CLEVELAND, Ohio — For Browns fans, 2024 was the year of debate over where the team should play in the future.
“I don’t have a car and a lot of other people ride the bus a lot. A lot of people don’t want to go all the way to Brook Park just to watch a football game,” said fan Don Cary.
Some ringing in the New Year in Downtown Cleveland agreed the heart of the city is where they’d prefer to watch their team play.
Vincent Tolbert added, “I don’t want a dome because we’re Cleveland and I feel like we’re best the way we are.”
But others wouldn’t mind a new domed stadium outside of the city.
“Brook Park sounds like a really interesting adventure. There might be a little bit more space there. I know people are going to miss the Muni Lot, but maybe we can do something like the Muni Lot up there,” said fan Pam Plasco.
This week, Mayor Justin Bibb applied more pressure on the team’s owners to stay in Cleveland. In a letter to owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, Bibb informed them of the city’s plans to invoke the Art Modell Law.
RELATED: City of Cleveland invokes Modell Law in hopes of keeping Browns Downtown
The team’s lease at its current lakefront stadium will run out in 2028. In October, the owners announced their decision to relocate the Browns to Brook Park.
They released renderings of a multi-billion dollar complex, including a domed stadium and ample commercial space for an entertainment district.
RELATED: Browns leaving Downtown Cleveland for Brook Park
The owners have touted an economic impact study that found year-round use of the facility could pump $1.2 billion into Cuyahoga County’s economy.
A conflicting study commissioned by the City of Cleveland found the team’s relocation could negatively impact downtown businesses and cost Cleveland $30 million.
In Bibb’s letter Monday, he said the Browns have also not provided the city or others with an opportunity to purchase the team prior to their relocation, as required by the Modell Law.
The law, named for the former owner who relocated the team to Baltimore in the mid-90s, requires any Ohio team to seek permission before moving. If the owners do not seek permission, they must give six months' notice and allow local investors an opportunity to buy the team.
In May, Cleveland City Council unanimously passed an ordinance calling on the city to enforce the law.
RELATED: Could the 'Art Modell Law' keep Cleveland Browns stadium in Cleveland?
The law’s enforceability has never been truly tested, but the Haslams benefitted from it in 2018 when they purchased the Columbus Crew from an owner planning to relocate the soccer team.
“In my opinion, it’s sort of a toothless tiger,” CSU Law Professor Emeritus Alan Weinstein told News 5 in October.
He explained the law’s language is somewhat ambiguous and does not require owners to accept any offer to purchase their teams.
Haslam Sports Group Chief Communications Officer Peter John-Baptiste issued the following statement to News 5 Tuesday:
"We received and are reviewing the correspondence from Mayor Bibb. As we stated months ago when we filed our lawsuit seeking clarity on the "Modell Law," the statute and the City's actions create uncertainty and do not serve the interest of Greater Cleveland. As the City knows, after the 2028 season, we will have fulfilled our lease obligations at the current stadium. We are determined to create a project to solve our long-term stadium planning by building a new enclosed Huntington Bank Field and adjacent mix-used development, resulting in a substantial increase in premier large-scale events and economic activity for our region that will generate significant revenue for the City, County, and State. We intend to respond directly in due course to Mayor Bibb's letter and have no further comment at this time.”
Some fans said they’re more concerned about the team’s performance on the field, regardless of where the field is located.
“I would still support the Browns if they ended up moving. I’m a die-hard Browns fan ever since the 90s. Ever since I understood the concept of football I’ve been a Browns fan,” said Tolbert.
Plasco added, “I’m always going to root for my Browns. That’s where I’m at.”
Bibb’s letter gives the Haslams until Jan. 9 to formally respond and clarify whether they plan to comply with the Modell Law.
