City of Cleveland sues Browns over $2.4 billion stadium decision

The Browns shall not pass.

The city of Cleveland filed a lawsuit Tuesday to try to prevent the NFL team’s move from their Lake Erie-front Huntington Bank Stadium to what would be a dome facility in suburban Brook Park — 15 miles south of the city in the same county, according to ESPN.

The city wants to use the “Modell Law” to stop the move, which states any professional sports owner who owns a tax-supported stadium for home games and receives funding from the state isn’t allowed to leave the premises unless authorized to play elsewhere or having provided six months worth of notice.

The plan was set in place and made known to Cleveland by the Browns in October, detailing the building of a $2.4 billion stadium and entertainment compound in the suburbs that hopes to be accomplished once their lease with the city expires following the 2028 season.

Huntington Bank Field during an NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and the New York Giants, Sept. 22, 2024, in Cleveland. AP

“The Modell Law’s requirements are straightforward,” the city of Cleveland’s lawsuit reads, per ESPN. “It provides that if a team takes taxpayer money and plays in a tax-supported facility, then the owner must either obtain the City’s authorization or give the City and others the opportunity to purchase the team before moving the team away from that facility.”

Team owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam, who are looking for a 50-50 private/public partnership for the project, said the intention of the move is to “find the optimal long-term solution for our stadium.”

The suburban site is also pointed to as a better “central location” for the comings and goings of fans, along with more opportunities for “ample parking,” said David Jenkins, chief operating officer of Haslam Sports Group, per the NFL.

In October, the Browns sought out clarification on the Modell Law, which was passed in 1996 and used in the prevention of the MLS’ Columbus Crew from leaving Ohio for Texas in 2019.

Cleveland Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam speak during an NFL football training camp practice in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., July 27, 2024. AP

The Haslams, who are also part owners of the NBA’s Bucks, ended up buying the soccer team and the franchise has since stayed in the state.

The two sides previously tried to find an agreement with Cleveland offering the Browns 30-year extension on the lease in August, along with $1.2 billion to put toward updates to the stadium and surrounding area that would have also included $461 million from the city.

If the Browns eventually move, it won’t be for the first time.

After originating in Cleveland in 1946, former owner Art Modell moved the team to Baltimore in 1996 after a war with city officials, and the team was renamed the Ravens.

However, the NFL worked with city officials to guarantee a return of the Browns in Cleveland in 1999 and they played their first game at their current stadium, Huntington Bank Field, on Sept. 12, 1999.