Cleveland's fight to prevent the Browns from moving from downtown to a proposed dome in the suburbs has taken another legal turn.
Last year, the Cleveland Browns announced plans to build a new domed stadium in a Cleveland suburb. But the city is trying to find ways to keep the team within its borders and plans to use the law to keep them there.
The city of Cleveland has filed a lawsuit to prevent the NFL team from leaving Cleveland's lakefront when the stadium lease expires after the 2028 season.
Team owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam intend to build a $2.4 billion stadium and adjacent entertainment complex in Brook Park, Ohio, 15 miles south of the city.
Cleveland filed the lawsuit in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas on Tuesday.
It's the latest twist in a fight that's storied and familiar to Browns fans, who felt betrayed in 1995 when late owner Art Modell, unable to reach a deal with the city for a new stadium, moved the franchise. to Baltimore.
The city of Cleveland (Mayor Justin Bibb pictured left) has sued the Cleveland Browns (owner Jimmy Haslam pictured right) over the team's plans to move stadiums.
The Browns plan to build a $2.4 billion domed stadium in Book Park, a Cleveland suburb.
The Browns will continue to play at Huntington Bank Stadium until their lease expires in 2028
That complicated situation led to the enactment of the 'Model Law,' which in part says that any professional sports team that uses state funds for its facilities for home games cannot leave without permission or prior notice.
The law, passed in 1996, also gives residents the opportunity to purchase the equipment or find a new buyer. In the lawsuit, the city claims the Browns violated the law by doing neither.
The Browns have not commented on the city's lawsuit.
In October, the team informed Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb of its intentions to build the state-of-the-art stadium, which the Browns have proposed be partially funded with public money. Cleveland has been at its current home, Huntington Bank Field, since 1999, when the city welcomed an expansion team following Modell's departure.
The team has filed its own lawsuit seeking clarity on the 'Model Law'. That federal case is pending.
The Haslams previously benefited from the Model Law. When it was enacted to prevent Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew from leaving the Ohio state capital in 2019, the Haslams purchased the franchise. Haslam Sports Group also has a minority stake in the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks.
The city had previously offered the Browns $461 million to help with renovations to their current 65,000-seat stadium.
This season, the Browns fell to a 3-14 record as injuries compounded already low expectations. Their season-ending loss to the Baltimore Ravens secured the second pick in April's draft.