CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Browns' push to move out of the city and play in a proposed domed stadium has encountered a new road block.
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb sent a letter to owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam, saying the city intends to invoke the “Modell Law” to prevent them from leaving the Browns' current lakefront stadium. The lease expires in 2028.
Bibb said he wants a response from the Browns by Jan. 9 and to comply or the city will “take appropriate legal action,” the letter states.
The Modell Law was passed in 1996 after former Browns owner Art Modell moved the franchise to Baltimore. It states that no owner of a professional sports team in Ohio playing in a tax-supported stadium can go elsewhere without an agreement with the city in which it plays or unless that city is given six months' advance notice with an opportunity to buy the team.
The team previously filed a federal lawsuit in hopes of getting “clarity” on the law. That case is pending.
In response to Bibb's letter, the Browns said “the statute and the city's actions create uncertainty and do not serve the interest of Greater Cleveland.”
The city's threat to use the Modell law is just the latest maneuver in what has become an ugly back-and-forth battle with the Browns.
The Haslams, who have owned the team since 2012, want to build a $2.4 billion domed stadium and surrounding entertainment complex in Brook Park, about 10 miles south of Cleveland. The team wants to split the cost of the stadium with the city and county in a private/public partnership.
The city has proposed paying for half of renovation costs at the current 65,000-seat stadium, which opened in 1999 when the NFL awarded Cleveland an expansion franchise.
The Haslams have argued that repairing the team's stadium don't solve bigger issues with parking and overall access. They believe a dome would spur wider regional growth with the ability to attract and host major sporting events and concerts.
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FILE - Cleveland Browns Stadium during an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)
