"This is going to surpass what everybody's wildest dreams are": Browns break ground on new Brook Park dome

BROOK PARK — The longtime dream of the Haslam family was on full display Thursday afternoon as it took a monumental step toward reality. Surrounded by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Gov. Mike DeWine, Hall of Famer Joe Thomas, coach Todd Monken and Pro Bowl players Denzel Ward and Carson Schwesinger, Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam held the official groundbreaking of the enclosed stadium to be built on the site of a former Ford plant on Snow Road near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The Browns won't play a game at the $2.6 billion venue for more than three years — they will continue to play on the lakefront site that's housed the team since its debut in 1946, first at Cleveland Municipal Stadium and then at the new stadium, now called Huntington Bank Field — but giant equipment dotted the vast piece of land that's already seen ground moved over the last several weeks. The vision is for a venue that will transform Northeast Ohio as the largest economic development project in the area's history. The Browns project more than $1 billion annually in economic impact. "This is going to surpass what everybody's wildest dreams are," Jimmy Haslam said. "And if you only remember one thing from today, everything that we've done, every thought that we've had is how's this going to affect the fans." The plan is to host major events throughout the year, including NCAA Final Fours, international soccer matches and concerts for crowds of up to 75,000. Goodell announced the NFL Draft would return. It was here in 2021 when the pandemic was still a major issue. He didn't commit to an exact year but said it would be around the opening of the new stadium. He was less definitive and optimistic about Northeast Ohio hosting a Super Bowl for the first time. Goodell made it clear the stadium will be good enough but the region needs more facilities to host the NFL's marquee event that draws close to 200,000 people. He said a region needs hotel rooms numbering at least in the high-40,000s — Northeast Ohio has about half that — and quality matters. He also mentioned the importance of the airport, which itself announced plans in December for a seven-year, $1.6 billion revitalization. "There's a chance here for this to be the transformational type of project that converts and has more events that people need to come to and hotels start to develop, the airport expands and you get that kind of infrastructure," Goodell said. Jimmy Haslam cited Nashville in his home state of Tennessee as having grown so much that it will be awarded a Super Bowl when 10 years ago he would've said "no way." He encouraged business leaders to play more offense and join him and Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert in driving economic development. DeWine was more optimistic. "I think in the future it will certainly have a Super Bowl," he said. The event and the stadium are about more than the Super Bowl. Jimmy Haslam said he believes the structure can serve as the Browns' home for 75-100 years. "This is visionary," DeWine said. "This is the future." AECOM Hunt and Turner Construction Company are managing the project. They've also built Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz stadium and SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and are working on the new homes of the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans. Ward and Schwesinger were among those who moved ceremonial dirt inside the large tent with shovels that had brown and orange handles shaped like necks and headstocks of guitars. Dee Haslam stressed the importance of keeping the franchise's legacy in its new home. She said the new Huntington Bank Field will be "iconic" and part of a "reimagined" Northeast Ohio. A theme of the day was "Cleveland deserves this." "We understand the power of sports to unite people and the unique impact the Cleveland Browns has on this community," Dee Haslam said. The design of the stadium, by leading sports architecture firm HKS, will reflect the region's spirit and identity. It will be constructed alongside a mixed-use entertainment district. The stadium will have the closest seats to the field in the NFL, including a modern, steep version of the Dawg Pound. A transparent roof inspired by Cleveland's atriums will allow natural light throughout the stadium. The first long-span roof without a truss will improve sightlines throughout the building. A "super theater" concept will allow events to hold 75,000 people. The speakers stressed the more than 6,000 construction jobs and thousands of additional full-time positions across the stadium and development projects. The Haslam Sports Group will provide $1.75 billion toward the stadium. Ohio is scheduled to contribute $600 million from its unclaimed fund and Brook Park will pay $250 million. A lawsuit is trying to block the source of the state funds, and the litigation is expected to last for several months at least. Jimmy Haslam said he was confident it would get resolved, while DeWine said the state has backup plans if they lose. He stressed the money wouldn't come from the general fund that goes to schools, police and fire. DeWine's initial proposal for state funding for sports venues involved a gaming tax increase with revenues set aside specifically for facility funding. He also expressed confidence tax revenues generated by the stadium project would repay the state as in the agreement. Haslam expects the deal with Brook Park to be finalized by July 1. Leaving the lakefront and an outdoor stadium that has hosted many memorable weather games are huge changes for the fans. Ward, who grew up in the area, is excited to move inside. "I'm definitely looking forward to the dome," he said. "It's been fun playing outside and in all the elements and the snow, that's what Cleveland is about. But I think the fans and the players deserve the best." The other piece of leaving downtown is what happens to the lakefront. The Haslams will contribute an additional $100 million for demolition of the old stadium and lakefront development. "It opens up space," DeWine said. "It's an opportunity now that they're not going to be there. Water is so important. "It's very, very valuable." The Haslams have been working on this for years, and the planning accelerated once they decided a new venue was better than a $1 billion renovation of the lakefront stadium. Jimmy Haslam, who promised there would be "affordable" seats in the new stadium, called it a "bumpy road" to get here. "I couldn't be more excited," he said. Contact Scott Petrak at (440) 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @scottpetrak on X.