Could the Browns move their stadium from Cleveland? Dee Haslam talks 'incredibly complex' options for $2,400,000,000 project

The Cleveland Browns have played home games in their current stadium since their 1999 return to the NFL as an expansion franchise. However, reports have been circulating for a while now suggesting that the club may be leaving Cleveland and relocating to the neighboring community of Brook Park.

It was reported a few months ago that the owner, Jimmy Haslam, was on the verge of purchasing 176 acres in Brook Park, which is located about 14 miles away from Cleveland. Additionally, Jimmy and Dee Haslam stated in a March press conference held in Orlando during the NFL yearly conference that they were seriously considering moving the franchise to Brook Park rather than remaining at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

According to the COLUMBUS DISPATCH, Dee Haslam disclosed that the procedure of developing a possible new stadium for the team is "incredibly complex" with several details that must be worked out.

The club's decision-makers appear to be debating between renovating the current stadium located beside Lake Erie and building a dome stadium in the suburban community of Brook Park. They appear to be leaning toward the latter alternative, though, as they seek to address the problems they perceive with the current lakefront stadium, including parking and stadium accessibility.

Haslam further pointed out that a dome stadium's appeal lay in its ability to hold activities other than football games, like basketball games and concerts, among other events.

"I think this is a chance to maybe build a dome stadium that will transform our community. It's exciting to consider that. We're thinking about both possibilities. No option is superior to another. But I do think that Cleveland deserves to be thought of as this evolving, forward-thinking, creative city as opposed to not thinking big," Dee Haslam said.

How could the Browns fund a new stadium?

The owners of the Cleveland Browns want to request that taxpayers pay for half of the $2.4 billion it would take to build a new stadium, or the $1 billion needed to repair Cleveland Stadium, according to reports from Cleveland.com. However, no formal strategy has been put forth or approved as of yet.

According to sources, if the $2.4 billion domed stadium proposed by the Browns is completed, it will rank among the most costly stadiums in the annals of contemporary history. That cost would be comparable to other recent NFL stadium developments.

SoFi Stadium, which has housed the Los Angeles Rams since 2020, is the most expensive stadium in modern history, having cost $5.5 billion. What the Browns propose is more in line with another recent NFL stadium project: Part of the $2 billion building cost of Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders, was paid for by public funds, which at the time set a record of $750 million.