At the end of August, the Cleveland Cavaliers announced that the renovations for this project would be put to a halt and would not be continued going forward. Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert said that he was going to withdraw from this project.
The project would have also helped gyms in recreation centers and Cleveland Metropolitan School District gyms for high schools.
On Wednesday, Cleveland.com reported that the project is back. The Cavaliers announced that the $140 million transformations of Quicken Loans Arena will happen.
The Cavaliers were encouraged with the withdrawal of petitions and decided to discuss the Q transformations once again.
Cavs and Quicken Loans Arena CEO Len Komoroski had this to say:
“We are excited to confirm our renewed capital commitment of over $70 million to help renovate and transform Quicken Loans Arena – a tremendous publicly-owned asset for our community.”
Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson had the following to say about the project continuing:
“Throughout the process, my support for this agreement never wavered. My efforts have always been to create vibrant neighborhoods and a vibrant downtown. I’ve said it before -this deal is one of the best I’ve seen because it provides opportunities for all of Cleveland. Those who demonized this process were shortsighted, and I encourage them to ask themselves what they can do for the future of this city. Strong leadership requires doing the right thing, not just saying what you think people want to hear.”
If construction were to begin by the middle of September, the Cavs may have an opportunity to host an NBA All-Star game in 2020 or 2021. The team has said though that the year has not been determined yet.
Cleveland Council President Kevin Kelley gave this statement:
“I am very pleased that Cavaliers have agreed to continue with the Transformation Project. This deal is an economic boom for the City of Cleveland. It saves and creates thousands of jobs; generates tens of millions of tax dollars for the city’s general fund; and keeps the Q competitive in attracting events and concerts. The Cavaliers have guaranteed that the city’s portion of admission tax collections will always be at least as much as the amount collected for arena debt payments and that money, I want to stress again, comes from the pockets of those who buy tickets to get in The Q arena. It is not a municipal tax on Cleveland residents.”
Tom Withers from the Associated Press tweeted out the following:
#Cavs announce $140 renovation project at Quicken Loans Arena is going forward. Team has extended its lease 7 more years to 2034.
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) September 6, 2017
The team is also keeping their promise of reconstructing basketball floors at Cleveland recreation centers and at Cleveland high schools. It is expected that the Cavaliers would repair or reconstruct about 40 gymnasiums.
*Quotes from Cleveland.com*
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