The Cleveland Browns are leaving their lakeside home.
On Thursday, the team officially announced plans to vacate a stadium opened in 1999 on the shore of Lake Erie when the lease there expires in 2028.
The club will move into an indoor stadium in Brook Park, in the suburbs.
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb met with Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslem, who announced their intentions in this regard.
The Browns considered a $1.1 billion plan by Cleveland officials to renovate the downtown stadium, but instead turned to Brook Park, 15 miles southwest. The project will cost $2.4 billion.
“As mayor, I will always put the needs of residents and businesses first,” Bibb said in a statement. The Haslem Sports Group may want a roof over its head, but my responsibility is to make sure the residents of Cleveland have a roof over theirs. »
Bibb added that balancing these priorities “requires care and precision” and that the city must be “pragmatic about our many needs and limited resources.”
The team’s lease at its current stadium expires after the 2028 season.
Last month, the city proposed funding $461 million – cost-sharing with the Browns – to upgrade the current stadium and surrounding area along the lake.
The Browns have only been at their stadium since 1999. They moved there as an expansion team after owner Art Modell moved the organization to Baltimore four years earlier following a feud with the city of Cleveland.
The Browns have often cited traffic and parking issues as among the reasons for considering a new training site.
“Brook Park is the most compelling option for several reasons: its central location for our fans across the region, its proximity to downtown, public transit and the airport, as well as the strong existing infrastructure,” wrote David Jenkins, chief operating officer of Haslam Sports Group, last month.
The Browns are seeking a public/private partnership for the project; they propose bonds to cover funding from taxpayers.
“The city of Cleveland and the success of its downtown area remain incredibly important to us,” Jenkins wrote. We recognize that a move to Brook Park could have a short-term impact on downtown, but we believe that the year-round activity of an indoor stadium can have a positive impact on the economy of downtown, especially when combined with the possibilities of a renewed shoreline, without the stadium. »
Beaten in their last four games, the Browns are 1-5 this year heading into a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
