Browns’ New Stadium Budget Approved for $600 Million
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has given the green light to a $60 billion biennial budget, which includes an allocation of $600 million from unclaimed funds for the construction of a new stadium for the Cleveland Browns. The Republican governor signed the budget on Monday night, shortly before midnight. The initial request from the Browns’ ownership group, Haslam Sports Group, was for $2.4 billion for an indoor stadium in Brook Park, south of Cleveland. DeWine had proposed increasing taxes on sports betting to fund the project, in addition to supporting the Cincinnati Bengals and other teams. However, the Legislature opted to use part of the $4.8 billion in unclaimed funds that the state possesses, coming from inactive bank accounts, uncashed checks, and forgotten utility deposits. Currently, there is a 10-year time limit before that money reverts to the state.Last October, the Browns announced their intention to build a state-of-the-art stadium and entertainment complex in Brook Park, 15 miles south of Cleveland, once their lease with the city expires at the end of the 2028 NFL season. The budget also includes modifications to the state’s “Art Modell Law,” enacted in 1996 after former Browns owner Art Modell moved the franchise to Baltimore. The law stipulated that no professional sports team playing in a tax-funded stadium in Ohio could relocate without an agreement with the city where it played, unless the city was given six months’ prior notice with the opportunity to purchase the team. The new budget wording applies the law only if a sports team attempts to move outside of Ohio. Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb, expressed his disappointment with the final state budget. “We are deeply disappointed that the final state budget includes a $600 million public subsidy for an indoor stadium in Brook Park and changes to Ohio’s Modell Law, provisions we strongly opposed and requested be removed,” Bibb said in a statement. “The Browns’ relocation will divert economic activity from downtown, create a competitive entertainment district, and disrupt the momentum of our lakefront redevelopment.” Bibb added: “We also remain strongly opposed to the changes to the Modell Law, which was enacted to protect communities that have made significant public investments in their sports teams. Undermining this statute sets a problematic precedent and leaves cities like Cleveland with fewer tools to safeguard long-standing public assets.” In January, the city of Cleveland sued the Browns over the proposed move, seeking to invoke the “Modell Law”. Legislators representing Cleveland and surrounding communities, mostly Democrats, have criticized the proposal as a gift to the team’s billionaire owners. Democrats outside the Legislature have threatened to sue if DeWine signed the plan, arguing that it would be an unconstitutional seizure of unclaimed funds without due process.This is a win for taxpayers, and it will provide a significant amount of money for things that improve the quality of life in Ohio.
Mike DeWine
