The Haslam Sports Group and Cleveland mayor Justin Bibb left no doubt for Browns fans on Monday when they announced that the Brook Park dome is moving forward.
The City of Cleveland and the Cleveland Browns reached a historic $100 million settlement to settle all litigation and work together to move forward with the enclosed stadium in Brook Park and accelerate the lakefront transformation.
“I’m proud to deliver this historic deal to the residents of the City of Cleveland,” Mayor Bibb said. “My administration, with the Haslams’ support, will finally unlock the full potential of our lakefront, benefiting all residents and attracting new investment to the City.”
According to a statement from the Browns regarding the settlement, the team will pay the city $25 million before December 1. The Browns will be responsible for demolishing the current Huntington Bank Field in downtown Cleveland—that project is estimated to cost $30 million.
Starting in January 2029, the Browns will have to pay the city $5 million by the beginning of each calendar year until 2033, totaling $25 million over five years. Upon termination of the current lease, Haslam Sports Group agreed to invest no less than $2 million per year over the next 10 years on a community benefit project totaling no less than $20 million.
Once this agreement is formalized, all litigation stemming from Haslam’s decision to move forward with the Brook Park site will be voluntarily dismissed.
The money from the Haslam Sports Group will go toward lakefront transformation and preparing the current stadium’s location for redevelopment.
According to Haslam, the Browns have financing in place to cover any public money shortfalls. They have $900 million secured – $600 million from the state of Ohio and $300 million from Brook Park in order to build the new stadium. Haslam said they are essentially paying 75 percent of the $3.5 billion Brook Park stadium and redevelopment, while the public contribution is 25 per cent.
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The current stadium will be demolished following the 2028 season. Unless the Browns are able to get their franchise turned around quickly, the building could be destroyed without ever hosting an NFL Playoff game. The Brook Park domed stadium is scheduled to be ready for Week 1 of the 2029 NFL season.
Leading up to opening, expect Haslam Sports Group to actively bid on big events. According to reports, they have already put in a bid to host Women’s World Cup matches in Brook Park.
The Browns have been planning the move to Brook Park for several years now and Monday’s 4:30 p.m. press conference confirmed that everything will be moving forward as planned.
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