Cuyahoga County says it can’t support Browns efforts to build dome in Brook Park; backs stadium renovation plan

CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Cleveland Browns efforts to build a new dome and entertainment complex in Brook Park just hit a major roadblock.

Cuyahoga County executives say they cannot back the project.

In a letter signed by Cuyahoga County executive Chris Ronayne and County Council president Pernell Jones Jr. that was sent to Jimmy and Dee Haslam Sunday, Ronayne and Jones Jr. threw their full support behind a $1.2 billion renovation of Cleveland Browns Stadium and keeping the NFL franchise downtown.

“The proposal to build a new stadium in Brook Park does not make fiscal sense for Cuyahoga County residents and taxpayers,” the letter said. “Moreover, any proposal that would create an unacceptable risk to the County’s general fund cannot be considered. We believe it is our responsibility and in the best interests of our community to prioritize reinvestment in existing public assets.”

The Haslams responded to the letter from the county with a statement Sunday afternoon.

"A stadium project that could be a transformational opportunity for this region will take deep thought, objectivity, innovation, and patience. The process of renovating or building a new stadium is incredibly complex. We have been reminded many times that the issues with the current stadium resulted from a rushed process that was not thorough and don’t want that repeated. We have received the county’s response and are still in the process of gathering information and doing diligence on both paths. It would be short-sighted for Northeast Ohio to rule out any options at this point for a long-term decision of this magnitude. We look forward to the City of Cleveland’s responses to our detailed questions regarding their proposal from last week and we remain committed to collaborating and communicating with all parties involved. Working together and keeping an open mind while thoroughly vetting this project is critical to achieving the goal of finding and executing the best long-term, sustainable stadium solution for this region."

Last week the Browns unveiled renderings for a $2.4 billion dome with a promise to privately invest over $1 billion more in an adjoining entertainment district comprised of hotels, retail, restaurants and more.

The Haslams are willing to commit $2.6 billion plus cost overruns towards the entirety of the Brook Park project but no more than $600 million towards the existing stadium renovation.

Earlier this month Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb sent the Haslams a letter with an August 12 deadline to respond in which he promised up to $461 million in city funding over 30 years fed by future admissions taxes, parking revenue at the Muni lot and Willard garage on stadium event days, county sin tax revenues and a $20 million city general fund for stadium upkeep.

As part of Bibb’s new 30-year lease proposal, the Browns would be allowed to play rent free in the stadium, which opened in 1999 and was built for $283 million or $518 million in 2023 dollars, but the team would be asked to cover the insurance and property tax costs for the city-owned building totaling around $1.3 million per year.

The city, county and state would be asked to kick in a total of $600 million for the stadium renovation.

The Browns have long lamented the inaccessibility of the existing stadium, the lack of lakefront development around it as well as its deteriorating condition and the limitations the obsolete building presents when it comes to luring major events to the city, including parking revenue streams.

Cleveland Browns Stadium received a $125 million facelift in 2014-15 in which the team covered over $100 million in costs and fronted the money for the project with the city of Cleveland repaying the team $25 million over 15 years.