CLEVELAND — The Republican National Convention is 251 days away, but we still know very little about where the security perimeter will be.
However, clues continue to trickle in, giving us a better idea of what will happen.
Early on, there was a chance the security perimeter could extend from Quicken Loans Arena, where the main event will take place, all the way to the FirstMerit Convention Center on Lakeside Avenue, the opposite end of downtown.
Last week, WKYC confirmed media personnel will use the convention center as a work space.
“It’s safe to say there will be some road closures. But at the end of the day, there’s not going to be a catastrophic gridlock of downtown,” said Secret Service agent Craig Wisniewsky.
That line suggests the secure zone may be split into two separate secure zones, one around Quicken Loans Arena and one near the convention center, with traffic allowed to flow between the two. This theory also coincides with what we’re hearing from local businesses.
Stonetown is located on Prospect Avenue, one street over from Quicken Loans Arena. Co-owner and Executive Chef Tony Fortner says businesses in the Gateway District have been kept in the loop about RNC plans by attending impact meetings.
At one meeting, he was told that his business and much of Prospect Avenue North of Quicken Loans Arena will be part of a “soft perimeter.” That means credentials may not be required, but vehicle traffic may be modified or prohibited.
“This is where all the happenings are going to be … Prospect Avenue,” said Fortner. “Because Huron is going to be shut down. You’re going to have military, Secret Service. That’s going to be a hard area. So most people won’t have access to that unless you have credentials.”
During the 2012 RNC in Tampa, a major highway that was too close to the convention site was shut down for the week of the convention.
How close is too close? No one knows. But it’s likely the Secret Service will examine the distance from Quicken Loans to the Innerbelt Bridge.
Again, all of the details surrounding RNC security is just speculation at this point. We won’t know specific details until about a month before the convention kicks off. Even then, the Secret Service can make changes whenever they want, as deemed necessary.