For Ryan James, co-owner of the Flat Iron Cafe – Cleveland’s oldest Irish pub – NFL game days are a true lifeline in an increasingly challenging business environment. “We open at 9 a.m., and within a few hours, both floors are packed with fans,” he says.

Local businesses oppose Browns’ potential move

The bar even bought a bus to shuttle fans to the Browns’ stadium just over a mile away. That shuttle alone transports around 150 people on game days. James estimates that the eight or nine home games Cleveland Browns play each year account for up to 10% of his annual revenue – a substantial figure in a low-margin industry. Now, however, James and hundreds of other small business owners in downtown Cleveland are bracing for a potentially devastating financial blow.

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For more than 80 years – with a brief pause in the 1990s – fans have flooded downtown Cleveland on fall and winter Sundays to cheer on their NFL team. The stadium and the Browns have long served as economic anchors for the area, in both prosperous and tough times. It’s estimated the city brings in around $1 million in taxes from parking and hotels per game.

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Are Browns’ owners tired of waiting?

Now, however, the Browns want to move to Brook Park – a suburb southwest of Cleveland – and build a new $2.4 billion domed stadium, half of which would be funded by taxpayers in Cuyahoga County and the state of Ohio. It's a situation familiar to cities across the U.S., as sports franchises seek public funding for expensive new or renovated facilities. Browns owners, billionaire couple Jimmy and Dee Haslam, claim Cleveland has dragged its feet on funding much-needed improvements to the current stadium. They also argue that a new stadium would bring economic benefits to another part of the region.

The city – which owns Huntington Bank Field – had already pledged $500 million toward a renovation. I don’t want our taxpayers getting fleeced by a deal where the risk is public, but the profits are private, said Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne. This is about more than just a team – it’s about the vitality of our community. Moving the team undermines our strategy to keep downtown strong.

Browns pay less than city covers annually

Currently, the city of Cleveland pays $1.3 million annually for property taxes and insurance on the stadium, while the Browns contribute only $250,000 in rent. The franchise is valued at around $5.15 billion and generates roughly $100 million annually from gate receipts alone. Across the U.S., frustration is mounting over public funds being used to finance stadiums owned by billionaires. NFL teams argue that they can only build or modernize facilities with taxpayer help. One notable exception is Los Angeles, where Rams owner Stan Kroenke fully self-funded the $5 billion SoFi Stadium.

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County willing to help – but only downtown

Cuyahoga County officials say they are open to supporting the Browns, but only if the team stays at its current site. We can move forward with renovations, and then talk about a new domed stadium downtown in the future. This is the newest of the three pro sports venues downtown. Rushing to Brook Park is a boondoggle, Ronayne said.

Meanwhile, the state of Ohio – where Republicans hold a legislative supermajority – is planning to contribute $600 million through bond funding. That would effectively have taxpayers across the state, even those far from Cleveland and with no interest in football, helping foot the bill. The state budget, which includes this proposed funding, must be signed by Governor Mike DeWine by June 30. Though he has previously voiced skepticism, DeWine – a Republican – often votes in line with his party.

According to an investigation by the Ohio Capital Journal, lawmakers backing the Browns' new stadium have received tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the Haslams, who also own the Columbus Crew (MLS) and hold a stake in the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. Their fortune is estimated at $8.5 billion. These developments come at a time when Ohio legislators are proposing cuts to the education budget, potentially leaving hundreds of millions of dollars in deficits.

Some argue that using valuable downtown Cleveland real estate for just 8–9 football games a year – plus a few concerts – is wasteful. The Greater Cleveland Partnership, the region’s chamber of commerce, supports the move to Brook Park, calling it more practical. Dee Haslam sits on its executive board.

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Brook Park residents would welcome the team

Meanwhile, some Brook Park locals say they’d gladly welcome the Browns. It would be great for my business and the local community. Most fans live in the suburbs anyway, said Sam Clarke, who owns a graphic design company near the proposed new site. But none of it will matter if the owners keep making bad decisions. You can move anywhere you want, but it won’t fix the real problem.