CLEVELAND (AP) — The city of Cleveland has given the Browns a proposal to renovate their stadium in hopes of keeping the NFL team downtown rather than seeing it move to a new dome in suburban Brook Park.
Cleveland’s submission includes $461 million from the city, $227 million of which would come from a tax increase on tickets. The city also offered a 30-year extension of the team’s lease, which expires after the 2028 season.
Mayor Justin Bibb has asked the Browns to respond to his offer by Aug. 12.
“We are unified in our belief that transforming the current facility is unquestionably in the best interests of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County,” Bibb wrote in a letter to owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam. “We do not believe any public financial support should responsibly be made available for development of a stadium outside of the City of Cleveland.
“We look forward to cementing the team’s future here at home in the City of Cleveland.”
The Browns have played on the shores of Lake Erie since their inception in 1946.
Their new stadium was built in 1999 when they returned as an expansion franchise. While it has been upgraded, there are major traffic issues and a parking shortage due to its lakefront location.
Bibb said the Browns staying downtown is “crucial to many downtown businesses and jobs.”
The Browns are trying to decide between a massive renovation of the existing stadium that would cost more than $1 billion or building a dome about 14 miles south of Cleveland. That project would cost $2.4 billion or more, and the Haslams are hoping to fund it with city, state and county tax money.
Last week, the Haslams said no decision has been made and that they remain open-minded.
The stressed their intent is do what’s in the best interest of Browns fans. On Monday, general manager Andrew Berry said he would prefer the team playing in a dome.
“As we have said consistently throughout this process, we continue to communicate and collaborate with the cities of Cleveland and Brook Park, Cuyahoga County, and the state of Ohio on a long-term stadium solution that creates a world-class experience for our fans and positively impacts Northeast Ohio,” Haslam Sports Group CEO Dave Jenkins said in a statement.
“We are working diligently to comprehensively examine all options to identify the best path for not only our fans, but also greater Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. Our region deserves to be thought of as evolving, forward-thinking, and innovative, so we need to think boldly and creatively in this process.”
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