Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, which have had the option to buy more than 100 acres of land in Brook Park for about a year, announced Thursday that they have secured the land for purchase, making it less likely that the team will stay on Cleveland’s lakefront after its lease with the city-owned stadium expires in 2028. 

 “The Browns have completed the next part in the process toward building a new domed stadium in Brook Park, officially executing the clause and taking steps forward in the land purchase agreement,” the team said in a statement.  

The team said the land will not only be the site for a new Huntington Bank Field but an adjacent mixed-use development.  

“While work remains with our public partners on the project, this is a key step in our efforts to create a responsible long-term stadium solution that delivers a world-class experience for our fans, attracts more large-scale events for our region and positively impacts our local economy,” Haslam Sports Group-Chief Operating Officer Dave Jenkins said in the statement.

The team did not disclose any new details about its recent moves toward the land deal, nor did it clarify when the deal would become official. A March 2024 purchase agreement on file in the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Office said the team has until the end of this year to finalize the purchase.

Browns land leaseDownload

Thursday’s announcement comes as the City of Cleveland tries to make it harder for the team to leave the city limits. The city reiterated early this week that it plans to try to enforce the so-called “Modell” law, a state statue passed years ago to make it harder for teams to leave a host city. The law requires that team first offer investors who intend to keep the team in town a chance to buy the team . The Browns sued the city in October in a preemptive move to have the Modell law ruled unconstitutional and smooth the team’s potential move to nearby Brook Park.

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb recently released an economic study arguing the city would suffer a $30 million annual loss if the Browns leave the city. Soon after, the the Browns released its own study saying an enclosed stadium and mix-use retail project in Brook Park could generate $1.2 billion in annual direct spending. That dollar figure rests on the assumption that a multi-phase development around a new stadium – with hundreds of residential units and hotel rooms – succeeds.

Signal Cleveland Government Reporter Nick Castele contributed to this story.

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