The city of Cleveland has sued the Browns over plans to move to a new stadium in Brook Park

The city of Cleveland has filed a lawsuit against the Browns to block the team’s planned move to a new domed stadium in Brook Park, Ohio.

In a complaint filed Tuesday in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, city officials say the Browns’ move would violate the Model Law, an Ohio law that sets conditions for how teams can leave their state-funded facilities.

The law was passed after former Browns owner Art Modell moved the team to Baltimore in 1996. It requires a team that takes taxpayer money and plays in a taxpayer-funded facility to either get a city permit or allow the city and others to buy the team. before leaving this institution.

The lawsuit alleges that Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam are aware of the law, and points to their purchase of the MLS franchise Columbus Crew as proof. The Haslams purchased the Crew after its previous owner was sued by law to prevent a proposed move to Austin.

The complaint also alleges that the city would lose at least $30 million in economic output per year if the Browns were to leave their current stadium, as well as approximately $11 million in annual tax revenue.

The Browns declined to comment when asked about the lawsuit Tuesday.

In August, the Browns announced their intention to move to Brook Park, about 13 miles southwest of the current stadium, because it was “their most compelling option.” The team described it as a $2.4 billion project, which was later revealed to include a domed stadium.

At the time, the Browns said they had determined with the city of Cleveland that the option of building a new stadium at Burke Lakefront Airport was not feasible, citing “significant design, construction, geotechnical and environmental issues” at the site after “due diligence” was completed. The team also decided it could not put a dome over their current stadium, Huntington Bank Field, “due to economic and FAA restrictions.”

Huntington Bank Field is adjacent to Lake Erie and Ohio Route 2, which separates it from downtown Cleveland. Arranging transport to and from the stadium can be a nightmare and parking can be tricky. At Brook Park, the Haslams can afford plenty of parking, although additional lanes and highway exits will likely be needed to facilitate traffic flow.

This was announced by the mayor of Cleveland, Justin Bibb press conference in October that the Browns plan to move to Brook Park.

The team filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Cleveland that month, a lawsuit that remains unresolved. According to the complaint filed Tuesday, the Browns in the lawsuit “improperly asked a federal court to invalidate the Ohio Model Law — or at least allow the Browns to ignore it.”

The Browns’ lease with the city of Cleveland expires at the end of the 2028 season. They have played at Huntington Bank Field since the franchise’s return to the NFL in 1999.

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