Despite reports that claimed the Cleveland Browns were looking to build a new $1 billion stadium, the team has said that it plans to renovate its current home, FirstEnergy Stadium.
Speculation of a new home field for the Browns has increased after the team denied a report that said its majority owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam wanted a publicly funded, domed stadium.
- The team is currently conducting a study that focuses on stadium renovations.
- No price tag has been determined for potential repairs.
- The Browns’ current lease at the stadium’s site runs through 2028.
The Browns have a head start in renovating FirstEnergy Stadium after Cleveland’s city council approved $10 million in subsidies to repair pedestrian ramps and other fixes earlier this month.
This latest development comes amid controversy around FirstEnergy — which acquired naming rights in 2013 for $107 million in a deal that runs through 2030.
Earlier this month, the city council passed a nonbinding resolution 16-1 that the team should remove the FirstEnergy name from its stadium after the company admitted its role in a bribery scandal.
League of Their Own
The Browns could potentially join a growing list of NFL teams renovating or building new stadiums.
In May, the Tennessee Titans announced plans to build a domed stadium for up to $2.2 billion. The same month, the Buffalo Bills secured $250 million toward a $1.4 billion stadium project.
The New England Patriots recently broke ground on renovations at Gillette Stadium that are expected to cost $225 million.