The Cleveland Browns and Cuyahoga County are currently in a dispute over a proposed new domed stadium in Brook Park, a Cleveland suburb. The Haslam Sports Group, which owns the Browns, wants the county to contribute financially to the project, but Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne has rejected the proposal, calling it “too risky” for taxpayers.
The team is also pursuing state funding for the project. The Browns proposed a $2.4 billion domed stadium in Brook Park, along with $1 billion in surrounding development. They are seeking financial support from the county, state, and private investors. Ronayne has criticized the proposal, arguing that it would negatively impact downtown Cleveland’s tourism and that the team’s request for county funding is “greed and opportunism.” He also expressed concerns about the potential for the project to become a “boondoogie.”
Cuyahoga County Executive Slams Cleveland Browns Ownership
Mike Florio of NBCsports.com for pro football talk talked about the Browns current situation for a potential new stadium in Brook Park. Well, he reported on Monday about what a Cuyahoga County executive said about the Browns ownership. Florio reported,
“The Browns are battling with Cuyahoga County over the team’s determination to leave Cleveland for a domed stadium in Brook Park.
The latest escalation came on Monday, when Cuyahoga County executive Chris Ronayne sent a letter to Haslam Sports Group accusing Browns ownership of “greed and opportunism.” The one-page correspondence also says Jimmy Haslam and company are “distorting the facts” and “attempting to bully the public and fleece County taxpayers for [Haslam Sports Group’s] private gain.”
Ronayne accuses Browns ownership of “pushing a costly, risky, and poorly conceived plan that uses public subsidy to diminish our region, our communities, and our businesses.” He calls the team’s effort to build a $3.4 billion facility a “boondoggle.”
Last week, Haslam Sports Group COO Dave Jenkins sent a letter to Ronayne accusing him of “communicating misleading information” about the Brook Park project and describing the opposition to the domed stadium “truly disheartening.”
The exchange of nastygrams comes at a time when the Browns are trying to secure $600 million in Ohio funding through the issuance of bonds.
Separate from the funding fight is pending litigation between the Browns and the city of Cleveland regarding the application of Ohio’s Art Modell Law to the team’s effort to leave its downtown stadium.”
The hope is for the Browns to be in Brook Park after the 2028 NFL season, in time for the 2029 NFL season. However, it will be interesting to see what will happen with this interesting development of a stadium that will most likely not be located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.
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