Min Dale Edwards, Executive Director Call & Post
In a surprise announcement Monday, Mayor Justin M. Bibb and the Haslam Sports Group (HSG), owners of the Cleveland Browns, said they have reached a $100 million agreement intended to accelerate a long-planned transformation of Cleveland’s lakefront — and to smooth the way for the team’s move to a new world-class stadium and mixed-use complex in Brook Park.
Under the deal HSG will contribute $100 million to the City of Cleveland to jump-start redevelopment of the 50-acre lakefront site that houses the Browns’ current Huntington Bank Field and surrounding parcels. City leaders said the funds are meant to accelerate demolition, environmental remediation and planning so the waterfront can be reimagined with parks, housing and commercial space.
The announcement comes after months of high-profile negotiations and political controversy over the Browns’ proposed move to Brook Park, a suburban site near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The Haslams have committed billions toward building a domed stadium in Brook Park — a project that state and regional officials have been weighing alongside proposals to preserve the economic activity generated by Browns home games downtown.
City officials framed the settlement as a way to ensure Cleveland is not “left empty-handed” when the team departs the lakefront. Mayor Bibb told reporters the agreement preserves the city’s ability to plan a “21st-century lakefront” while protecting downtown businesses and taxpayers from open-ended obligations. HSG and the Browns’ ownership group said the contribution reflects a shared interest in leaving a lasting benefit for Cleveland residents as the club moves forward with its Brook Park plans.
The Brook Park stadium project has already cleared key regulatory hurdles: state transportation regulators recently approved permits required for the construction of the proposed domed stadium, which supporters say could open as soon as 2029 with a multi-billion dollar pricetag funded in part by the Haslams and state grants. Opponents have warned of economic harm to downtown businesses and raised legal and financing questions, including lawsuits over proposed uses of state funds.
The deal does not erase lingering tensions. City Hall had previously publicly criticized the idea of the team leaving the lakefront and commissioned studies showing potential downtown losses if the Browns relocate to the suburbs. Local leaders and business owners will now watch closely to see how — and how quickly — the lakefront money is deployed and whether the Brook Park project maintains promised community benefits.
Immediate next steps outlined by officials include establishing an implementation timeline for lakefront demolition and remediation, creating a public steering committee to guide redevelopment priorities, and coordinating with Brook Park and state authorities on traffic, transit and infrastructure plans tied to the new stadium. Both city and HSG representatives said more details will be released in the coming days.
For Cleveland residents who have long viewed the lakefront as communal space, Monday’s deal represents both an opportunity and a test: can the city convert a high-priced settlement into equitable development that serves neighborhoods — while the Browns prepare to break ground on a suburban future? The answer will shape Cleveland’s waterfront and downtown economy for decades.
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