The announcement follows the breakdown of talks between Mayor Justin Bibb and the Browns owners.
As of 3:57 PM EDT, by Candace Pedraza
On Thursday, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb declared that the Browns’ ownership and him had reached an impasse over the stadium’s continued use in downtown Cleveland. Jimmy and Dee Haslam now intend to move the club to a new stadium with a dome in Brook Park, Ohio.
The Browns would have to relocate from Huntington Bank Stadium, which is now owned by the public, in downtown Cleveland to Brook Park, depriving Cleveland supporters of a pitch they could call home. Fans of the Browns will now have to drive 20 minutes outside of the city to see the team anytime after 2028. The present lease with the city expires at that point.
The Haslam Sports Group revealed sketches of a new domed stadium in an August letter to supporters, promising to offer cutting edge amenities and a new location for big events that might draw tourists to the Cleveland region in addition to football games.
“The success of Cleveland’s downtown and the idea of constructing a dome there excite us, but what really matters to us is the city of Cleveland and the surrounding development. Although we recognise that moving to Brook Park would have an immediate effect on downtown, we think that the year-round activity of a stadium with a dome might still have a good effect on the downtown economy, especially when combined with the potential for a redesigned lakefront in the event that the stadium is not built.”
Bibb held a press conference on Thursday to voice his displeasure with the decision. He described the transfer of the team away from the city’s lakefront by the Haslams as “frustrating and profoundly disheartening.”
There are still some unanswered questions for Cleveland locals and Browns supporters following the transfer. One is the matter of where the money for this new stadium will come from. The group is requesting an additional $1.2 billion in “state, county, and local municipality contributions” to cover the cost of the field, on top of the $1.2 billion the group will be committing on its own, according to a 92.3 The Fan article that was published shortly after news of the new dome broke.
What kind of competitive edge this would provide the Browns is still an open issue. Cleveland can become very cold during the winter. Although the Browns are now 1-5 on the season and do not appear to be headed for a deep postseason run, a stronger team in the future would benefit from a dome. Dry weather reduces the risk of injury for athletes, and if a stadium is covered and heated when people arrive for a chilly winter game, they are more likely to attend.
It is shocking to think that in only two months, this stadium has gone from being something the Browns shouldn’t have to worry about to something that is finally happening.
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