Statement from Mayor Justin Bibb: Haslam Sports Group Announces Preference for Brook Park

Mayor Reaffirms Commitment to Residents and Lakefront Vision

Last night, I had a meeting with Jimmy and Dee Haslam, principals of the Haslam Sports Group (HSG), in which they expressed their intent to relocate the Cleveland Browns to Brook Park. Their decision comes 48 hours after the Cavs and Cleveland Clinic broke ground on a project which brings the Cavs practice facility back into Cleveland, 24 hours after the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $60 million dollars to advance our lakefront plans, and just before a historic weekend of rock and roll and playoff baseball in downtown Cleveland.

We can see and feel that our downtown is thriving, our vision for redeveloping the lakefront is becoming reality, and more and more businesses are choosing to invest in our city. The Haslams' choice to move the team away from this progress is frustrating and profoundly disheartening.

Over the past two years, this administration made relentless efforts to craft solutions that advance both the HSG's objectives and the long-term interests of our residents and the broader community. We put forth a fiscally responsible yet aggressive financial package - larger than any other financial package offered for a sports facility in Cleveland to renovate the existing stadium.

When the Haslams shifted course and abandoned their renovation plans, we pivoted to explore options for a new stadium and offered to make a portion of Burke Lakefront Airport available to the team for redevelopment to include a new domed stadium and adjacent development, comparable - arguably better - than the vision the Haslam Sports Group proposed for Brook Park. However, the organization was not interested in pursuing this option.

We have been working earnestly to meet the HSG's needs while staying true to our commitment to the broader interests of the community. We've been transparent with the Haslams about what we were willing to do-and what we were not willing to do. Yes, the Browns and our visitors matter. But the well-being of the people who live here will always come first. That is our most important priority, and it is the one we must never compromise.

As mayor, I will always prioritize the needs of our residents and businesses. The Haslam Sports Group may want a roof over their heads, but my responsibility is to ensure that Cleveland residents have a roof over theirs.

Balancing these priorities requires care and precision. While there is a valid economic case for supporting sports facilities-a commitment this community has honored time and again-we must be practical about our many needs and finite resources.

The City's approach has always been rooted in fiscal responsibility and long-term value for all members of the community.

As such, I am deeply disappointed that, despite our exhaustive efforts, the Haslam Sports Group is choosing to pursue a move to Brook Park. This is a deliberate choice-one driven by a desire to maximize profits rather than positive impact. They had the opportunity to reinvest in Cleveland, transform the current stadium into a world-class facility, enhance the fan experience, and remain highly profitable. We put those options on the table in good faith. Unfortunately, that was not enough.

The Haslam Sports Group's proposal to build a new domed stadium in Brook Park will undoubtedly damage the city, county, and region in a multitude of ways:

Economic Harm to Downtown Businesses:
First, it will harm many of the vibrant small businesses in our downtown, as well as the hotels, restaurants, and bars who rely on the business generated by Browns games. We commissioned an economic impact study which estimates the negative impact of the Browns leaving at more than $30 million annually.

Undermine Public Investments:
The development of a new facility in Brook Park will create a new, competing entertainment complex that threatens the viability of existing downtown sports and convention venues that the city, county, and state have invested so heavily in, undermining those public investments. Shifting economic activity to Brook Park will weaken these public assets and be a net negative for the region.

Negative Impact on Downtown Recovery:
Like many urban cities across the country, Cleveland is working to recover from the effects of COVID-19 and the rise of remote work. Their intent, if it proves viable, would moves jobs, development, and access away from the urban core, disproportionately affecting communities of color and low-income residents.

Exposure to State Taxpayers Without Clear Benefits:
State support for such a move would result in substantial new infrastructure demands and costs which would likely fall on state taxpayers without a clear return on investment.

County Executive Chris Ronayne and I have communicated our strong local opposition to the Haslam Sports Group's plan to build a new domed stadium outside of downtown Cleveland to Governor DeWine and other state leaders. I commend Governor DeWine for his history of aligning state actions with local priorities and encourage him to continue to defer to local leaders to align public investments with community priorities. Allocating scarce public resources toward a move that harms downtown and weakens Cuyahoga County is bad public policy. We must stay practical, prioritizing investments that serve the long-term interests of our entire community.

I will always choose the residents and businesses of the City of Cleveland, and I will fight for our partners to do the same. Since we began these discussions two years ago, my driving force has been keeping the Browns on the lakefront while handling public funds with the utmost care and concern. I have exhausted every option that does not compromise these values.

Our path ahead is clear. We will continue to execute our vision for the lakefront, which has received historic funding and buy-in from the State and Federal government. The shores of Lake Erie offer unmatched opportunities for economic development and public enjoyment, and this opportunity is only growing. We will continue to invest in our downtown core and neighborhoods throughout the City, and we will endeavor towards completing the visionary suite of projects that will make Cleveland one of America's finest dual waterfront cities.

While the City of Cleveland will remain steadfast in our commitment to these goals, our door is not closed. My team and I stand ready to re-engage with HSG if the Brook Park option does not prove viable. Should the Haslams reconsider, we are ready to return to the table and continue working toward a solution that keeps the Browns in the city that has stood by them for decades: Cleveland.

The Cleveland psyche is a tested and enduring one - time and again, we've risen stronger from every challenge. As we step into the global spotlight this weekend, we stand proud and ready to shape the next chapter of Cleveland's story.

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