the-art facility. And Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam might finally see their proposed high-priced domed stadium entertainment complex become reality.