Cleveland City Council Discussion: Browns Relocation Ordinance 1325-2025 (Nov 17, 2025)
Cleveland City Council Discussion: Browns Relocation Ordinance 1325-2025 (Nov 17, 2025)
On November 17, 2025, the Cleveland City Council convened to discuss Ordinance 1325-2025 and the proposed settlement agreement with Haslam Sports Group (HSG) regarding the relocation of the Cleveland Browns to Brook Park. The meeting was strictly for discussion; no vote was taken as the administration requested a full review of the terms, including the definition of "pad-ready" and specific Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) mechanisms, before final passage. Administration officials presented the terms of the $100 million settlement, while Council members expressed significant skepticism regarding the financial value of the deal, the potential loss of downtown revenue, and the extent of HSG's influence over future development and spending.
Consent Calendar
- No routine approvals or unanimous actions were recorded as part of a Consent Calendar in this discussion-only meeting.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Mr. Kasinich (Retired Official/Advocate): Expressed strong opposition to the agreement, arguing the city is undervaluing the stadium and lakefront assets (estimating over $1 billion in assets at risk) for a $100 million deal. He criticized the rush to finalize the deal before December 1st and urged the Council to reject the agreement to avoid giving away an NFL franchise. He emphasized that the city should not accept a "hole in the ground" in exchange for the stadium.
Discussion Items
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Financial Breakdown and Economic Impact:
- Chief of Staff Bradford Davy and Chief of Integrated Development Tom McNair presented the deal structure: HSG will donate $25 million by December 1, 2025, an additional $25 million over five years (2029-2033) for lakefront development, cover demolition costs (estimated $30 million but potentially higher), and provide $2 million annually for 10 years ($20 million total) for city-wide community projects. They argued the deal is "historic" as it brings money into the city rather than requiring the city to fund a new stadium, noting that without this settlement, the city could receive nothing if the Browns move to Brook Park without liability.
- Councilman Palencick (Ward 16) expressed deep skepticism, stating the deal could result in a net negative of nearly $4 million for the city after bond repayments and demolition costs. He argued the administration failed to maximize leverage, citing the city's previous $700 million investment in the stadium infrastructure and comparing the deal unfavorably to agreements in Buffalo and Washington D.C., where communities received larger cash sums and stricter local hiring requirements. He called the decision to extend the lease without extracting further concessions a "bad decision."
- Councilman Casey (Ward 12) echoed concerns about the "100 million" figure, noting that after demolition costs and debt service, the net benefit is significantly lower. He questioned why the city is allowing HSG to influence Community Benefit projects and criticized the administration for not continuing litigation to force the Browns to negotiate better terms.
- Councilwoman House Jones (Ward 9) questioned the definition of "community" regarding the 5,000+ survey responses cited by administration as support for lakefront development, noting a lack of demographic breakdown and potential bias toward downtown interests compared to neighborhoods on the East Side or West Side. She also raised concerns about the potential conflict of interest regarding HSG's campaign contributions to the Mayor's office.
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Stadium Demolition and "Pad-Ready" Definition:
- Councilman Palencick and Councilman Starr (Ward 3) pressed on the definition of "pad-ready." They expressed concern that HSG might only remove the stadium to four feet below grade, leaving existing pylons and foundations that could hinder future development. Administration confirmed that a full definition of "pad-ready" will be finalized in the full settlement agreement, with a preference for removing infrastructure to ensure flexibility for future vertical development.
- Chief of Staff Davy clarified that HSG will cover all demolition costs regardless of whether they exceed the $30 million estimate.
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Lease Extensions and Legal Strategy:
- Councilman Palencick strongly opposed the agreement to grant HSG two one-year lease extension options, calling it "legal suicide" and arguing the city should force the team out in 2029 to avoid paying further capital repairs ($4 million/year) and insurance.
- Director of Law Mark Griffin explained the extensions were necessary to secure the $100 million package and to allow for orderly transition. He confirmed that there is no legal mechanism to force the Browns to stay beyond the lease, and the lawsuit strategy was used primarily to prevent negotiation with Brook Park until a settlement was reached.
- Councilwoman House raised legal concerns about the "dismissal with prejudice" clause, asking if it prevents the city from re-filing the Modell Law claim if the Brook Park deal falls through. Director Griffin stated they are preserving rights to argue in the future if the facts change (e.g., if the team moves to Columbus instead of Brook Park), but the settlement requires dismissal with prejudice within 48 hours of final agreement to trigger payments.
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Community Benefits Agreement (CBA):
- Councilman Starr requested a Community Benefits Oversight Committee similar to those in other cities to ensure accountability for the $2 million annual CBA funds. Chief Davy stated they are open to discussions but currently have no plan for a special committee, suggesting the matter be handled through regular executive processes.
- Councilman Palencick expressed concern that HSG will have veto power over project locations, potentially blocking projects in his ward or other priority neighborhoods, noting the term sheet's ambiguous language regarding "downtown Cleveland lakefront."
- Director Griffin clarified that the final agreement will remove the phrase "and downtown Cleveland lakefront" to ensure funds can be used city-wide, though HSG retains the right to approve projects that fit within the broad categories of health, safety, and community services.
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Lakefront Development and Infrastructure:
- Scott Skinner (North Coast Development Waterfront Authority) outlined the $447 million North Coast Connector project and the $50 million in HSG funds dedicated to public space and infrastructure. He emphasized that most of the lakefront development will be privately financed.
- Councilman Starr questioned whether a soccer stadium or other sports facilities could be developed on the site as a replacement for the NFL anchor, noting the current master plan included a stadium.
- Councilman Palencick raised concerns about the state of Ohio's $600 million grant to the Browns for Brook Park versus the lack of infrastructure aid for Cleveland, and questioned if the city is inadvertently subsidizing the move to Brook Park through "mutual support" clauses in the agreement.
- Chief Davy responded that the "mutual support" clause refers to non-financial assistance (e.g., coordinating traffic or utility logistics) and not direct funding for the Brook Park stadium.
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Campaign Contributions:
- Councilwoman House Jones directly asked about campaign contributions from HSG to the Mayor's office. Chief of Staff Davy stated he does not engage in electioneering but later clarified via text that the Mayor's campaign has received no funds from HSG.
Key Outcomes
- No Vote Taken: The Council did not vote on the ordinance or the settlement, deferring final approval pending the review of the full settlement agreement.
- Pending Clarifications: The administration agreed to provide further details on the exact definition of "pad-ready," the timeline for the Community Benefit proposals (March 1st), and the specific breakdown of who drafted which terms of the settlement term sheet (City vs. HSG).
- Acknowledged Risks: The meeting highlighted a significant risk to the City's general fund if the stadium remains in use for the extension periods, requiring continued capital repair payments.
- Future Steps: A subsequent hearing is scheduled to review the finalized settlement agreement, including the specific definitions and full legal text, before a final vote is held. The Council remains divided, with several members indicating they may vote against the deal in its current form if their concerns regarding financial net benefit and community control are not addressed.
Meeting Transcript
Answers that uh we have received uh from the administration. Um so please feel free to look at your tablet and just as a refresher to some of the questions that we sent over to the administration's side. Uh because we are not voting on this piece today. We are only here for discussion purposes only. Then we will um we can begin. We do not need a quorum this morning to get started. Um so, Madam Clerk, I will still read the the uh ordinance into the uh record for the meeting ordinance number 1325-2025 by Mayor Bibb and emergency ordinance authorizing the mayor and the directors of law, parks and recreation, port of control, and or the Office of Capital Projects as appropriate to enter into one or more agreements and or amendments to the lease by way of concession with the Browns on their des or their designees to effectuate the terms and conditions in the settlement term sheet regarding the relocation of the Cleveland Browns to the city of Brook Park and the demolition of Huntington Bank Field, determine the method of making the public improvement of designing and performing demolition and site preparation of such sports facility and other structures in designing and constructing various lakefront improvements, authorizing other professional service contracts, accepting gifts and grants, and establishing the community benefits project and the lakefront development subfunds. All right. Um we do have a presentation this morning from the um from the administration. And uh as before we get started, uh committee chair uh uh bishop will handle the public comment portion of the meeting. So once we get to that point, uh we will hand it over to uh Chairman Bishop uh to take over the meeting from that point. All right, we're good. Okay. Uh Chief, we'll turn it over uh to you, and you can introduce you to Chair, uh members of City Council. Uh thank you for having us this morning to discuss uh ordinance 1325. Uh I'm joined by uh a number of senior leaders from the administration. First, uh Bonnie Twin, our chief operating officer, uh Scott Skinner from the North Coast uh Development Waterfront Authority, uh Jessica Trevisano from the Mayor's Office, a senior advisor to the mayor, our uh chief um our director of law, uh Mark Griffin and our chief of integrated development, Tom McNair. I'm Bradford Davy, Chief of Staff to Mayor Bibb. Uh we're we're here to first provide a high-level summary of the settlement agreement uh as discussed last month. Uh we will also make some time to answer questions uh that the members may have about any terms listed in the settlement agreement. We will also point back to the October 29th letter that was sent over to Mr. Uh Titran that outlines the 54 questions that were sent over by the individual members. So we'll start just by a high-level summary of the settlement agreement terms. Uh first, HSG will donate 25 million to the city of Cleveland by December 1st, 2025 uh to advance lakefront development. HSG will also raise the current Huntington Bank field in downtown to a pad ready state at the Browns expense that will begin promptly uh upon termination of the party's lease agreement. Uh it should be noted that HSG will cover the costs of demolition and excite work even if it exceeds the $30 million estimated cost, which was an important point uh made by members of council. HSG will also pay five million dollars to the city by January 1 of each calendar year from 29 to 33, totaling 25 million dollars um over five years to advance the lakefront vision. And then upon termination of the leach, HSG will also invest no less than two million per year over the next 10 years on mutually agreed upon community benefits projects throughout the city, totaling no less than 20 million. It's important to note that those will happen throughout the city, not simply on the lakefront. Uh both parties will of course work together to ensure public health and safety interests regarding any efforts uh at Hopkins Airport. It's been noted that we want to ensure uh the safe transfer of all of our residents and visitors. And then both parties will mutually support infrastructure plans with respect to the stadium project uh and modernization of Cleveland Hopcourt Hopkins International Airport. I want to just spend a moment focusing in on the community benefits projects. Uh HSG will contribute two million per year to the city for 10 years for community benefits projects upon termination of leach. It is important to point out the scope of those projects. Elible eligible projects will advance health, safety, or the provision of community services within the city of Cleveland through any one or more of the following capital improvements to existing infrastructure, construction of the new facility, educational programming, and recreational program. So more specificity on the utilization of projects, utilization of capital for projects in the city of Cleveland. On or before March of each year, the administration and council will jointly propose community benefits projects for the year to HSG. HSG and the city will work in good faith to align projects with city priorities on timing and implement the projects. This really uh illustrates the long-term partnership and collaboration that we expect to have uh with this body over the course of the settlement. Uh and then of course, those projects will total 20 million in community benefit across the city of Cleveland. Of course, uh with the transition of the stadium, uh it it puts an even more acute need to uh solve for the current site uh at Cleveland's North Coast. Uh the donation by the Browns will advance lakefront development um by 50 million dollars and provides a method for demolishing the stadium and preparing the site uh for development at no cost to the city, at no cost to the city. All improvements, public improvements, amenities, buildings, um, other improvements all are subject to the planning commission review and the city review process. So please know that although uh HSG will take responsibility for uh the site work, uh it will remain uh the purview of the City of Cleveland to approve any of those decisions. And then the North Coast Waterfront Development Corporation, which Scott represents, uh is currently evaluating responses to Lakefront Development RFQs to identify partners to lead to redevelopment efforts. I would also just note that the council president has been instrumental in the review of those RFQs, another point of collaboration between both bodies. Um it's it was brought up at the last hearing, uh, and so it it is worth um underscoring that HSG does not have development rights for the lakefront or Burke. So in this in this agreement, uh development rights for the lakefront or Burke Airport are not contemplated. Just a couple of additional points before we take a step back and answer any additional questions from the members.
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