The city of Cleveland sued to stop the Browns from leaving their stadium and building a domed stadium in suburban Brook Park.
The suit, filed Tuesday in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, seeks to invoke the “Modell Act” to prevent the Browns from moving. This law states that any owner of a professional sports club who uses a state-funded facility or political subdivision for home play cannot leave unless they obtain permission to play elsewhere or give advance notice of six months.
In October, the Browns announced they had notified the city of plans to build a $2.4 billion state-of-the-art stadium and entertainment complex in Brook Park – which is in the same county, but 15 miles south of Cleveland – when their stadium lease with the city expires at the end of the 2028 season.
Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam are seeking a 50-50 private/public partnership to build the stadium. The Haslams said in a statement that the planned move was the result of an attempt to “find the optimal long-term solution for our stadium.”
In early August, the city of Cleveland proposed to the Browns to renovate Huntington Bank Field – the team’s current 65,000-seat stadium – for $1.2 billion and redevelop the surrounding grounds. , including $461 million from the city. The city also proposed a 30-year extension of the team’s lease.
The Browns have played on the shores of Lake Erie since their founding in 1946. Their new stadium was built in 1999, when they returned as an expansion franchise.
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