After fighting tooth and nail to derail the Cleveland Browns owners’ attempts to move to a new stadium in nearby Brook Park, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb abruptly called a truce yesterday, agreeing to stand down from all lawsuits and support the team’s move in exchange for $100 million in team payments spread over the next 30 years:
- $25 million in cash by December 1.
- $30 million in demolition costs for the Browns’ current lakefront stadium, to be paid once the Browns relocate in 2029 or so.
- $5 million a year from 2029 to 2033.
- $2 million a year for “community benefits” projects from 2030 through 2039.
In exchange for all of the above payments — actually worth closer to $80 million in present value, since some of the money won’t arrive for another 15 years — the city would withdrew its two lawsuits against the Browns’ move, one charging team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam with violating the Modell Law barring teams from moving if they received public funds, the other with violating their lease provisions by negotiating a move.
On first glance, this isn’t a terrible deal for Cleveland: Even $80 million is still real money, and it’s far from certain whether Cleveland would have been able to extract a better settlement in court. Meanwhile, the Browns stadium would become Brook Park’s problem — and the state’s, of course — while Browns fans could still go watch the team just a short drive away. And while the city would lose a sliver of tax revenue on Browns spending that would no longer be subject to Cleveland taxes, it would also regain control of lakefront land that could be used for something more productive than a football stadium that’s dark 355 days a year.
The deal still needs signoff from the city council, whose members have questions: Councilmember Kris Harsh asked whether $30 million would be enough to cover the stadium demolition, Michael Polensek demanded a spreadsheet showing present value of the future payments, and Brian Kazy attacked the idea of cutting a deal with the Haslams at all, telling Bibb, “You have lied with the dogs, and now you have fleas.” (Technically, he’s lain with the dogs, but only because English is stupid.) Council president Blaine Griffin declared himself “disappointed” by the agreement, and said he and other lawmakers are exploring their “legal obligations.”
Meanwhile, there’s still Dennis Kucinich’s Modell Law suit out there, so even if Bibb gets the city council on board, it’s not entirely clear sailing for the Haslams. Still, they can probably focus more of their attention now on figuring out how to get more city and county money as well as $70 million in state money for transit upgrades — though yesterday’s settlement announcement also notes that the Browns and Cleveland will “collaborate on a new road network” to serve both the stadium and the nearby airport, without specifying who’d be footing the bill for that. Looks like I have questions, too!
City Council is just posturing. Has anyone extracted this much money from a team that is leaving at the end of its lease and not a day sooner?
The current stadium is a dump. Had the previous mayor been smart, they would have shut down the private airport a long time ago, and the Browns could have potentially built there. The majority of the take-offs and landings from that airport are by flight schools, which don’t need to be there. I used to work at a bank headquartered 5 minutes from that airport, and our 3 private planes were parked at a private airport in the suburbs.
People have been talking about needing to redevelop the lakefront for literally decades. Clearing out the stadium and closing the airport are the first 2 steps. Step 3 would be to let developers submit proposals for it.
Ironically, Cleveland State University has one of the highest-ranked urban planning schools in the country, and Cleveland at one point had 3 of the biggest national real estate companies in America headquartered there. They consistently waste those resources. Maybe now they will finally tap into that and figure it out
Is anyone else thinking the impending (partially team funded?) demolition of the Mistake by the Lake II ™ opens up an opportunity for the former-Indians owners to demand a third attempt be made to build a sports stadium on the lakefront for THEM?
BTW, I was reading a piece on team merchandising a while back… the folks/team employees/contractors who were charged with offering fans who showed up wearing old Indians gear free replacement Guardians gear were asked:
“How’s it going?”
‘It’s about 50-50’, they answered.
“So, half the fans in Indians gear will trade it for the new stuff?”
‘No, half the fans in the old gear tell us no thanks. The other half are not that polite”
The Guardians just did a renovation with a lease extension through 2036. David Blitzer owns 25% of the team now and has an option to become the majority owner in 2028. So I could see noise starting up at that point in time. The Dolans won’t make a move while they are still in control.
Without access to the litigation advice of the City’s Jones Day legal counsel, I can’t second guess the settlement dollar amount… BUT…what I can say is that we should not be celebrating the wasteful demolition of a perfectly good 26-year old stadium when its replacement depends upon $600 million of State money that would be better spent on public schools, libraries, lead paint abatement, and public health.
Hey Ken,
Can you for once, answer why in 16 years under the Jackson administration, the City did nothing to advance development on the Lakefront?
Next time you are in Cleveland I will be happy to debate this. But this site is about current stadium issues. And I ask you to respect the rules of engagement of this site.
There’s no rule here against discussing side issues, just against personal attacks. And that hasn’t been violated yet, though I appreciate it that everyone keeps it in mind going forward.
I lived there for 13 years. I would be happy to give you my email address if you want to take this discussion offline.
So if you want to stay with stadium issues and you were part of the Mike White administration when the current stadium was planned and built, did it not occur to anyone in the administration that having open corners on all 4 sides when the stadium was surrounded by Lake Erie on 3 sides was a bad idea?
Happy debate all these issues via email.
my email address is aqib4@yahoo.com
The Browns will never get a new stadium in “Blue” Northeast Ohio, taxes are too high, and the team is being “run into the ground” by the Tennesse owners, who want to bring another NFL team to the Volunteer state, The Titans need a rival, and Memphis would love to have the Browns, and the taxes are much lower than the “Blue” are of NE Ohio. Also Tennessee has no state income tax, Buisness owners and employees love that! That is why the Browns keep drafting below average qurterbacks and signing players that are finished with football mentally. Memphis would love the Dawg Pound!!