The Cleveland Browns are planning to move to a new stadium. The state is now providing significant assistance for the $2.4 billion project.

The Cleveland Browns have been planning to build a new stadium for years. Now the franchise has taken a decisive step toward making it a reality – with strong support from politicians.

Mike DeWine, governor of Ohio, has allocated $600 million in the recently passed budget for the next two years to support the construction of a new football stadium in Brook Park, a suburb of Cleveland.

But it’s not just the financing that’s making headlines: at the same time, the so-called “Art Modell Law” has been amended, which was originally intended to prevent professional sports teams from leaving Cleveland without further ado.

It was passed in 1996 after the then Browns owner Art Modell moved the team to Baltimore and renamed it the Ravens. In 1999, a new franchise was founded in Cleveland under the old name Browns.

As a result of the amendment, the Modell Law will only apply in future if a team leaves Ohio completely, but not if it moves within the state. This makes the planned relocation to Brook Park, around 16 kilometers away, legally possible.

However, sharp criticism has come from Cleveland: Mayor Justin Bibb said he was “deeply disappointed” and warned that the move would deprive the city of important economic stimulus.

Cleveland Browns: New stadium for $2.4 billion

Nevertheless, plans for the new stadium are in full swing: The new, covered arena is expected to cost around $2.4 billion, seat approximately 67,500 spectators, and open in the fall of 2029.

The current home stadium, Huntington Bank Field, opened in 1999 and is owned by the city of Cleveland. The Browns operate it under a long-term lease, which expires at the end of the 2028 NFL season.

An extension is considered unlikely: according to estimates, a comprehensive modernization would cost around $450 million. This is another reason why the Browns have clearly opted for a new building. And that now seems almost unstoppable.