‘Ohio’s Financial REALiTY!’ $600M For New Browns Stadium Not Viable, Says Lawmaker
Columbus, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns will seek state funding for $600 million of the projected $2.4 billion cost of a new stadium in Brook Park, should they decide to proceed with construction.
On Tuesday, however, Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens stated that he did not believe the state could or should contribute that much money to a new stadium for the Browns.
The Republican from Lawrence County, Stephens told reporters at the Ohio Statehouse, “We don’t have $600 million to give.” “I mean, when you don’t have it, it’s really easy to not support it.”
Stephens stated that he would much rather use bonding authorities, such as the local municipality, to provide financial support to professional sports clubs in Ohio.
However, Stephens went on, “That doesn’t necessarily mean that hundreds of millions of dollars are paid by taxpayers for a stadium in Cleveland.”
“After Cincinnati, everyone else will be clamoring for a stadium,” he said.
In closed-door sessions with state legislators of both parties last month, officials of the Browns disclosed that the organization is presently considering the option of starting a $1 billion repair of its current downtown stadium or constructing a new stadium close to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
Legislators were informed that the Browns want to subsidize half of the expenses in either scenario: $1.2 billion for a new stadium or $500 million for renovations to the existing one. State and local governments would then each get an equal portion of the $1.2 billion in public funding for a new stadium.
A Browns representative has been contacted by Cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer to discuss Stephens’ statements and to find out whether the organization still believes it can construct its planned new stadium without receiving $600 million from the state.
According to cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer, several legislators who attended the meetings last month said the idea for $600 million in state money wasn’t completely doomed.
They clarified, though, that the sessions were not meant for club representatives to specifically beg state financing, but rather for the Browns to give briefings to lawmakers about their stadium plans and answer general concerns.
At the time, state Representative Bride Rose Sweeney, a Democrat from Westlake who led the majority of the meetings with various state representatives from Northeast Ohio, stated, “I think most every legislator there just wants to make sure that there’s a good deal for taxpayers if we’re using taxpayer dollars, and that it makes sense for taxpayers.”
In a previous meeting withBrown’ss representatives, Ohio House Finance Committee Chair Jay Edwards, a Republican from Athens County, stated he believes the team is requesting that lawmakers include state funding, whether it be for a new stadium or renovations to its current one, in either the 2026 state capital budget or the two-year state operating budget for the following year.
It’s unclear if Stephens will still be House speaker when either of those two funding bills is considered because Lima Republican and term-limited Senate President Matt Huffman wants to unseat Stephens as speaker of the House the next year.
According to Edwards, he was informed that if the Browns proceed with building the stadium in Brook Park, it would like to be operational for the 2029 NFL season, which is one year after the lease on their current stadium expires.
Gov. Mike DeWine would still need to sign any such appropriation into law even if state legislators approve funds for the Browns stadium.
According to DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney, the governor is generally in favor of public funding for stadium projects since they improve Ohio’s quality of life and draw in businesses from outside the state.
Before going to a Browns game against the Chicago Bears in December of last year, the governor discussed the team’s stadium plans with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam.
However, Tierney stated on Tuesday that until team and local government representatives come to a definitive agreement on what each of them would contribute to the project, he would not comment on whether the governor is in favor of investing $600 million, or any amount of state money, on a new stadium for the Browns.
We don’t have a firm strategy, so it’s a little early to remark on any financing split, he added.