The Cleveland Browns and their majority owner Haslam Sports Group moved a step closer today to making this rendering of the proposed Brook Park stadium a reality by exercising an option to buy the 176-acre property (HKS). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
Haslams exercise option to acquire stadium site
The owners of the Cleveland Browns football team have completed the next part in the process toward building a new enclosed stadium in suburban Brook Park, officially executing a clause in a land purchase agreement to acquire the site. The site at 18300 Snow Rd. in the Cleveland suburb will not only house the new Huntington Bank Field enclosed stadium, but also a planned, adjacent mixed-use development.
“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,” Haslam Sports Group (HSG) Chief Operating Officer Dave Jenkins said in a written statement.
But the Haslams have yet to close on the purchase, to which they have until Dec. 31, 2025. And they have yet to identify their financing package to build the new $2.4 billion stadium which they hope will be paid 50/50 by public and private sources. The public funding is proposed to come from a mix of local, county and state sources, including tax-increment financing to service issuances of long-term debt.
“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,” he added.
The seller of the stadium site that once had two former Ford auto plants, a partnership called DROF BP I LLC and led by Indianapolis-based Scannell Properties Ltd., was unavailable for comment. DROF is “Ford” backwards and BP refers to Brook Park. A sale amount wasn’t revealed either.
The proposed Huntington Bank Field enclosed stadium could host concerts. This rendering shows the stadium set up for such an event (HKS).
However, a security agreement — a public document filed with the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer last year by HSG affiliate Primacy Development LLC — shows a promissory note due in the amount of $18.75 million, payable by Primacy. It suggests that amount is Primacy’s agreed-upon purchase price for the Brook Park land.
In November, the Scannell-led partnership acquired a 3.68-acre two-parcel property owned by First Energy and contained an electric utility right of way to Ford Motor Company’s nearby Engine Plant No. 1, 5600 Henry Ford Blvd. That electric utility runs through the middle of the stadium site and will have to be relocated prior to stadium construction.
The partnership paid $144,000 for the utility right of way, according to a First Energy spokesperson. Including the utility right of way, that brings the stadium development site to a total that’s just shy of 179 acres, according to public records.
In recent months, the Browns have continued to take the necessary steps in pursuing a new, enclosed Huntington Bank Field. In October 2024, the Browns announced their decision to focus their stadium efforts on a domed stadium in Brook Park.
But city of Cleveland officials announced earlier this week that they intend to fight to keep the team playing in the city, and especially downtown. To do that, they invoked the “Modell Law” — a state statute that prohibits sports teams that are using taxpayer-supported venues from leaving without at least compensating that city if not giving a new local ownership group a shot to acquire the team to keep it from moving.
The Haslam Sports Group also owns the Major League Soccer Columbus Crew franchise. This summer, the Crew will play Inter Miami CF led by global superstar Lionel Messi at the existing Huntington Bank Field. It has triple the seating capacity of the Crew’s Lower.com Field in Columbus. More soccer games could be played at the Brook Park stadium (HKS).
HSG, led by Jimmy and Dee Haslam, have filed suit in federal court arguing that the Modell Law is unconstitutional. Sources close to both the Haslams and the city said there is probably a negotiated settlement possible, and the dueling lawsuits may merely be posturing by each party to secure a better deal.
The team’s lease with the city of Cleveland at the current, 1999-built Huntington Bank Field is due to expire at the end of the 2028 National Football League season. In order for the new Brook Park stadium to be ready in time for the 2029 football season, with exhibition games starting in August of that year, construction must get underway at least three years before. Thus, detailed design work needs to get underway soon.
In December 2024, RCLCO, a real estate consulting company, conducted a study that through its findings showcased how a Cleveland Browns domed stadium and adjacent mixed-use development in Brook Park is primed for success in Northeast Ohio and can serve as a catalyst for growth in Cuyahoga County. Their market analysis included program, pricing and absorption, as well as analysis of the projected fiscal and economic impacts of the new Brook Park development.
Through the study, RCLCO found three key findings: the viability of the site for mixed-use development in conjunction with a new enclosed stadium, the positive economic impact of the new stadium and adjacent mixed-use development and the significant benefits a domed stadium would bring to downtown Cleveland.
Cuyahoga County officials told NEOtrans that economic impact studies commissioned by organizations with a vested interest often present overly optimistic projections that do not reflect the financial realities faced by local governments and taxpayers.
The Haslam Sports Group also wants to compete for hosting major college basketball games including the men’s and women’s Final Four plus gymnastics and other athletic events. The Haslams reportedly believe the new enclosed stadium in Brook Park will allow them to compete (HKS).
Last month, Lincoln Property Company – a global full-service real estate firm – was announced as the development partner for the Cleveland Browns’ $1.2 billion mixed-use entertainment district in Brook Park. The development is set to be designed by the architecture firm HKS and will be anchored by the new domed stadium, Jenkins said.
The mixed-use entertainment district surrounding the stadium will be developed across multiple phases and will ultimately include 300,000 square feet of retail, two upscale hotels, 1,100 apartments, and 500,000 square feet of office, he added.
Phase one, which is to be delivered along with the stadium in 2029, will include 450 hotel rooms, 575 apartments, 96,000 square feet of traditional retail like food and beverage plus shopping destinations. Also planned is 137,000 square feet of experiential retail, which will include a team store, and other experience-based retail concepts that will be in business year-round.
“We will continue to provide updates throughout the process as we work towards bringing this exciting and transformative project to Northeast Ohio,” Jenkins said.
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