CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Haslams spoke at the NFL meetings in Orlando Monday about weighing their options between overhauling the current lakefront stadium and building a dome elsewhere, including potentially Brook Park.
Here’s what we know and you need to know in a special mailbag edition of Brownie Bites:
How much will a renovation or a new dome cost?
Current construction estimates for a renovation to Cleveland Browns Stadium fall between $1 billion and $1.2 billion. The starting price tag for a new dome is $2 billion, and up from there.
Would a new dome have a retractable roof?
No. The Browns have explored this option already and have deemed the cost to be too prohibitive to include in their planning, so they are moving forward with developing plans for a fixed roof.
How much are the Browns willing to pay for either a renovation or a dome?
Multiple sources have told 92.3 The Fan the Browns have proposed a 50-50 split to renovate Cleveland Browns Stadium meaning $500-600 million in public funding with the team picking up an equal share. During the 2014-15 renovation, the Browns paid for over $100 million of the $130 million project with the city of Cleveland contributing $2 million per year over 15 years. As far as the dome goes, it is unclear how much of the cost the team will pay, but they have begun the process to acquire land for it with the purchase option in Brook Park for 176 acres. It has also been made clear to 92.3 The Fan through multiple sources that the Browns are not going to build the dome on their own. It would be a public-private partnership.
Why would the Browns move from downtown?
Location and revenue. It’s that simple. The lakefront gets closed off on game days and access to the stadium for many fans is mostly by foot. With new lakefront development plans in the works, the west, north and muni parking lots would all be eliminated and consolidated into parking garages. The Browns currently do not share in that revenue and our understanding is that the city is reluctant to change that. The Browns could control parking revenue and the tailgating culture could easily be maintained with surface lots at a new dome site. Moving from downtown would also allow the Browns to partake in revenue from additional development around a new dome whereas on the lakefront that would be unlikely.
Does the Brook Park option to purchase agreement mean the Browns are committed to a new dome?
No. The Browns simply have an option to buy the land and they haven’t bought it yet. The Chicago Bears purchased 326 acres in suburban Chicago and have now decided to build downtown south of Soldier Field instead. There’s a lot that can happen, but the Browns are not committed to Brook Park – yet.
Who’s on the hook for the stadium, wherever it’s built? Cleveland vs Brook Park? Does it become a county issue if the latter? - @mccormackXL200 on X
Multiple sources have told 92.3 The Fan that the Browns are proposing funding sources for either a renovation or dome to be four parts: team contribution in addition to funding from the state of Ohio, Cuyahoga County and the city – Cleveland, Brook Park, or other locale.
What would a $1 billion renovation of Browns Stadium include? Is it going down to the studs and essentially rebuilding it? – Sean_OSU on X
The Browns proposal includes a massive expansion of the concourses and stadium footprint. Remember the glass curtain wall extension the Cavs had built at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse? The stadium could see those built on the north and south sides and although the concourses would not be climate controlled, the curtain walls would better shield fans from the elements, especially the wind. The service level, which currently runs under only 50% of the stadium from the northeast side around to the southwest corner, would be expanded underneath the south stands, which means the foundation needs to be dug out and underpinned. The additional space would pave the way for new and expanded locker rooms, premium clubs, field level suites, additional staging areas and other utility spaces modern stadiums require. The seating bowl would also be modified, especially on the east and west ends to make way for new entrances and massive video boards similar to what the New England Patriots just installed.
There are mock drawings of renovating the current [stadium] with land bridge. Anything coming soon of new stadium? - @chaser84 on X
The Browns have employed an architect and have begun drawing up plans for a new dome, so renderings are on the way. The team has already submitted renderings of their proposed stadium renovations to city officials, but those have yet to be made public.
Once it's approved how long will [a dome] take to build? - @angelo7266 on X
Should the Browns renovate Cleveland Browns Stadium, the team is hopeful construction could begin following the conclusion of the 2027 season at the very latest and be completed in time for the start of the 2029 season and the first year of a new extended lease. As of now, it is believed to be a two-year construction timeline, similar to the process the Guardians have undertaken with the revamp of Progressive Field. Construction on a new dome could take over three years depending on site preparation and infrastructure, hence the sense of urgency to come up with a final decision and plan to move forward with.
Where are the Browns expected to play if the Stadium gets renovated? - @JayToven84 on X
The Browns would remain in the stadium during a renovation project, just as the Guardians have with Progressive Field.
Is there room downtown for a stadium not in its current location?? - @thebuckeye47 on X
There isn’t much room downtown for a new stadium which is why the Browns are exploring options outside the city limits. One idea that could work though is the current post office site south of downtown. If the post office would move elsewhere, that would be a perfect spot to build on.
When the current stadium is renovated is there any plans to develop the land to the west & any talks of creating a land bridge over the railroad tracks linking the city with the lakeshore? - @PuttHod on X
The Browns proposed this in May 2021 when they released their vision for lakefront development. Connecting the stadium to downtown is a priority if the team is to remain there beyond 2028. The team worked with the city and Ohio Department of Transportation to study the feasibility of the land bridge. Cleveland is on track to receive $20 million in funding for the project, which could cost hundreds of millions to build, from the state this year. The city began spending millions on their own lakefront development planning studies and proposals – independent of the Browns – last year.
If a 3rd option, not downtown or in Brook Park, was completely up to you, where would you choose? - @bigtimebuckeye3 on X
Former Indians and current Toronto Blue Jays team president Mark Shapiro ruminated on the idea of building a ballpark in Independence. I think that would be a quality location for a football stadium too with the I-480 and I-77 interchange there, but there is no RTA rail service nearby, unlike the proposed Brook Park site.
If they build a dome, will they do the grass turf that they can roll in like the Arizona Cardinals? Even if they have to build something like a large greenhouse for the wintertime, it would be worth it. – bcsportsradio on X
From what we have heard, no determination on playing surface for the dome has been made. We know the Haslams are partial to a grass field because they have refused to put artificial turf in at the stadium. As with anything, it all comes down to cost but with 176 acres to work with, they’d certainly have room for a sliding tray field.
Does the proposed improvements to CLE airport impact the Brook Park option? I assume state and county will be doing updates to infrastructure that could also benefit a new stadium? - @kjmmcdonald24 on X
This is an excellent question and yes, a new dome near the airport could easily be incorporated into infrastructure improvement projects that coincide with the $3 billion Hopkins International Airport overhaul that will likely include work done to I-480, I-71, State Route 237 and the RTA line.
Isn't the Brook Park site too close to a major airport? In this day and age...its still an issue. – DaleEPlanet on X
Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles is built near LAX, but the majority of the stadium bowl is below ground. A dome could be built above ground on the Brook Park site because it would be outside the glide paths of the runways at Hopkins. Sure, plans would have to be run by the FAA first, but there shouldn’t be any problems.
Assuming the percentage of government funding was the same for a dome or existing renovation, what do you think the Browns actually want, a new domed stadium or to stay downtown with a renovated stadium? - @omis_andy on X
The Haslams will not say it so we will say it for them – they would love to build a new dome and get off the lakefront. That said, they are mindful of the tradition, emotional connection Browns fans have to the lakefront location and the impact their decision will have on the region. The problem with the lakefront is that the stadium was obsolete the day it opened in 1999 because of the compressed three-year timeline and construction cost overruns. Correcting the sins of the original project is a primary factor in why the price tag to renovate exceeds 10 figures. It is also closed off from downtown and difficult to get to by car on game days unless you arrive early enough. A new dome would provide a much easier accessible location as well as a state of the art facility that the Haslams believe will give the region a transformational building and economic driver to recruit Final Fours, college football games – including the College Football Playoff and National Championship game, more mega concert tours and yes, possibly a Super Bowl. Also don’t rule out another NFL Draft returning to Cleveland as well since we got shortchanged in 2021 due to COVID.
If it's BrookPark, is the county/state expected to pony up half? Will this be on the ballot? Why should we pony up ANY public monies for billionaires? Are we getting a dollar for dollar investment for our schools? This money could be used for other NEEDED things... – TprevoJr on X
The economics of the NFL have changed significantly since Art Modell stole the Browns and moved the franchise to Baltimore with most teams collecting a profit before they sell a single ticket, hot dog or beer these days. Unfortunately, thanks to Modell, pro sports franchises have perfected the art of threatening to leave if they don’t receive tax revenue from municipalities for their ballparks, stadiums and arenas when they could easily finance them themselves. Keep in mind, the Haslams are not doing this, and the Browns are not going anywhere – state law prohibits that, but it is a dirty cost of doing business, which doesn’t make it right. It is hard to ask Cleveland residents to fork over tax dollars when the school system has a $157 million budget deficit, the city is among the poorest in the United States with a poverty rate of 30.8% according to the latest census data, driving on neighborhood roads feels like driving on the moon and combine those problems with the need to improve safety and emergency services for residents and visitors. Most Browns fans who attend games come in from the suburbs. That’s where most of the money is in the region and the team is taking a regional approach to fund the whichever project they ultimately choose. The Haslam family’s net worth is estimated to be north of $14 billion according to Forbes, but keep in mind that is based on assets and not just cash. California leads the way in building stadiums, arenas and ballparks privately. Could the Haslams pay to renovate the current stadium themselves? Yes, but they won’t because Cleveland owns the building, but they are willing to pay for half of the project. Could the Haslams build a dome on their own? Yes, they could, but they won’t.
