CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns have taken another step toward realizing their vision for a new domed stadium and entertainment district in Brook Park.
The team announced Thursday afternoon that they've firmed up their commitment to buying 176 acres off Snow Road, across from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
The land sale has not actually closed. But Haslam Sports Group confirmed that it made a significant payment toward the purchase, following through on the terms of an agreement signed last year.
The Browns have until Dec. 31, 2025, to buy the property, according to a notice of that purchase agreement filed with the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Office. That public document doesn't get into the terms of the deal or the price of the land.
"We have executed the clause and taken the necessary steps in our land purchase agreement with the current owners to solidify our future purchase of the 176-acre site in Brook Park for a new Huntington Bank Field enclosed stadium, along with an adjacent mixed-use development," Dave Jenkins, chief operating officer for Haslam Sports Group, said in a written statement.
The current owner is a joint venture between three developers: Weston Inc., Scannell Properties and the DiGeronimo Cos. They bought the property, a former Ford Motor Co. plant site, for $31.5 million in the spring of 2021 and initially planned to transform it into an industrial park.
A Haslam Sports Group affiliate called Primacy Development LLC signed the agreement to buy the property on March 20 of last year, according to public records. At the time, the Browns were still weighing a move to the suburbs against staying put in Cleveland.
In October, team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam ended talks with Cleveland over renovating the existing, city-owned stadium on the Downtown lakefront.
RELATED: Browns leaving Downtown Cleveland for Brook Park
The new stadium, sunk 80 feet into the ground because of its proximity to the airport, would cost $2.4 billion. The Haslams are asking the public to pick up half of that tab by pledging anticipated tax revenues from the broader development to repaying debt.
So far, the state hasn't announced a commitment to the project. Brook Park recently hired Bricker Graydon, a law firm with experience in incentives and economic development, to advise city officials during negotiations.
But Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne has urged the Browns to stay Downtown. He's repeatedly expressed skepticism about whether the Brook Park project is viable. And he's said it wouldn't be fiscally responsible for the county to issue hundreds of millions of dollars in debt for the deal.
On Thursday, Jenkins acknowledged that "work remains with our public partners on the project."
In addition to the stadium, the Browns and their chosen developer, Texas-based Lincoln Property Company, are talking about building two hotels; 1,100 apartments; 300,000 square feet of retail; 500,000 square feet of office space; and enough parking for 12,000 to 14,000 cars. That ancillary development would cost about $1 billion.
The mixed-use development would happen in phases, with the stadium and the first group of buildings - hospitality, housing, retail, restaurants and entertainment - opening in 2029.
The team and its architect, HKS, released new images of the proposed stadium district last month.
RELATED: Browns pick developer, release new images of Brook Park stadium district
Jenkins described the additional payment on the Brook Park property as a notable move forward.
"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," he said in a written statement.
The team's lease on the existing stadium ends after the 2028 football season. The Browns and the city of Cleveland are sparring over whether a state law commonly known as the Modell law could complicate the team's moving plans.
Passed in 1996, the law is designed to prevent professional sports teams from leaving taxpayer-supported facilities. It requires team owners to get a city's approval to move - or to provide a six-month window in which the city or area residents have a chance to buy the team.
The law, Section 9.67 of the Ohio Revised Code, is colloquially named after former Browns owner Art Modell, who moved the team to Baltimore in the 1990s.
In October, the Browns filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking clarity on the constitutionality of the Modell law.
RELATED: Browns sue city of Cleveland over Modell law as stadium battle heats up
They argue that the law is vague and unenforceable; that it violates the NFL's rules; and that it doesn't apply in this situation, since the Browns wouldn't be moving to Brook Park until their lease is over in Cleveland.
Cleveland's law director told News 5 in October that the city was preparing to enforce the Modell law.
In May, Cleveland City Council passed an ordinance requiring the law department to act if the Browns signaled their intention to leave.
The city hasn't filed a response yet to the Browns' complaint in federal court.
But Mayor Justin Bibb recently sent the Haslams a letter reiterating that the city is contemplating legal action.
In the letter, the mayor said the city plans to "take a leadership role" in finding a local buyer or group of buyers for the team.
RELATED: Cleveland leaders, Browns owners spar over 'Art Modell Law'
