The nonprofit landlord for Progressive Field found a way to save taxpayers some money on the Guardians’ new team shop.
Gateway Economic Development Corp. recently signed off on $354,938 in public funding for the nuts-and-bolts side of the project — flooring, security controls, heating and cooling systems and the like.
That’s less than the Guardians originally proposed. In May, the ball club suggested splitting the $1 million team shop costs 50-50, with Gateway tackling the infrastructure and the Guardians handling the team shop’s aesthetic side.
Gateway is paying its share using leftover money from an upgrade of the computer systems that control the ballpark’s lighting, heating and cooling.
Per the lease with the Guardians, the nonprofit covers its financial obligations at the ballpark using a variety of public sources. The Cuyahoga County-wide sin tax on alcohol and cigarettes fuels the capital repairs at the field.
Looking to the future of the Cuyahoga County sin tax
Voters renewed the sin tax for another 20 years in 2014 to pay for repairs at the ballpark, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and Browns stadium. The measure expires in 2035, but already Gateway has warned that the money is running thin.
Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne fielded a question about extending the sin tax at a news conference earlier this year, saying the proceeds should continue to be used for all three professional sports facilities.
“As for sources of financing for the future, we need to have a conversation with all the teams about what that looks like,” Ronayne said.
Still, it remains to be seen whether a campaign to renew or expand the tax will emerge.
The county executive has previously talked about “renewing Gateway,” which has overseen the ballpark and arena since they were built in the early 1990s. At the start of the year, Ronayne named new Gateway board members and jointly appointed a new chair with Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb.
