CBCTC Endorses Indians Lease Extension, Upgrade Plan

An artist rendering showing the exterior of Progressive Field after $435 million in renovations and maintenance are performed.

An agreement between the Indians, City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and State of Ohio will not only keep the Tribe in Cleveland for at least another 15 years, but will create hundreds of jobs for affiliated members of the Cleveland Building Trades as they renovate Progressive Field.

The Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council officially endorsed the Cleveland Indians lease extension for Progressive Field on Aug. 26, including the corresponding stadium upgrade plan that would create jobs for building trades members.

Earlier in the month, the Indians announced they reached a tentative deal with the city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and the state of Ohio to renovate the ballpark and extend the team’s lease in Cleveland for at least 15 years.

The current lease expires in 2023. The new lease is expected to start in 2022. The county is slated to pay off bonds from the original construction in 2023, coinciding with the expiration of the current lease.

Cuyahoga County Executive Armand Budish said the 15-year lease extension gives the city and county sole authority to exercise two additional five-year extensions to keep the team in Cleveland through 2036, and possibly through 2046.

A key to the new lease is a major overhaul of the ballpark, which opened in 1994 as Jacobs Field. Despite being 27 years old, Progressive Field is the 11th oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball.

Once billed as one of the crown jewels of baseball stadiums, many newer stadiums have surpassed “The Jake” in national rankings due to more modern amenities.

The renovations should push the ballpark back into the top-10 rankings.

The Plain Dealer reported that over the life of the 15-year lease extension, the city would pay roughly $117 million, the county would pay about $138 million, the state would pay $30 million and the team would pay $150 million.

The deal includes $435 million for upgrades and maintenance. This will not result in new or increased taxes for residents. The plans will be reviewed and will need to be approved by the city and county councils in the coming months.

“There’s $200 million in improvements that have been allocated during this lease process,” Indians owner Paul Dolan said during a press conference. “Those would go toward, as the term suggests, improvements to the ballpark. There are also moneys that the team and the public will dedicate toward maintaining and repairing what is an aging building.”

According to Dolan, the plan for the $200 million in proposed renovations and improvements (outside of the scope of normal capital repairs) includes a reconfigured upper deck concourse, a “friendlier and more democratic” social space in the dugout and an overhaul of the areas off left field, including the Terrace Club, which would connect the upper and lower concourses, Dolan said.

In a press release, Dave Wondolowski, Executive Secretary of the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council, said the three reasons they support this project are jobs, jobs and more jobs.

“The new lease will result in local spending and local hiring,” he said. “This building was built with union men and women, and the vast majority of the $200 million in ballpark improvements will be directed to local union jobs – and that’s good for both our members and the communities in which they pay taxes.

“And beyond that, the working families that make up our unions also understand that this building being maintained means it will continue to be an economic asset for Greater Cleveland,” Wondolowski added.

Progressive Field is part of the Gateway complex that also includes Rocket Mortgage Field House.

Upgrades to both facilities over the past six years have created thousands of jobs for union construction workers.

In September 2019, members of the building trades completed a massive two-year renovation project at the Field House. About 2,700 tradesmen and tradeswomen were needed to re-imagine the 25-year-old arena. The $185 million project was completed on budget and time, despite additional work added to the scope of the project.

Besides the work at the Field House, Progressive Field has undergone changes as well.

In 2015, the CBCTC signed a Project Labor Agreement to remake the Gate C entrance, relocate the bullpens to center field, add party decks beyond right field, expand the kids clubhouse and create five neighborhood-themed concession areas.

A year later, building trades members built a new club area behind home plate, added new concession stands, installed new scoreboards and replaced the sound system.

Wondolowski said there were extensive community benefits generated by the Indians for minority and female-owned businesses and the hiring of Cleveland residents. The team, under the auspices of the Gateway Economic Development Corp., has been in compliance with the City’s Community Benefits Agreement since 2016.

The following economic and inclusion goals were met, and in most cases exceeded:

· 18 percent minority business enterprise (exceeding the City’s stated 15 percent goal).

· 10 percent female business enterprise (exceeding the 7 percent goal).

· 11 percent small business enterprise (exceeding the 8 percent goal).

For Terry Joyce, Laborers Local 310 Business Manager and President of the Cleveland Building Trades, the work at the ballpark has benefited more than just sports fans.

“You don’t have to like sports or be a union member to benefit from this project,” said Joyce. “The spending generated from the ballpark pays for critical services in Cleveland and all Cuyahoga County communities.”

Wondolowski said the Cleveland Building Trades and Indians are targeting a participation metric of at least 70 percent of the construction project labor will come from the 18-county Northeast Ohio region.

“Each and every ward in the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County is positively impacted in some way,’’ he said. “We look forward to participating in the review process by both city and county councils in coming months.”