Browns owners commit only to Northeast Ohio, leaving questions about future stadium site

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The Cleveland Browns have called the city and the downtown lakefront home for decades but in a news conference on Monday, co-owner Jimmy Haslam would only commit to keeping the team in Northeast Ohio.

“These things take time. The only thing Dee [Haslam] and I will say for sure is we’re not leaving northeastern Ohio. That’s for sure. Our preference is to be on the lakefront but we have to see how things play out. It will be fluid and there will be bumps on the road. It may be different in three months,” Mr. Haslam said.

Mrs. Haslam reiterated that the team hopes to continue playing at the current stadium, but with major renovations to the facility and surrounding area.

“Number one, we want to continue having conversations about how we remodel the stadium and stay vibrant on the lakefront. We thing it’s really critical for the community. The lakefront is a just an important process. Outside of us, the lakefront in Cleveland has to be developed,” she said.

But it was the comments made by Mr. Haslam that sparked new questions about exactly what the ownership group is hoping for.

“I think plan B is going to the suburbs and I think they’re going to threaten the city with it eventually,” said ESPN Cleveland radio host Tony Rizzo. “What I’m saying is, if the Browns were smart, and they are. They’ll have a plan B if the city doesn’t want to play ball with them.”

A spokesperson for Mayor Justin Bibb’s confirmed to 19 News the city is still engaged in active stadium talks with the Browns, but the said the city did not have any updates on the progress.

The Haslams said representatives from the organization continue to speak with representatives from city, county and state offices on a regular basis.

Earlier this year, real estate writer Ken Prendergast wrote on his NEOtrans blog that the Haslams actually favored new construction away from the lakefront.

“My understanding is they would still like to consider options and this is still a fluid situation,” he told 19 News on Tuesday.

Citing his sources, Prendergast said the Haslams have looked into a site just east of downtown, potentially on the site of the current post office at 2400 Orange Ave. near Progressive Field.

It’s unclear if the Browns have identified any possible sites outside of the city, but Prendergast isn’t optimistic a logical site exists.

“It’s possible but where do you build in the suburbs that’s close to an interstate county that has that kind of land? Unless you’re going to convince the county to give up the jail site, I don’t see it anywhere near close to highways and where population is,” he said.

“It’s not a done deal. Until they have signed contracts, anything and everything is possible,” Prendergast added.

The Browns lease with the city expires in 2028.

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