Brook Park Mayor Edward Orcutt is asking the city council to “authorize a pre-development agreement” with the Browns, “setting the stage for a yet-to-be created public community authority to eventually own the club’s new stadium and lease it back to the team,” according to Rich Exner of the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER. Under an outline of the deal, the city would receive $24.8M from a Browns’ affiliate known as StadCo to “cover startup expenses incurred by the city.” The ordinance would authorize the mayor, finance director and law director to “negotiate and execute the project documents.” Haslam Sports Group has “long discussed its plan for a community authority — overseen by representatives of both the city and the team — to own the facility.” This would be similar to the arrangement the Crew, also owned by HSG, have with their stadium. StadCo would “convey the stadium to either the community authority, or, if the community authority is not formed, to the city,” and then would “operate the stadium under a lease.” Orcutt is asking the city council to “pass the ordinance on an emergency basis to speed the process,” with the Browns’ goal to open the stadium for the start of the 2029 season. This means it “could pass the same night it is formally introduced to council, rather than going through three meetings.” The ordinance is “not on the agenda” for the formal council meeting Tuesday night (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 4/6).
