Less than a week after mayor Justin Bibb announced the Cleveland Browns would depart downtown for a new domed stadium in Brook Park, it looks like a court case could be brewing that would prevent the team from possibly leaving.
Bibb expressed frustration with the Haslams as he broke the news to the city during a news conference.
The City of Cleveland said it took that announcement as formal notice.
According to the City of Cleveland Law Director Mark Griffin, a local ordinance “requires the City to enforce the Modell Law.”
“Beyond that, we must protect our taxpayers’ investment in the team and are committed to doing everything we possibly can to keep them in downtown Cleveland. We are compiling information, researching case law, and evaluating next steps before moving forward with formal litigation action – which will likely occur in the coming weeks,” Griffin said.
The so-called “Art Modell Law,” is named for the former Browns owner who moved the team to Baltimore in the 1990s. The law requires Ohio team owners to seek permission to move. Without permission, they must give a six-month notice and allow both the local government and local investors an opportunity to purchase the team.
The Art Modell Law has never been truly tested, though the Haslams benefitted from it in 2018 when they purchased the Columbus Crew as the team faced relocation.
“They saved their team by using the Modell law,” Griffin said. “We think that can work here as well. If we have to, we’ll file a lawsuit to require the Browns to make their team available for local purchasers who will keep the team in the City of Cleveland.”
The ordinance Griffin refers to was unanimously passed by Cleveland City Council in May and calls on the city to enforce the state law, which was created during what many Browns fans consider a dark chapter of the team’s history.
Haslam Sports Group Chief Operating Officer Dave Jenkins released the following statement regarding the matter:
“Obviously, we have a clear understanding of the situation that resulted in the original creation of the Modell Law, and our current stadium efforts and desire to make a transformative investment in Greater Cleveland and the entire Northeast Ohio region could not be more different. Our dome stadium and ancillary development focus in Brook Park is the optimal solution for our fans and the region not only because it will bring more large-scale events and economic activity but also because it will open up the lakefront for more impactful development.
“The proposed Brook Park project will bring far more value to Cleveland than just the 10-12 events the current stadium attracts annually. This long-term stadium solution is about strengthening Greater Cleveland and Northeast Ohio by creating more growth opportunities for our region. Our commitment to Cleveland will not change and our off-the-field work throughout Northeast Ohio will continue. We are not moving out of Northeast Ohio and while more work remains to make the Brook Park vision a reality, we look forward to continuing to make progress on this exciting opportunity with our public partners and other stakeholders.”
