Browns moving forward with plan for new domed stadium away from downtown Cleveland

BEREA — The Browns are focusing their stadium efforts on a new domed stadium in Brook Park, Cleveland mayor Justin Bibb confirmed in a press conference at city hall.

Owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam had previously only stated they were weighing their options between renovating the current lakefront stadium or building a new one near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. However, it's been clear for months the Brook Park site has been the preferred option for the Haslams.

Bibb said Thursday he had met with the Haslams on Wednesday night, at which time they informed him of their intention to move to Brook Park. There has been no immediate official announcement from either the Haslams or Browns Chief Operating Officer David Jenkins on either a stadium decision or Bibb's public comments.

"Our vision for redeveloping the lakefront is becoming a reality, and more and more businesses are choosing to invest in our great city," Bibb said. "The Haslams choice to move the team away from this progress is frustrating and profoundly disheartening. Over the past two years, this administration made relentless efforts to craft solutions that advance both (Haslams Sports Group's) objectives and long-term interest of our residents and the broader community."

Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne issued a statement following Bibb's press conference. In it, he tried to focus the attention on the Guardians' American League Championship Series Game 3 showdown against the New York Yankees Thursday afternoon in Cleveland.

"Executive Ronayne has made his position clear: the Browns stadium should remain Downtown," the statement said. "Today he is focused on the business of Cuyahoga County and cheering for a Guardians win tonight."

The new domed stadium would be built on a 176-acre plot of land in Brook Park that the Haslams have indicated would be part of a much larger development project. That site is situated in an area bordered on three sides by State Route 237 to the west, Snow Road to the south and I-71 to the east.

The Browns' lease with the city expires at the end of 2028. The Cleveland city council has made it clear it intends to hold the Browns not only to their lease, but also to the Ohio law that has come to be known as the "Modell Law," which passed by the state legislature in 1996 after the original Browns franchise was moved by owner Art Modell to Baltimore.

The law prevents professional teams that use a “tax-supported facility for most of its home games” and that “receive financial assistance” from playing home games elsewhere. In order to do so, they must obtain government consent and by satisfy a six-month notice period during which the team must be offered for sale to local buyers.

The law requires pro sports organization to give their cities six-months’ notice before leaving town. They also must provide the opportunity for city or area residents to buy the team first.

Bibb said "Modell Law" would be something the city council would have to handle. He said Thursday an economic feasibility study commissioned by the city indicated a move by the Browns outside of the city limits would cost Cleveland more than $30 million annually.

"I wouldn't say we were misled," Bibb said. "I will say we may have lost some critical time. If that was the original intent, we could have looked at other sites in the city of Cleveland in 2022. Now it's 2024 and we've lost two years. My initial priority was No. 1, work with the county executive and state leaders to get to a 50/50 split on a $1.2 billion renovation. They changed their vision about what they wanted, and in the last four to six weeks, we explored what it would take to potentially close Burke (Lakefront Airport) and build a dome stadium down there. But it wasn't good enough for them at this moment. And if things don't work out in Brick Park, as I said before, I stand ready with open arms to get back to the negotiation table."

Watch Browns press conference on stadium negotiations

The Browns have played at the current lakefront location in some form since the original franchise was founded in 1946. The current stadium was originally opened in 1999 when the expansion franchise began play.

The cost for the new domed stadium is projected to be around $2.4 billion. The cost to renovate the current one was around half that price, with the city of Cleveland having pledged $461 million to that plan in early August.

"I think we said the last time we talked to you all, this is a big project, OK," Jimmy Haslam said during a training camp press conference on July 25 at The Greenbrier in West Virginia. "No matter which direction we go into, it's complicated. Anytime you have a public-private partnership, it's not easy. We're continuing to work through the process and we hope sooner rather than later we'll have a solution. But I can assure you, we were on the phone for an hour this morning talking about various things that have to be solved, and one solution or the other. We'll continue to do so until we get to what we think the right answer."

Bibb contended that the city tried to counter the idea of building a new stadium in Brook Park with one of their own on the lakefront.

"We put forth a fiscally responsible yet aggressive financial package, larger than any other financial package offered for sports facility and Cleveland to renovate the existing stadium," Bibb said. "When the has shifted course and abandoned the renovation plans, we pivoted to explore options for a new stadium and offered to make a portion of Burke Lakefront Airport available to the team for redevelopment to include a new dome stadium and adjacent development comparable, arguably better than, the vision the Haman Sports Group has proposed for Brook Park."

The timing of the announcement is not ideal in terms of the on-the-field product. The Browns are off to a 1-5 start, they are in the midst of the four-game losing streak and they traded away their No. 1 wide receiver, Amari Cooper, on Tuesday to the Buffalo Bills.

The Browns' intentions ramped up on Aug. 7, when Jenkins sent Browns season-ticket holders a letter addressing the team's stadium future. Although the letter did not say a final decision was made, it was the most clear explanation from the team regarding the vision it holds for the Brook Park site.

The letter to season ticket holders said the team started the process in 2017. However, it goes on, it has "intensified as we approach the end of our current lease after the 2028 season."

Jenkins' letter said the team explored options within the city of Cleveland's limits, including the Burke Lakefront Airport site. However, it deemed that not "feasible" because of "economic constraints and FAA restrictions."

"The Brook Park site is the most compelling option for a dome for several reasons: its central location for our regional fan base, its proximity to downtown, the RTA and the airport, and its strong existing infrastructure," the letter said. "The large footprint is also ripe for major economic development and supports ample parking and optimized ingress/egress for our visitors. Our diligence of the site is ongoing, but our work to date has shown positive results on the FAA, environmental and traffic/infrastructure fronts."

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns eye new domed stadium in Brook Park, Cleveland mayor announces