The mayor of Cleveland, Ohio confirmed plans for the Cleveland Browns to depart their current stadium on the shores of Lake Erie for a new domed stadium in the suburbs.
Rather than extend their lease at Huntington Bank Stadium – which was opened in 1999 – Cleveland mayor Justin Bibb says that Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam wish to open a new stadium in the suburb of Brook Park.
Initial renderings for the stadium were released back in August – and it seems the team is on track to go forward with this proposal.
“Last night, I had a meeting with Jimmy and Dee Haslam, principals of the Haslam Sports Group (HSG), in which they expressed their intent to relocate the Cleveland Browns to Brook Park,” Bibb said in a statement.
The statement also read: ‘As mayor, I will always prioritize the needs of our residents and businesses. The Haslam Sports Group may want a roof over their heads, but my responsibility is to ensure that Cleveland residents have a roof over theirs. Balancing these priorities requires care and precision. While there is a valid economic case for supporting sports facilities – a commitment this community has honored time and again – we must be practical about our many needs and finite resources.’
The Cleveland Browns confirmed their intentions to move to the suburbs and a new stadium
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Further in the statement, Bibb said that if the Haslams were to reconsider moving that the city was ‘ready to return to the table and continue working toward a solution that keeps the Browns in the city that has stood by them for decades: Cleveland.’
Bibb said that the city put forth ‘a fiscally responsible, yet aggressive financial package’ to renovate the existing stadium. But it appears the team will pass in favor of the new domed facility.
That said, it’s highly possible that the Browns could remain in Cleveland – with nearby Chicago as a prime example.
The Chicago Bears purchased land in the suburb of Arlington Heights back in February of 2023 – only to backtrack and commit to building a new stadium in the city just to the south of their current stadium, Soldier Field.
The Browns set the total estimated cost of the Brook Park concept at $2.4billion – which would make it the second-most expensive stadium in the NFL, yet almost three-times less expensive than the $5.95billion it cost to build SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Of that $2.4billion, the Browns say $1.2billion will be covered by private funding.
Officials in Cuyahoga County, of which Brook Park is in, said back in August that they would prefer for the team to stay in Cleveland. Moreover, they said they wouldn’t commit any county money to the project.
The Browns’ lease at Huntington Bank Stadium expires in 2028, so the team still has four more seasons to play at their current venue.
The domed venue, which they hope to build in Brook Park, is estimated to cost $2.4billion
The Browns will continue to play in Huntington Bank Stadium until their lease expires in 2028
This has already been a season of struggle for the Browns – who already sit at 1-5 just six weeks into the season.
Many of the issues lie with quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has yet to throw for over 200 yards in a game this season.
They’ll hope to rebound when they host the in-state rival Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
