A letter to Cleveland Browns supporters across Northeast Ohio and beyond.
It’s been great hosting many of you at training camp in Berea and we can’t wait to see you at Cleveland Browns Stadium for what we believe will be an exciting season ahead. As you know, we have been hard at work on a long-term stadium solution to bring our fans the best-in-class experience they deserve while also positively impacting the Northeast Ohio region. The process began as far back as 2017, and our efforts have intensified as we approach the end of our current lease after the 2028 season. We know this is a topic that is important to our fans and the broader community. With Mayor Bibb releasing the City’s latest proposal for a renovated stadium last week and the increased community dialogue around our stadium future, including the possibility of a dome stadium in Brook Park, we feel it is the appropriate time for us to communicate directly and share an update on our stadium process. We are currently evaluating the City’s proposal and have requested additional information from the City to enable us to comprehensively do so.
“We need to be bold, we need to be innovative, and we need to take advantage of this unique moment to create a transformational project not only for our fans, but for Cleveland, the Northeast Ohio region and the State of Ohio.”
The other, more transformative option is to construct a $2.4 billion new domed stadium in Brook Park, creating a modern, dynamic, world-class venue that would significantly improve the fan experience and allow the State of Ohio and our region to compete for some of the world’s biggest events 365 days a year. This proposed domed stadium, like others in other Midwest markets, would have a significant impact on our region. The stadium’s year-round activity would serve as the foundation for a large-scale lifestyle and entertainment district that would include experiential retail, residential space, hotels, and other unique items, attracting tourists year-round and generating significant revenue for our community.
While much work has to be done, the Brook Park alternative has grown increasingly appealing to us, and we are delighted to share our present vision with you:
We have considered not only the Brook Park site but also other locations for a future dome stadium, including Burke Lakefront airport, which we have determined with the City of Cleveland is not feasible. We also cannot put a dome on the current building because of economic constraints and FAA restrictions. The Brook Park site is the most compelling option for a dome for several reasons: its central location for our regional fan base, its proximity to downtown, the RTA and the airport, and its strong existing infrastructure. The large footprint is also ripe for major economic development and supports ample parking and optimized ingress/egress for our visitors. Our diligence of the site is ongoing, but our work to date has shown positive results on the FAA, environmental and traffic/infrastructure fronts.
As demonstrated in other markets, a project of this magnitude only realistically works through a public-private partnership. We have approached this as a 50-50 partnership on the stadium, excluding cost overruns, which we would cover. But this would be more than just a stadium project; it would also include a private development that when combined with the world-class dome stadium will be transformative for our region. The proposed $1.2 billion+ private investment in the stadium is unprecedented and would be the largest private per capita stadium investment ever in this country. And that does not include the approximately $1 billion privately funded phased development we are envisioning, which would also be tremendously impactful for our region.
Importantly, we do not want to tap into existing taxpayer-funded streams, which may siphon resources away from more important needs. Instead, we are working with local, county, and state officials to develop innovative funding mechanisms that will leverage the project’s fiscal impact and unprecedented private contributions to support the public investment and generate a significant return for Brook Park, Cuyahoga County, and the State of Ohio. While still in progress, our finance approach includes setting aside future project funds for stadium repairs and maintenance to help maintain the building’s long-term viability well beyond the first lease term.
“This would be more than just a stadium project; it would also include a private development that when combined with the world-class dome stadium will be transformative for our region.”
While we are delighted about the prospect of developing a dome and surrounding development in Brook Park, the City of Cleveland and the prosperity of its downtown are also very important to us. We recognize that a move to Brook Park may have a short-term impact on downtown, but we feel that the year-round activity of a domed stadium can still benefit the downtown economy, especially when combined with the prospects of a rebuilt lakefront without the stadium.
Developing the lakefront without the stadium could be the best way to maximize the long-term success of our underutilized North Coast waterfront asset. We continue to have dialogue with the City regarding the optimal use of the lakefront, and will remain engaged on this critical priority regardless of where the stadium is. We will also keep working with our public partners in earnest so that the stadium solution is a long-term win for everyone, including the City of Cleveland.
As we’ve begun to share this Brook Park dome vision with elected officials, fans and business and civic leaders, we’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback. We have also learned through every conversation and understand there is more input to be gathered and still significant work to be done. The City of Cleveland’s effort to modernize Hopkins airport, along with a re-imagined lakefront and a world class dome and development in Brook Park could accelerate Northeast Ohio’s momentum. We will continue working diligently with Cleveland, Brook Park, County and State officials to capitalize on this generational opportunity.
We know that you are passionate about this decision, and we thank you for your continued support of the Cleveland Browns. We are excited about the future and look forward to sharing more information with you as the process continues to evolve and when a final decision is made.
