Welp Buzz Nation, I never thought it would happen again. The sun came out for the first time since Halloween and it was glorious. I was driving down I-71 to visit my Dad, sunroof down with thoughts of warmer weather thawing out my icy Cleveland heart.

Don’t fall for it, Westsiders. Enjoy the warm days now because Cleveland Spring is a fickle beast.

Today, we are buzzing on:

• 🏥 Big name comes out in favor of Brook Park Browns

• 🚧 Bunts residents feel blindsided

• 🎪 Big Top Brewing makes moves

Get out and enjoy the warm weather, Westsiders!

Big love,

—The Briggses

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Community Blend

Pros & Cons of the Brook Park Browns | Brook Park

It has been a dizzying few months for fans of the Cleveland Browns. As a season ticket holder for a decade plus, I am back to my mantra of, “There’s always next year”.

In stadium news, the Haslam Sports Group recently published how the much-debated, $2.4 billion Brook Park Stadium Complex would get funded.

Simply put, the Haslam’s would put up $1.2 billion, the state of Ohio would pony up $600 million, and local governments would fund $600 million. Click here for an in-depth explanation via Cleveland.com

Late last week, Crain Cleveland Business published two opinion articles about the Haslam’s moving the Browns Stadium to Brook Park.

Toby Cosgrove, Cleveland Clinic CEO says that Cleveland, despite its amazing perks like affordable housing and top-notch healthcare, has been facing some tough challenges with its shrinking, aging population over the past 50 years. Building a new domed stadium complex could be Cleveland's golden ticket to reinvention, much like how other cities have found their special sauce through entertainment venues, and with the Haslams offering to foot half the bill, it's presented as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform both the waterfront and the city's future. Read Toby’s Full Opinion in Crains

On the other side of the coin…

Roldo Bartimole, a retired journalist thinks that Cuyahoga County would need to borrow $178 million for this new stadium project, which would likely double to around $356 million with interest. It's particularly worrying since the county is already juggling payments for convention complexes and has committed to building a new $1 billion jail. Roldo thinks these stadium deals tend to become never-ending money pits, with the county constantly being asked to fund expensive upgrades and capital expenses. Read Roldo’s Full Opinion in Crains

Residents blindsided by Bunts Road plans | Lakewood

If you live or commute on Bunts Road in Lakewood, things are about to get hairier than my Dad’s 1976 high school yearbook photo.

Starting next year, the city announced it will be tearing up Bunts to replace old sewer and water lines and update lighting and crosswalks. These are necessary improvements that were planned well in advance, but if you have ever traveled Bunts heading north around rush hour, you know how much of a disaster this is going to be.

However, Lakewood residents on Bunts Road are feeling blindsided after discovering what they thought was basic water and sewer infrastructure work has evolved into a major project featuring a 10-foot multimodal path. Despite receiving letters in May mentioning a "bike path," residents weren't shown the full scope of changes until attending a council meeting, where they learned significant portions of their green space would be affected.

What's particularly frustrating for homeowners on Bunts is the timing. Residents claim that by the time they were invited to provide input, they were simply presented with two already-finalized plans to choose between. When they voiced concerns about increased traffic congestion and safety issues, they were told they are past the point of making any changes.

📰 WESTSIDE ESPRESSO SHOTS

What’s Brewing

🍕 Westlake - Cavoli’s Pizza Shop opened last week to great fanfare. They’ve invited us to come by this week for a special, behind-the-scenes meal. A full review in The Buzz will be coming soon. 📍 680 Dover Center Road, Westlake

🍺 Avon - ZZ’s Big Top Brewing is moving from its historical home of the last several years on Detroit and Jaycox to the recently shuttered Railroad Brewing Company building at 820 Center Road. In his Facebook Live update, Co-owner Matius Hauck shared that they decided to make the move because they couldn't use the outdoor space like they wanted to, furthermore, Avon is planning to expand Detroit Road, which would eliminate most of their outdoor dining space. I am looking forward to what’s next at ZZ’s new location, but I will riot if they don’t have the deep-fried Brussels sprouts on the menu.

🏭 Avon Lake - The former site of the Avon Lake power plant was chosen for the 23rd annual Urban Land Institutes Hines Student Competition. The brightest architectural students from around the country submitted design proposals for a real, large-scale site with all the making of a professional pitch. Full Story via NEOTransBlog

New Business

Ellie’s Shoppe & Event Centre | Fairview Park

Sisters Leslie and Stephanie are opening Ellie's Shoppe & Event Centre this April in Fairview Park. They will occupy a charming historic home transformed into a boutique featuring local artisans' goods and a cozy venue for gatherings and workshops.

Named after their grandmother, this delightful new spot will offer everything from handcrafted items and sweet treats to self-service coffee and tea, with indoor and outdoor seating perfect for connecting with friends while supporting small businesses in our community.

Where: 📍 22915 Lorain Rd, Fairview Park

Are you an artisan who makes locally sourced products? They’re looking for you! MORE INFO

Cool Things We Found

Take a few minutes to follow a drone fly along Lake Erie’s icy shoreline from Lakewood’s Solstice Steps to Edgewater Park. 👉 (Cleveland.com Youtube)

This week in Cleveland history

Let’s hop in the way back machine to learn about the beginning of an iconic Cleveland landmark together. Case Western students needed a place to socialize off-campus so local entrepreneur, Hank LoConti stepped up and opened The Agora on February 27th, 1966 at 2175 Cornell Road in Little Italy.

Fun Fact: A success from the beginning, The Agora grew steadily and opened the nation's first in-house recording studio in 1968, to produce live records.

Soon the raucous crowds and loud music caused The Agora to wear out their welcome in the tight-knit community of Little Italy. (Hey! Turn it down-a…I'mma tryin’ to sleepa!)

In July 1967, LoConti opened up a second location (Agora Beta) at 1724 East 24th Street near Payne Avenue a few blocks from where the Agora you know today stands. Full Story Courtesy Cleveland Historical

What’s Happening This Week?

Wednesday

Thursday

 Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Weather

Tuesday

45 🌡️ 31 | 🌥 | 20% | 💨 SW 7-11 mph

Wednesday

48 🌡️ 36 | 🌨🌥 | 50% | 💨 S 5-9 mph

Thursday

40 🌡️ 27 | 🌨🌥 | 50% | 💨 W 9-11 mph

💧^{🌡️ Water temperature = 33ºF}

That’s all we have for today, Westsiders. Don’t be a stranger. We would love to hear from you!

Until Friday,

—The Briggses