What You Need To Know

• Any possible move is a touchy subject with Cleveland fans


• The team expressed its appreciation in working with Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and officials


• Access to Cleveland's current stadium is also a major issue

• There is a vocal segment of Browns fans who have been pushing for a new domed stadium

The team is reportedly nearing a deal to buy 176 acres in a suburb south of Cleveland, a site that could be used to build a new stadium — maybe a domed one — if the Browns are unable to work out an agreement with the city after their lease expires in 2028.

The Browns have been in talks about renovating their lakefront stadium, which opened in 1999 after the NFL awarded Cleveland an expansion franchise.

That 60,000-plus-seat stadium needs major renovations and owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam have expressed interest in developing the area around the current structure.

The team has made no firm plans about moving from its downtown home, but the Browns, who have played on essentially the same plot of land since their founding in 1946, have been exploring other options.

On Thursday, the team released a statement after a report by sports blog NEOtrans said the Browns are nearing a deal to buy property near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, just miles from the team's headquarters in Berea, Ohio.

“We’ve been clear on how complex future stadium planning can be,” Browns/Haslam Sports Group spokesperson Peter John-Baptiste said Thursday in a statement. “One certainty is our commitment to greatly improving our fan experience while also creating a transformative and lasting impact to benefit all of Northeast Ohio. We understand the magnitude of opportunity with a stadium project intent on driving more large-scale events to our region and are methodically looking at every possibility.”

Any possible move is a touchy subject with Cleveland fans. It was former owner Art Modell's squabble with the city over funding for a new stadium that led to him taking the franchise to Baltimore after the 1995 season.

The Haslams, who also own the MLS Columbus Crew and have minority ownership of the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks, have long said they are committed to keeping their football franchise in Northeast Ohio.

The team expressed its appreciation in working with Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and officials.

“At the same time, as part of our comprehensive planning efforts, we are also studying other potential stadium options in Northeast Ohio at various additional sites,” the Browns said.

“There is still plenty of work to do and diligence to process before a long-term stadium solution is determined and will share further updates at the appropriate time.”

Access to Cleveland's current stadium is also a major issue. The construction of a potential pedestrian bridge to the lakefront and nearby Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as well as a massive lakefront development project have been delayed, entangled by political maneuvering and budgetary issues.

There is a vocal segment of Browns fans who have been pushing for a new domed stadium, arguing that it could help the city attract major events such as a Super Bowl, Final Fours and major concerts.

City of Cleveland Chief of Staff Bradford Davy released the following statement regarding future stadium planning:

“Keeping the Browns at home on the downtown Cleveland lakefront is a priority for Mayor Bibb and City leadership. We understand and respect how complex this process is and appreciate the partnership we’ve had and will continue to have with the Browns and Haslam Sports Group (HSG). 

The administration has developed a strong, thoughtful and comprehensive package that we believe respects taxpayers and protects the city’s general revenue fund while meeting the needs expressed by the team. This has been shared with the HSG team during our extensive negotiations over the last 8 months. We continue to meet with their team to refine our terms and come to a shared vision and acceptable deal for both parties that improves the experience for residents, sports fans and visitors. The success of our collaboration and commitment on this topic has been recently demonstrated through yesterday’s $20M earmark which advances our shared goal of improving lakefront access to the stadium for everyone.

The experience of Cleveland residents and visitors to our city is top of mind for us and we are committed to developing our North Coast Lakefront into a world-class, well-programmed, people-focused space and we see the activation of Browns Stadium as a key part of that vision. The mayor's commitment to a vibrant shore-to-core-to-shore plan for Cleveland is steadfast and gaining momentum. Downtown Cleveland is such an integral part of the game day experience and the transformational changes on the horizon promise to make that experience even better.

Go Browns!”