Browns, Cleveland Reach $100M Deal to Clear Team’s Move to Suburbs

The city of Cleveland strongly opposed the Browns’ plan to leave downtown Huntington Bank Field, but in the end, the NFL team will get its way.

The Browns on Monday reached a $100 million settlement with the city, removing the biggest obstacle in its bid to build a $2.4 billion domed stadium and mixed-use development in suburban Brook Park, Ohio.

The wide-ranging deal between the team’s ownership entity Haslam Sports Group and Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb included a series of financial payments from the franchise, several other commitments regarding the redevelopment of the city’s downtown, and the release of legal claims that had threatened to scuttle the entire project. 

Among the key terms:

• HSG will pay the city $25 million by Dec. 1.
• HSG will pay the city another $25 million in five separate annual payments of $5 million between 2029 and 2033.
• HSG will take on financial responsibility for razing the city-owned Huntington Bank Field after the team leaves in 2029, at an estimated cost of $30 million.
• HSG will pay at least $2 million annually to “mutually agreed community benefit projects” for 10 years after the end of the Huntington Bank Field lease, totaling $20 million.
• Both sides pledge mutual support for infrastructure related to a series of major development projects in the area, including the new stadium, the redevelopment of the lakefront, and the modernization of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. 
• The city will support the progress and completion of the Brook Park stadium and mixed-use development. 
• All lawsuits related to the team’s departure from Huntington Bank Field and move to Brook Park are dismissed with prejudice.

“It’s a win for the city, the region, and the fans,” Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam said in a joint statement. “We will always be the Cleveland Browns, and this agreement reflects a continued commitment … to strategically invest in city of Cleveland community programs.”

The city’s efforts to stop the Browns from leaving included appealing a recent Ohio Department of Transportation decision to permit the Brook Park stadium, filing a lawsuit challenging the move based on a now-mooted law preventing pro team moves within the state, and alleging violations of the current stadium lease. 

Beyond those specific issues, Bibb and other city leaders had previously questioned whether the Browns’ moving to the suburbs would harm ongoing efforts to improve the Cleveland lakefront. 

The settlement was struck in recent days following a face-to-face meeting between Bibb and the Haslams. 

“My administration, with the Haslams’ full support, will finally unlock the full potential of our lakefront, benefiting all residents and attracting new investment to the city,” Bibb said. 

The final settlement remains subject to approval from the city council. The team intends to have a formal groundbreaking on the new stadium site early next year.