Business View Magazine | May 2020

71 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE MAY 2020 atrium that adds 43,000 sq. ft. of public space and the “Power Portal” audio-visual 360 degree tunnel that creates the fan entryway made up of 1,000 sq. ft. of LED panels accompanied by a dynamic audio system. With the creation of “neighborhood” gathering destinations that feature premium concessions offerings that include celebrity chefs Michael Symon, Rocco Whalen and Karen Small, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is forever finding new ways to provide the best fan experience in sports and entertainment! To get up to speed on all the details of the fantastic arena transformation, Business View Magazine spoke with Len Komoroski, CEO of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The following is an edited transcript of the conversation. BVM: What is the history of the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse? Komoroski: “This building opened up in 1994 as part of the Gateway complex. There was a package known as the sin tax back in the early 1990s which then became a key financing component for the new arena that was anchored by the Cavaliers, called Gund Arena at that point, and also what was then Jacobs Field for the Indians. Prior to that, the Cavaliers were playing in Richfield Coliseum in Summit County (a different county and different city). And the Indians were part of Municipal Stadium playing with the Browns who actually managed that facility. “So, it was really viewed as a model of urban planning and utilizing these public facilities of note to be a catalyst for urban development and redevelopment. For frame of reference, prior to when these two buildings opened, the Gateway District was a series of parking lots in the southern end of downtown Cleveland. There were four eateries open for lunch, no residential, no commercial, and no hotels. Since then we’ve had more than $2 billion of development including the largest residential district of Cleveland; nine hotels including the largest concentration of ROCKET MORTGAGE F I ELDHOUSE