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Browns' Brook Park stadium gets $200 million pricier

Despite the Haslams' larger contribution, taxpayers are still helping to fund a private stadium district.

Sports

The Browns&#x27; new stadium in Brook Park just got more expensive, and the Haslams want credit for taking on an increased slice of the funding pie.Driving the news: The price tag for the domed facility and its surrounding development has climbed to $2.6 billion, up from $2.4 billion. The Haslams said last week these increases are tied to roofing upgrades that will enhance the natural light.

Rock Hall's next milestone: A 21st-century artist

Pink could become the first Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee to have made their debut in 2000 or later.

News

The Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="class of 2026" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/03/12/rock-hall-predictions-2026-phil-collins-mariah-carey" data-vars-content-id="bdd21d78-cd2d-40f3-b159-af20c9d88748" data-vars-headline="Rock Hall&#x27;s next milestone: A 21st-century artist" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/03/12/rock-hall-predictions-2026-phil-collins-mariah-carey" target="_self">class of 2026</a> will be <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="announced" data-vars-click-url="https://www.detpress.com/abc/pressrelease/american-idol-912-rock-roll-hall-of-fame-4-13/" data-vars-content-id="bdd21d78-cd2d-40f3-b159-af20c9d88748" data-vars-headline="Rock Hall&#x27;s next milestone: A 21st-century artist" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.detpress.com/abc/pressrelease/american-idol-912-rock-roll-hall-of-fame-4-13/" target="_blank">announced</a> on April 13, but it&#x27;s not too early to take a look further down the road.Why it matters: The Rock Hall has yet to induct an artist who made their debut in the 21st century.

What Cleveland can learn from Chicago's lakefront airport gamble

The demolition of Meigs Field offers a preview — and a warning — for Burke's future.

Cleveland can learn a lot about the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="redevelopment of a lakefront airport" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/03/30/burke-airport-redevelopment-concepts-golf" data-vars-content-id="35f93756-481c-4082-b613-078567a3a1ae" data-vars-headline="What Cleveland can learn from Chicago&#x27;s lakefront airport gamble" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/03/30/burke-airport-redevelopment-concepts-golf" target="_self">redevelopment of a lakefront airport</a> from Chicago.Flashback: On March 30, 2003, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley sent <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="overnight bulldozers" data-vars-click-url="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/3/31/23662485/miegs-field-airport-mayor-richard-daley-bulldozed-notherly-island-plane-march-2003" data-vars-content-id="35f93756-481c-4082-b613-078567a3a1ae" data-vars-headline="What Cleveland can learn from Chicago&#x27;s lakefront airport gamble" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/3/31/23662485/miegs-field-airport-mayor-richard-daley-bulldozed-notherly-island-plane-march-2003" target="_blank">overnight bulldozers</a> to destroy the landing strip at the city&#x27;s small downtown Meigs Field Airport.

Amtrak is exclusively a middle-of-the-night affair in Cleveland

All four daily departures are between 1:54am and 5:50am.

Transit

👋 Sam here — bona fide train enthusiast! <ul><li>I took the Amtrak to Chicago this week and was reminded what a pleasant way it is to travel. Who can deny the pleasures of generous legroom, low-cost tickets and up-close views of the United States? </li><li>Anyone who values a good night&#x27;s sleep, that&#x27;s who! </li></ul>

Cleveland rents dip slightly, still well below U.S. median

Rent in Cleveland's metro area is down just 0.2% year over year, to $1,111.

Cleveland&#x27;s median rent is down slightly in 2026 compared to last year, as it <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="remains" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2023/11/20/cost-of-living" data-vars-content-id="e680d558-e8ed-4ee2-a1d8-45d6316998a4" data-vars-headline="Cleveland rents dip slightly, still well below U.S. median" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2023/11/20/cost-of-living" target="_self">remains</a> one of the country&#x27;s least expensive major metros.Why it matters: Housing remains unaffordable for many.

California investors eye Cleveland's historic Variety Theater

They want to restore the 1927 complex, including the 12 apartments above it, "the way it was."

Real Estate

California investors are in talks to buy Cleveland&#x27;s long-dormant Variety Theater, offering a new path forward for the historic venue on Lorain Avenue.Why it matters: The Variety has cycled through owners for decades, but the cost and complexity of restoration has handicapped recent efforts to bring it back to life.

Shaker Blvd. buildings at center of 2023 controversy sold for $11.7M

The new owner has pledged $5M+ in repairs to properties emblematic of Cleveland's fight with absentee landlords.

A trio of distressed <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Shaker Boulevard apartment buildings" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2023/02/03/buckeye-shaker-tenants-investors" data-vars-content-id="4fa66fe3-8cb4-4d46-b9fb-4961c43e9673" data-vars-headline="Shaker Blvd. buildings at center of 2023 controversy sold for $11.7M" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2023/02/03/buckeye-shaker-tenants-investors" target="_self">Shaker Boulevard apartment buildings</a> has a new owner and a promised infusion of cash.Why it matters: The buildings were a flashpoint in Cleveland&#x27;s fight with out-of-town landlords in 2023. <ul><li>After reports of mold, water damage and years without heat, tenants allied with City Hall to pressure the building&#x27;s owners.</li></ul>

A new era for Cleveland real estate development

City restructures its economic development department to streamline permits, manage land smarter and spur growth.

Would a Department of Economic Development by any other name smell as sweet?Cleveland thinks so. City Council has passed legislation rechristening the department the Department of Development and centralizing the city&#x27;s real estate operations within it.Why it matters: City Hall&#x27;s development functions are scattered across multiple departments, creating delays, backlogs and confusion for residents and builders.

Cleveland's newest affordable homes are powered by the sun

Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry debuts solar-powered duplexes offering low-income Clevelanders a sustainable path home.

Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry (LMM) cut the ribbon Tuesday on its first new housing construction: four solar-powered efficiencies in two duplexes on Luther Avenue in Cleveland&#x27;s St. Clair-Superior neighborhood.Why it matters: The project adds to a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="modest but innovative" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2025/07/11/modular-home-project-affordable-housing-shortage" data-vars-content-id="77400fc9-114a-46a1-b608-d24dcf883268" data-vars-headline="Cleveland&#x27;s newest affordable homes are powered by the sun" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2025/07/11/modular-home-project-affordable-housing-shortage" target="_self">modest but innovative</a> wave of affordable housing efforts across Cleveland amid a deepening <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="affordability crisis" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2025/11/second-most-affordable-label-doesnt-mean-cleveland-housing-is-affordable-for-all-blaine-a-griffin.html" data-vars-content-id="77400fc9-114a-46a1-b608-d24dcf883268" data-vars-headline="Cleveland&#x27;s newest affordable homes are powered by the sun" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2025/11/second-most-affordable-label-doesnt-mean-cleveland-housing-is-affordable-for-all-blaine-a-griffin.html" target="_blank">affordability crisis</a>.

Lawsuit: Apartment complex shut out Section 8 renters

Fair Housing Center sues University Heights landlord over voucher bias.

The Fair Housing Center for Rights &amp; Research and five tenants have filed a lawsuit accusing Huntington Green Apartments in University Heights of illegally rejecting renters who use housing vouchers.State of play: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The complaint" data-vars-click-url="https://cpdocket.cp.cuyahogacounty.gov/i_DisplayDoc.aspx?i=_UwUuuJHxUWNFQi4jjC0G9m_qn_MwqVPVcT8H-M2QLaKQ4PXDCBQwLzO4Kx5f_CINCGi9HbzQZEJjvKNpy6wPaX-QTUr3n0O0&amp;id=DiAoKBLFMSZh9Ev3hPrgsQ2&amp;cid=cPAQ8CjamdQ1" data-vars-content-id="9613f44e-962b-4773-955c-f594ba7aa3bf" data-vars-headline="Lawsuit: Apartment complex shut out Section 8 renters" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://cpdocket.cp.cuyahogacounty.gov/i_DisplayDoc.aspx?i=_UwUuuJHxUWNFQi4jjC0G9m_qn_MwqVPVcT8H-M2QLaKQ4PXDCBQwLzO4Kx5f_CINCGi9HbzQZEJjvKNpy6wPaX-QTUr3n0O0&amp;id=DiAoKBLFMSZh9Ev3hPrgsQ2&amp;cid=cPAQ8CjamdQ1" target="_blank">The complaint</a>, filed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, argues the apartment complex violated a 2019 city ordinance that bars landlords from discriminating against tenants paying with Housing Choice vouchers, commonly known as Section 8.

Clevelanders still looking local, even as more home shoppers eye moves

When Clevelanders do look elsewhere, their top targets are other Ohio cities.

In the Cleveland area, nearly 42% of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Realtor.com" data-vars-click-url="http://realtor.com/" data-vars-content-id="826b3547-b67c-4b97-ae57-6c26101cd34d" data-vars-headline="Clevelanders still looking local, even as more home shoppers eye moves" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="http://realtor.com/" target="_blank">Realtor.com</a> listing views between April and June went to homes located outside the metro area.Why it matters: That&#x27;s the second-lowest percentage among the nation&#x27;s 100 largest metros.

Detroit Free Press sues for records tied to Dan Gilbert empire

The Cavs owner has reaped hundreds of millions in taxpayer-backed incentives.

The Detroit Free Press has <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="filed" data-vars-click-url="https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/2025/08/19/dan-gilbert-detroit-tax-break-lawsuit-hudsons-michigan-brownfield/85647894007/" data-vars-content-id="23643d1f-ecda-48cc-84ae-1148f39345e9" data-vars-headline="Detroit Free Press sues for records tied to Dan Gilbert empire" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/2025/08/19/dan-gilbert-detroit-tax-break-lawsuit-hudsons-michigan-brownfield/85647894007/" target="_blank">filed</a> a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit to compel the Michigan Department of Treasury to disclose documents related to economic development subsidies.Why it matters: The big beneficiary of those subsidies has been <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Dan Gilbert" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2025/07/10/dan-gilbert-nba-wnba-cleveland-clinic-center" data-vars-content-id="23643d1f-ecda-48cc-84ae-1148f39345e9" data-vars-headline="Detroit Free Press sues for records tied to Dan Gilbert empire" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2025/07/10/dan-gilbert-nba-wnba-cleveland-clinic-center" target="_self">Dan Gilbert</a>, who owns the Cleveland Cavaliers but whose Rock family of companies — including real estate arm <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Bedrock" data-vars-click-url="https://www.bedrockdetroit.com/our-story/" data-vars-content-id="23643d1f-ecda-48cc-84ae-1148f39345e9" data-vars-headline="Detroit Free Press sues for records tied to Dan Gilbert empire" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.bedrockdetroit.com/our-story/" target="_blank">Bedrock</a> — is headquartered in Detroit.

Cleveland seniors are opting for rental flexibility

Roughly 17% of Cleveland metro-area renters were 65 or older in 2023.

Roughly 17% of Cleveland metro-area renters were 65 or older in 2023, up from 13.3% a decade earlier, according to a report by rental listing site Point2Homes.Why it matters: More older Americans are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="renting" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/41086098.110/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tLzIwMjUvMDgvMDYvYXBhcnRtZW50LXJlbnQtcHJpY2VzP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9bmV3c2xldHRlciZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZW5kdG9fbG9jYWxuZXdzbGV0dGVydGVzdCZzdHJlYW09dG9w/63883f95eb76627b3989208fBb8f437ea" data-vars-content-id="275c3270-b937-4460-b82e-8f9b9c7560df" data-vars-headline="Cleveland seniors are opting for rental flexibility" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/41086098.110/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tLzIwMjUvMDgvMDYvYXBhcnRtZW50LXJlbnQtcHJpY2VzP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9bmV3c2xldHRlciZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZW5kdG9fbG9jYWxuZXdzbGV0dGVydGVzdCZzdHJlYW09dG9w/63883f95eb76627b3989208fBb8f437ea" target="_self">renting</a>, opting for flexibility over ownership.

Cheap apartments are getting harder to find in Ohio

But Cleveland and its inner-ring suburbs remain relatively friendly to renters.

It&#x27;s getting harder to find an apartment priced under $1,000 a month in Ohio.By the numbers: Over the past decade, units renting for under $1,000 a month (adjusted for inflation) fell by around 30% across the country, per a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/state-nations-housing-2025" data-vars-content-id="1f3b284e-443f-427e-a584-7eb2a951aa1c" data-vars-headline="Cheap apartments are getting harder to find in Ohio" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/state-nations-housing-2025" target="_blank">report</a> by Harvard&#x27;s Joint Center for Housing Studies.

A symbol map of 54 U.S. metro areas showing estimated change in median rent from February 2025 to February 2026. Rents decreased in 34 metros, mostly in the South, and increased in 20 metros, mostly in the Northeast and Midwest. Virginia Beach increased the most, by 5.3%, and Austin decreased the most, by 5.9%.

Change in median rent from February 2025 to February 2026

🏠 Mapped: HOA fees

🏠 Mapped: Ohio HOA fees

A map shows the share of homes listed for sale in 2025 that included HOA fees, by state. On average, 43.6% of listings included HOA fees. The states where HOA fees were most often included were Nevada (68%), Arizona (65%) and Florida (65%).

Share of homes listed for sale with HOA fees, 2025

🤑 Homebuyers are scoring deals

More than half of Cleveland homes sold below asking in 2025

A bar chart showing the average price difference among homes that sold below their original list price. On average, homes sold for 7.8% less than asking. Homes in West Palm Beach, Fla, Detroit and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. went for 10-11% below asking. Homes in the Cleveland metro area went for 9% below asking.

Price difference among homes that sold below asking

A timeline that traces Cleveland's Variety Theater from its 1927 opening at 11815 Lorain Avenue to its pending 2026 sale to California investors. The venue shifted from a movie house to concert venue, then performing arts school, closing permanently in 1990. Ownership changed multiple times, with recent transfers in 2009, 2017, and 2022.

The evolution of Cleveland's Variety Theater

Data: Abandoned America, Cresco Real Estate, NEOtrans; Chart: Axios Visuals

🏠 Cost of renting versus owning

Cleveland housing costs: Renting is cheaper than owning a home

A chart showing the monthly median cost to rent or own by metro area in 2024 among the 100 largest metros. In all metro areas, it was cheaper to rent than it was to own a home. The national average rent price was $1,487 compared to $2,035 to own. In the Cleveland metro, the median rental cost was $1,087 compared to $1,570 to own.

Real Estate 🏠

Cleveland rents dip slightly, still well below U.S. median

🏠 Mapped: Ohio HOA fees

More than half of Cleveland homes sold below asking in 2025

California investors eye Cleveland's historic Variety Theater

Cleveland housing costs: Renting is cheaper than owning a home