Browns Break Ground on Brook Park Stadium Set for 2029

BROOK PARK, Ohio - The Cleveland Browns and Haslam Sports Group formally started construction this week on a new enclosed Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, a stadium and mixed-use district the team says will become the franchise's home for the 2029 NFL season.

The project is both a football story and a public-economics story. The Browns describe the stadium and surrounding district as Northeast Ohio's largest economic development project to date, with more than $2 billion in private capital, $3.4 billion in total economic development and more than 6,000 construction jobs tied to the buildout, according to team releases.

What Happened

Haslam Sports Group, AECOM Hunt, Turner Construction Company and HKS announced the formal start of construction after a ceremony at the Brook Park site on April 30, according to the Browns. The team said the new venue is scheduled to open in 2029 along with Phase 1 of the mixed-use development.

The ceremony featured Haslam Sports Group managing and principal partner Dee Haslam, followed by panels on the fan experience, regional economic impact and the football operation, according to the team. The Browns said participants included HSG managing partner Jimmy Haslam, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Browns executives, coaches and players.

The team says the enclosed stadium will include a transparent roof, flexible capacity, a modernized Dawg Pound and a long-span roof without a truss. The Browns said the venue will be designed to host Browns games, NCAA Final Fours, international soccer matches and concerts for crowds of up to 75,000.

Construction activity started before the ceremony. In a March release, the Browns said mass excavation had begun at the Brook Park site, with Independence Excavating performing enabling and sitework operations and Independence Construction participating in the AECOM Hunt and Turner joint venture construction management team.

Rob DiGeronimo, president of Independence Excavating, said in the team release that the site's proximity to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport shapes the earthwork plan. He said the scope requires digging 80 feet deep and moving nearly 2 million cubic yards of dirt.

Economic Implications

The Haslam Sports Group says it and its development partners are investing more than $2 billion in private capital in the stadium and adjoining mixed-use development. The Browns said that figure includes at least $1.2 billion from HSG toward construction of the enclosed stadium, plus any cost overruns.

The team describes the broader project as $3.4 billion in economic development. That number includes the stadium and adjacent district, according to the Browns, not just the football venue.

AECOM Hunt and Turner said a minimum of 75 percent of total workforce hours on the stadium will be performed by local residents, according to the Browns' March excavation release. The team also says the project will create more than 6,000 construction jobs and thousands of additional full-time positions across the stadium and adjacent development.

That is the supporters' case: the Browns, their construction partners and state officials presented the Brook Park stadium as a year-round venue that can pull major events into Northeast Ohio beyond the NFL schedule. The fiscal test is whether those jobs, visitor spending and new district activity are enough to justify the public commitments and local tradeoffs that follow any modern NFL venue deal.

Cleveland City Council records show the city has already moved to handle the legal and land-use aftermath of the Browns' planned relocation. File 1325-2025, passed Dec. 1, authorizes city officials to enter agreements tied to the settlement term sheet regarding the relocation of the Browns to Brook Park, demolition of the current Huntington Bank Field and lakefront improvements.

What People Are Saying

"Our family is deeply committed to Northeast Ohio and we know our community deserves this stadium and transformative project."

Dee and Jimmy Haslam, Haslam Sports Group managing and principal partners, in the Browns' April 30 release

"The new Huntington Bank Field will be an economic catalyst for our region, delivering best-in-class fan experiences and exciting events throughout the year."

Dee and Jimmy Haslam, Haslam Sports Group managing and principal partners, in the Browns' April 30 release

"As one of the largest construction projects in the history of Northeast Ohio, the new Huntington Bank Field will deliver an unparalleled experience for football fans while featuring the flexibility to host a variety of large-scale, blockbuster events that will generate significant economic growth and attract more audiences to the region than ever before." - Ken Johnson, COO, Central Region, AECOM Hunt, in the Browns' April 30 release

"A minimum of 75 percent of the total workforce hours on the new Huntington Bank Field will be performed by local residents."

Patrick Wipperman of AECOM Hunt and Taurean Spratt of Turner Construction Company, in the Browns' March excavation release

The Response

Supporters inside the Browns organization frame the stadium as a long-term commitment to Northeast Ohio. Dee and Jimmy Haslam said the family is committed to the region and called the Brook Park project an economic catalyst, according to the team release.

The construction partners frame the project through jobs, local contracting and year-round event capacity. AECOM Hunt and Turner said they are working with local contractors, including DiGeronimo Companies, Independence Excavating and Independence Construction, according to the Browns.

Cleveland's official records show a different municipal priority: managing the current stadium site and lakefront after the franchise leaves. The ordinance passed by Cleveland City Council authorizes agreements tied to demolition of the current Huntington Bank Field and construction of lakefront improvements.

For fans, the practical question is timing. The Browns say the new stadium and Phase 1 of the mixed-use development remain on track to open in 2029, which would move the team out of its downtown lakefront home after the current transition period.

Rendering via Cleveland Browns (fair use)

The Big Picture

The Browns' Brook Park plan places Cleveland inside the larger NFL venue cycle, where franchises increasingly seek enclosed stadiums, entertainment districts and event calendars that extend beyond eight or nine regular-season home games. The team says the building's flexible capacity is intended to compete for concerts, college basketball, international soccer and other large events.

The next measurable checkpoints are construction progress, local hiring, the shape of the mixed-use district and public actions connected to the current lakefront stadium site. The Browns say the target is 2029. Cleveland records show the city is already preparing for what comes after the team leaves downtown.