Managing Partner JW Johnson and President Dave Jenkins (8.17.26)
What goes through your mind about this transformation, looking back at what this neighborhood looked like a year and a half ago?
Dave Jenkins: “You know, it’s a long time coming, I think the Mayor (Cyril Kleem) said we first talked about it 10 years ago. It was a pretty big effort to just acquire the property and then develop a vision. But doing it with the fans and the community is always at the forefront of the process. So really happy and excited about where we’re at today, but still a lot of work to do to deliver on all the promises.”
Dave, can you talk about when PSL sales are going to start and what people can expect to see in terms of pricing?
Jenkins: “Still working through pricing. PSL sales will start in about a month, so mid-September. As we’ve said all along, we’ll start with the highest price points in the process, work through those before we move on to the next price point. So, it is a three-year process to get to the building, but we’re excited to start that in about a month.”
When can fans start to actually come out here and go through the facility and get their first look at the stadium?
JW Johnson: “Yeah, obviously it’s still a work in progress. We’re working with Legends; they’re going to start cultivating the list of people to talk to. So, it’ll be early, appointment-only, but then we’ll get everybody out here as quickly as we can. We’re trusting them in the process, they’ve done this for a lot of buildings, so they’ll be reaching out accordingly.”
Is that in the next few weeks or couple months?
Jenkins: “Mid-September. Suites actually start about now, and then we’ll start the PSL sales in about a month.”
So, will people who are looking at the suites be able to get a quick look in here?
Jenkins: “Correct.”
We keep hearing from fans that if there is a better product is put in the field, they’ll be more interested. How important is winning to being able to fill the seats at this dome?
Johnson: “Yeah, listen, we said, when I was with Jimmy (Haslam), winning is paramount for us in this organization and for our fans. And that’s what we care about, that’s what we come here every day to do. The guys that are working in the weight room, in the classroom, the coaches, the players, the staff, they come here to work, and their goal is to win every day. So that’s important to us. We know we have to put a good product on the field, but we know this building is going to be second to none in the league. It’s going to be incredible. And I think you’ll see once you get a chance to come into the experience center to see how different it is, the stadium we now play in is adequate, and what we’re going to play in now is going to be a premium experience, from concourses to video boards to the closest seats to food and beverage, you name it, along with all the other events. But winning is key, and we’re doing that every day. We want to win in the stadium as well, and that’s important for our fans.”
Other stadiums have done this kind of experience, here’s where your seat’s going to be, here’s your view. What have you learned from other new stadiums with this?
Jenkins: “I think what we’ve learned is you’ve got to tell a great story. So, what are the tools you have at your disposal to give fans the best sense of what they’re signing up for? I think JW alluded to it when he spoke earlier. The Cube gives you this immersive, virtual-reality-type experience that will allow us to put you at any seat in the building, any point in a concourse, any point outside the building or in the district, and really see what’s being built. It’s pretty tremendous.”
Johnson: “And not just for football games. So, if we’re having a concert, we can put up a different scene within the Cube to say, here’s what my seat or my views are going to look like for that concert. So obviously it’s very football-focused now, but we can cater it to other events we’ll have in the building.”
Open training camp just wrapped up, and fans just had their last session out here. Is there a vision for what training camp might look like with this building and this space in play?
Jenkins: “What I’d say is the whole district was built with that fan experience in mind. Training camp truly is the last free access point for our fans. So even this plaza that we’re standing at will be activated during training camp. We expect the hotel will be full of fans anxious and excited to be here and be a part of it. And then you’ll also have elements of retail and housing in this district as well, along with a 7,000-seat community field. So, it’ll be a true live-work-play experience, and all of those assets have to interact really well together. So, we’re excited to make training camp a part of that.”
What are the timelines for that? The hotel, the stadium, and does anything push back because of construction?
Jenkins: “No pushback. We remain on schedule for October of 2027 to have this district entirely complete. This building will be done in two months, October of ’26 UH (University Hospitals) will be moved in, and we’ve got some space for lease upstairs.”
What should fans watching a story about this on TV know when they can come see this experience center, and how do they get around the site given the active construction zone next door?
Jenkins: “It’s a pretty deliberate sales process, as JW said. We’ll rely on Legends to lead that. There’ll be a significant amount of outreach, there already has been. There’ll be appointment-setting, and then a lot of information will be shared prior to coming down. So, parking in close proximity and good directions to get in and have the experience.”
What have you learned so far from your market research and conversations with season-ticket holders and suite holders about what the market will bear and what level of pricing and pricing increases people are comfortable with?
Jenkins: “What we’ve learned is there’s strong interest, and our deposits are tracking ahead of where we thought there would be. A deposit is essentially a fan putting down dollars and saying, ‘I want a chance at seats.’ We feel really good about where we’re at and where we’re headed.”
Are you able to give us any number on deposits at this point?
Jenkins: “No. Thank you.”
To confirm, suite holders will see this almost immediately, but non-suite access starts mid-September?
Jenkins: “Correct.”
# # #
***Visit the for materials provided by the Browns communications department, including media schedules, press releases, quotes, photos, media guides, rosters, depth charts and more.***