Cleveland had hoped to use The Art Modell Law to keep the Browns from leaving downtown for Brook Park. With Ohio changing the Modell law to allow an in-state move, the Browns had to move to Plan B.
Via Adam Ferrise of Cleveland.com, Cleveland wants to halt all efforts to build a new stadium based on the terms of the team’s current lease.
On the surface, its no issue. The lease runs through 2028. The Browns, in theory, are free to play elsewhere as of 2029.
At a deeper level, it’s more complicated. The question is whether and to what extent the Browns may take affirmative steps to line up a new home before the lease expires.
The city wants a court order preventing the Browns from doing anything in connection with the building of a new team until the lease ends — from funding to permitting to construction and beyond. The city also wants the Browns to be prevented from accepting money “from any source” or to even “carry out any negotiations for it.”
The lawsuit, if successful, would essentially force the Browns to spend multiple lame-duck years in Cleveland without a long-term deal, while they get their new stadium built in Brook Park.
It may be simply a leverage play aimed at striking a deal. A simple one, like the Browns agreeing to help pay for the demolition of the current stadium once the new one is open.
