CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Cleveland Browns are in the process of finalizing a purchase agreement for 176 acres of land near Hopkins International Airport a source familiar with the agreement tells 92.3 The Fan.
The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said that the agreement was simply part of the team’s “work and diligence around this stadium project.”
NEOtrans.blog first reported the sale agreement with the Haslam Sports Group Thursday.
"We’ve been clear on how complex future stadium planning can be. One certainty is our commitment to greatly improving our fan experience while also creating a transformative and lasting impact to benefit all of Northeast Ohio,” Cleveland Browns/Haslam Sports Group spokesperson Peter John-Baptiste said in a statement. “We understand the magnitude of opportunity with a stadium project intent on driving more large-scale events to our region and are methodically looking at every possibility. We appreciate the collaborative process with the City of Cleveland and the leadership of Mayor Bibb in analyzing the landbridge and renovating the current stadium. At the same time, as part of our comprehensive planning efforts, we are also studying other potential stadium options in Northeast Ohio at various additional sites. There is still plenty of work to do and diligence to process before a long-term stadium solution is determined and will share further updates at the appropriate time.”
The land, located in Brook Park south of I-480, west of I-71 and east of State Route 237 and the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks, could be used to build a new state of the art domed stadium for the team.
The proximity to two interstate highways, the airport plus an RTA line that runs to the airport makes it a very attractive regional site to build on.
Although no land has been purchased yet, the move sends a shot across the bow to the city of Cleveland with the Browns lease set to expire at the end of the 2028 season while talks concerning a renovation of the current stadium are ongoing.
The Browns had been pursuing a renovation to Cleveland Browns Stadium priced out between $1-1.2 billion, but multiple sources have indicated to 92.3 The Fan that conversations with Mayor Justin Bibb and the city of Cleveland haven’t progressed towards a resolution.
“Well, as you know, the city, the county and the state will be hopefully, will be key critical partners for us as we think about the future of Cleveland Browns Stadium,” Bibb told 92.3 The Fan following the Billy Joel and Rod Stewart concert announcement. “It is a regional asset and we want to make sure we keep the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland, Ohio, right on Lake Erie. That's my goal as mayor.”
This development of a purchase agreement for 176 acres of land in Brook Park is significant and is also the first tangible indication that the Browns are willing to leave the lakefront if needed but the city of Cleveland isn't sitting idly by.
“Keeping the Browns at home on the downtown Cleveland lakefront is a priority for Mayor Bibb and city leadership,” Cleveland chief of staff Bradford Davy said in a lengthly statement Thursday. “We understand and respect how complex this process is and appreciate the partnership we’ve had and will continue to have with the Browns and Haslam Sports Group (HSG).
“The administration has developed a strong, thoughtful and comprehensive package that we believe respects taxpayers and protects the city’s general revenue fund while meeting the needs expressed by the team. This has been shared with the HSG team during our extensive negotiations over the last 8 months. We continue to meet with their team to refine our terms and come to a shared vision and acceptable deal for both parties that improves the experience for residents, sports fans and visitors. The success of our collaboration and commitment on this topic has been recently demonstrated through yesterday’s $20M [million] earmark which advances our shared goal of improving lakefront access to the stadium for everyone.
“The experience of Cleveland residents and visitors to our city is top of mind for us and we are committed to developing our North Coast Lakefront into a world-class, well-programmed, people-focused space and we see the activation of Browns Stadium as a key part of that vision. The mayor’s commitment to a vibrant shore-to-core-to-shore plan for Cleveland is such an integral part of the game day experience and the transformational changes on the horizon promise to make that experience even better.”
Cleveland Browns Stadium is owned by the city of Cleveland, which has been exploring possibilities of lakefront development around the stadium to coincide with an extensive overhaul of the building that opened in 1999 and was renovated in 2014-2015.
The overarching desire of the Haslams, Bibb and other public officials is to have the stadium renovation cost be split between the state, county, city and the team.
The Haslams, who put forth a plan for lakefront development in 2021, remain willing to renovate the current stadium, but the Browns’ ownership group is open to the possibility of pursuing a new domed stadium – outside the city of Cleveland limits.
As part of their due diligence and planning, the Browns have retained an architectural firm to design concepts and renderings for a potential dome. That process is ongoing.
A new domed stadium could cost more than $2 billion and could skyrocket as high as $3.5 billion for a retractable roof facility, but it would provide the region with a unique opportunity to recruit additional major concerts, the men’s NCAA Final Four and possibly a Super Bowl.
Cleveland is the only NFL market to have neither played in or hosted a Super Bowl. The Lions, Texans and Jaguars have also never appeared in a Super Bowl but Detroit, Houston and Jacksonville have hosted on Super Sunday.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who helped craft the return of the Browns in 1999 as an expansion team after former owner Art Modell relocated the original franchise to Baltimore in 1996, attended the Browns-Bears game at Browns Stadium on December 17.
Ohio governor Mike DeWine and other public officials were in attendance for the game as well.
“The Governor and First Lady did meet with Jimmy and Dee Haslam in December prior to the Browns vs. Bears game,” a spokesperson for governor DeWine told 92.3 The Fan Thursday. “Commissioner Goodell was also there. Among the topics the Governor, the Haslams, and the Commissioner discussed were different potential options in regards to renovating Cleveland Browns Stadium versus building a new stadium.”
Multiple sources familiar with Goodell's visit tell 92.3 The Fan that Goodell’s message to political leaders was simple: the Haslams are willing to commit hundreds of millions towards a renovation of Browns Stadium and their commitment for a new dome would be among the largest private financial commitments towards a new stadium around the NFL.
Similar to the process the Cavaliers, Guardians and Columbus Crew went through with their projects, the state of Ohio can’t consider any assistance with stadium construction funding until a plan with hard costs is in place.
The potential of a new Browns stadium across from Hopkins International Airport coincides with another massive regional development campaign.
The city of Cleveland is exploring a possible $3 billion overhaul of Hopkins International Airport, which would include a reconfiguration of State Route 237 serving the airport from I-480 and I-71. A potential new stadium across from the airport would add another element to that specific project.
The Browns recognize this is a critical year for the future of the team and where it would play starting with the 2029 season. Should they remain on the lakefront, construction would have to begin at the end of the 2027 season. A move to a new dome would mean construction would have to get underway at least 12 months earlier.
Even if the Browns ultimately decide on a new domed stadium in Brook Park, the team believes the economic impact on the region, including the city of Cleveland, will be significant, including allowing the current stadium land to be repurposed as part of lakefront redevelopment.
In addition to the stadium project, the Haslams are also finalizing development plans to expand the footprint of their existing training and administration complex in Berea. Over the past few years, the team has been acquiring land adjacent to the facility on Pearl Street, Lou Groza Blvd. and Front Street for the multimillion-dollar venture.
