Newly Approved Project Could Help Keep Browns Stadium Downtown

Team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam are mulling two options for the team's future stadium plans.

Apr 28, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; A general overall view of FirstEnergy Stadium. The stadium is the home of the Cleveland Browns and the site of the 2021 NFL Draft. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

As negotiations over a future stadium for the Cleveland Browns roll on, a recent development could serve to benefit those hoping the team continues playing its home games on the Lakefront.

On Wednesday, the city of Cleveland revealed that the Ohio Legislature approved $20 million in funding for the "North Coast Connector Project." For years the city has talked about finding an efficient and modern way to connect the heart of downtown to the lakefront, where Cleveland Browns Stadium currently resides. This project would make that long talked about dream a reality.

The Ohio Legislature has approved $20 million for the North Coast Connector Project in Cleveland. This project will connect downtown to the lakefront, transform over 20 acres of parking into economic spaces, and increase visitors to the Rock Hall and Science Center. pic.twitter.com/I8ClzVBDe8

— City of Cleveland (@CityofCleveland) June 26, 2024

As shared by the city, the plan consists of constructing a land bridge that would stretch across route 2 and over 20 acres of land that is currently used for parking, creating much easier accessibility between downtown and the lakefront. A beefed up version of Cleveland Browns Stadium is pictured in the renderings of the re-imagined space, likely accounting for a scenario where the Browns stay downtown.

At this point there are two options still on the table for a future stadium. The first would keep the team playing within the city limits as part of a $1.2 billion overhaul of the current facility. In that scenario the city would be on the hook for half the bill, with team owner's Jimmy and Dee Haslam footing the other half. As depicted in the renderings, such a project would not include putting a roof over the stadium.

Option two moves the franchise's home stadium to Brook Park, where the Haslams are finalizing a land purchase agreement near the airport that would give them 176-acres to build a new state-of-the-art domed facility with a coinciding mixed-use development. The sticker shock on that plan is much higher, estimated at around $2.4 billion, with the Haslam's once again funding half of the project while seeking additional funding from state and local governments.

Proposed rendering of a potential new stadium for the Cleveland Browns in Brook Park. / NEO Trans Blog

In recent months the Brook Park domed stadium has seemed to gain more momentum, particularly from the ownership group. Back in March at the annual NFL Owner's Meetings, the Haslams raved about the potential benefits of creating an entire "football experience" within the Brook Park property. And what having a domed facility means for attracting other big events to the area throughout the year.

Meanwhile, city officials like Mayor Justin Bibb have publicly said keeping the Browns downtown is a priority for them. Behind the scenes though there's a lot of red tape to go through in order to provide their portion of the funding for the stadium renovation.

That said, the approval of the "North Coast Connector Project" is a step in the right direction for potentially keeping the Browns home stadium on the shores of Lake Erie. Whether that comes to fruition or not, the Haslams have even emphasized the importance of connecting downtown to the lakefront with or without the Browns presence there.