CLEVELAND — An immersive sports and entertainment venue is on tap for Downtown Cleveland as the anchor tenant for a major project just north of Rocket Arena.
Cosm, a technology and entertainment company based in California, plans to open the venue at East Fourth Street and Huron Road. The complex will include a planetarium-like dome where patrons can watch live sports and performances, from pro football and mixed martial arts to horse racing and Cirque du Soleil.
Bedrock, the real estate arm of Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert’s Rock family of companies, and Rock Entertainment Group announced the deal Monday afternoon. They’re kicking off the development of a roughly 3-acre site they’re calling the Rock Block, where Bedrock envisions a whole lot more.
"We have big plans for the rest of the development," Nic Barlage, Rock Entertainment Group's CEO, said during an interview. "We're really evaluating a myriad of different opportunities right now. Everything from parking solutions to hotel, office space and more experiential retail that brings even more foot traffic down."
Barlage said Bedrock aims to start construction on the Gateway District site early next year, with hopes of opening Cosm during the first half of 2027. The developer recently broke ground for a Cosm outpost in Detroit, which is set to open in late 2026.
Cleveland will be Cosm’s fifth market, after Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta and Detroit. Gilbert is an investor in the company, and Barlage sits on Cosm's board.
"This is a business that's thriving, that's growing," Barlage said.
The venue will stream live sports through Cosm’s partnerships with leagues and major broadcasters, including FOX Sports and ESPN. Cosm also expects to use the domed theater to present films, art and live music.
Outside the theater, Cosm’s venues each feature a sports bar with large displays and an outdoor space. Barlage said the Cleveland building will be 50,000 square feet and four stories tall.
"It will have a rooftop patio that will overlook the skyline," he said.
Bedrock is working on the project with Rosetti, a Detroit-based architectural firm. Renderings of the venue and the broader Rock Block plans aren't available yet — and will require city approvals.
But images from Los Angeles and Dallas give an idea of what Clevelanders can expect.
“We think that we can use sports and entertainment to unite our community, create momentum and activate all the things we want to try to accomplish right here in Northeast Ohio,” said Barlage, adding that Gilbert and his companies are deeply committed to improving the central business district.
Rock Entertainment Group runs Rocket Arena and is responsible for the Cavs, the Cleveland Monsters, the Cleveland Charge G League basketball team and a future WNBA expansion team, which is set to debut in Cleveland in 2028.
Cosm will offer a novel way for Clevelanders to gather for big games, Jeb Terry, the company’s president and CEO, said in a news release. He used the term “shared reality” to describe the viewing experience. “This venue will be more than just a destination,” he said.
Bedrock bought the Gateway District development site in early 2023 after another developer’s plans for the land fizzled. Under a prior owner, the property was earmarked for a massive, mixed-use project called NuCLEus, which never got off the ground.
Watch more about the scrapped NuCLEus plans here:
The previous developer, Cleveland-based Stark Enterprises, also saw the potential for bringing sports and entertainment to the block. In 2017, plans for NuCLEus included a nearly 48,000-square-foot venue called Cleveland Live!, designed for watch parties, dining and other gatherings.
A joint venture led by Stark ultimately scrapped its development plans and sold the 3.17-acre property to Bedrock for $26.5 million, according to public records.
The Cosm deal is the first look at what Bedrock is planning for the Rock Block, where the company razed a dilapidated parking garage in late 2023 and is sitting on a sea of surface parking.
The Detroit-based developer has been focused on a massive project just down the hill, on a sweep of riverfront land behind Tower City. Bedrock, one of Downtown's largest property owners, controls about 35 acres along the Cuyahoga River and has a city-approved master plan for $3.5 billion in development there.
RELATED: Bedrock forges ahead on Cleveland riverfront
The company broke ground last year on its first riverfront project — a practice facility for the Cavs and a sports medicine hub operated by the Cleveland Clinic.
Bedrock plans to hold a topping-off event for that complex, the Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center, on Tuesday morning. It's set to open in 2027.
A later phase of the riverfront project could include a 17-story building with a hotel, an entertainment venue, restaurants and retail. A tax credit application filed with the Ohio Department of Development last year says the building will draw on “the inspiration, energy and ethos of rock music in Cleveland, Ohio — the Rock ‘n’ Roll capital of the world.”
RELATED: Cleveland riverfront is one of the projects chasing state tax credits
Now Bedrock is making big plays in two Downtown locations — forging paths down to the waterfront while filling gaps in the heart of the city.
"We want to make sure that it's all additive in nature — and nothing that would detract or compete against each other," Barlage said of bringing in new businesses and attractions.
“This is a major milestone for our Downtown Gateway District,” Mayor Justin Bibb said in a news release. “And the arrival of Cosm is a testament to our community’s spirit and resilience. … With its engaging technology and diverse programming, Cosm will not only elevate the visitor experience but also strengthen our local economy and community connections. We are proud to partner with Bedrock on this transformative project.”
The city’s potential role, beyond design approvals and permitting, isn’t clear yet.
Cleveland previously offered tax breaks and other incentives for the NuCLEus deal, which was set to include an office tower, apartments and parking. That proposal also got attention from state lawmakers, leading to the creation of a tax credit program for so-called “transformational” mixed-use projects.
