As the NFL's Cleveland Browns make plans to upgrade their stadium, ownership now says a brand new $2 billion domed facility is on the table.
According to WKYC, owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam said this week that they are mulling a $1 billion renovation of their existing facility, or moving to a domed stadium outside of the city at twice the price.
The Haslams said they have an option to purchase 176 acres of land in Brook Park near the Cleveland airport, but they have also confirmed additional potential sites in Northeast Ohio.
The Browns have previously proposed a 50-50 split on a $1 billion renovation of their existing facility, with state and local governments picking up $500 million for the project. The Browns current lease on their stadium will expire in 2028.
"I don't think they (the Haslams) want to renovate the stadium on the lakefront," Jim Donovan, the "Voice of the Cleveland Browns," said Monday on 3News at 6. "I think this is a shot across the bow to the city to get the stadium issue cooking."
A facility near the airport would offer ample infrastructure, as well as interstate access and plenty of land to develop.
Donovan says that's attractive to NFL owners looking to develop districts around their team stadiums.
"One hundred seventy-six acres in Brook Park would give you a dome stadium and all kinds of events there, but you're also looking at restaurants, bars, retail," he added. "A big development, a football experience."
