Taxpayer money going into Browns stadium up until team leaves Cleveland: I-Team

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CLEVELAND (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team has found how much of your tax money will keep going into Huntington Bank Field, the stadium for the Browns, even as the team prepares to move to a dome in Brook Park.

It’s a staggering amount of money.

This has some local leaders and others asking why the city should keep paying if the team is leaving.

In fact, the city should pay off the cost of building the stadium in the same year the team plans to leave.

We found the city still paying off the original cost of building the stadium in the 90s. At the same time, the city could be hit with huge bills for more repair costs.

We’ve learned the city still owes more than $46 million on the original cost of the stadium for the Browns.

The city tells us that is scheduled to be paid off in 2028, the last year the Browns might play in that stadium.

So, the city could finish paying off the construction cost just as the team leaves.

The I-Team also went back to look at something we’ve reported on before. A maintenance audit of the stadium looking at repairs expected over the next five years. Read that and you see the stadium could need a massive amount of very expensive work. And, your money would pay for it.

The report predicts, in the next few years, the stadium could need more than $50 million in major repairs. That includes concrete work, new seating, upgrades in technology and more.

“We just can’t keep throwing money into a stadium that’s not going be used after three years,” said Cleveland Councilman Brian Kazy.

The councilman is cautious about big projects for the stadium since the Browns have it made it clear they want to build a dome in Brook Park.

The team has even filed suit in federal court to help clear the way for a move to a dome when the team’s stadium lease ends.

Councilman Kazy wonders what work at the stadium has to be done no matter what.

“That’s going to be a good discussion between the administration and the council as to what’s going to be needed immediately in an emergency?” he said.

This week, activist Bob Render raised concern about public money for sports stadiums, especially at a time when neighborhoods have so many problems.

“The general public always feel like they’re left holding the bag or they’re an afterthought,” Render said.

As for the Browns lawsuit, the city has not responded yet. And, the city has not made any public comment about it.

Ultimately, city council will decide how much money gets spent on stadium projects and for what.

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Ed Gallek

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