BEREA -- The four-month NFL lockout did not shut down the city’s need to prepare for the Cleveland Browns training camp. 
“We know what we need to do and have already done some of those things,” said R. James Brown, the city’s service director.
Negotiation talks continued this week with team owners and the NFL Players Association. This week a U.S. magistrate judge entered the talks. The lockout began March 12. The Browns first game is set for Sept. 11 in Cleveland against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Training Camp historically begins at the end of July. Last year the camp started July 31.
According to a Cleveland Browns spokesperson, the organization will not release training camp dates until they are firm, and that is “dependent” upon the “resolution of the labor situation.”
Brown said he is “confident” the lockout will end this week.
“We will probably get a call as soon as possible from the Browns. We are ready for them and the camp,” Brown said. “I am a huge fan of the training camp. We are the only city in Ohio that hosts a training camp. Cincinnati goes to Kentucky.”
The city owns the Browns facility in Berea. Brown said the city paints the striping in the facility’s parking lots and refresh the crosswalk on Lou Groza Blvd. as well.
“We are in the process of doing that right now,” he said Monday. “Most of it is already completed.”
The Browns provide banners that the service department hang on Bagley Road, Beech Street and other localized areas.
The Front Street overpass, which opened in November, has poles to hold the banners, if needed.
“We’ve had conversation about that,” Brown said. “This year is the first time we are able to use Front Street in quite a while. It will be neat to see traffic coming over and entering the city for the camp.”
A major change this year is the reconstruction of Beech Street between Bagley Road and East Fifth Avenue. Camp visitors often use Beech Street north of Bagley to park in the Baldwin-Wallace College’s Kleist parking lot as well as walk down its short length to the camp’s gate. That stretch of Beech Street is expected to be completed Aug. 17.
Brown said the contracting company must provide some type of access for pedestrians should the camp occur while that portion of Beech Street is closed to traffic. 
“Whether is a gravel walkway or allow them to go on the grass, they will have something to make it safe to walk,” Brown said.
Karen Husak, B-W’s director of parking services, said the college gladly permits training camp visitors to use its lots.
“We allow use of our lots as long as camp runs and school is not in session,” she said.
Husak also said Kleist parking lot will be available for parking but traffic must enter through its Bagley Road access, not the one on Beech Street, which is under construction.
‘We are preparing for training camp as well,” she said. “We gladly allow use of our parking lots as long as training camp runs, provided school is not in session.”
B-W’s first day of fall classes is Aug. 29. Husak said the lots are available for training camp until Aug. 24.
The city will post signs on streets around the training camp entrance, such as Third, Fifth and Beech, saying parking is for residents only. Those who live in these area receive stickers from the Browns organization to place on their windshield showing permission to park on the street.
Brown said he enjoys the thrill of training camp.
“We stand alone in Ohio in providing a summer training camp for a professional sports team,” he said. “I think it’s a big deal. And we want others to know how important and thrilling this is to our city.”
Article source:
http://blog.cleveland.com/newssun/2011/07/berea_prepares_for_cleveland_b.html
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