Twenty-nine years after Art Modell moved the Browns out of Cleveland, his name still resonates locally.
As the new Browns, an expansion team that entered the league in 1999, push for a new or renovated stadium, a member of Cleveland City Council has reminded the team’s current ownership about a law that would prevent a move out of town.
Via Lucas Daprile of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Councilman Brian Kazy held a press conference on Monday regarding “the Art Modell law.”
The provision, enacted after Modell moved the Browns, prevents teams that receive taxpayer money from playing most of their home games in a location other than their home stadium unless: (1) the mayor and City Council approve of the move; or (2) the team gives advance notice (six months) of the intent to move, along with an opportunity for a local buyer to purchase the team.
The Browns currently are contemplating a move to Brook Park, an inland suburb roughly 20 miles from Cleveland.
“What this does is ensure the Cleveland Browns have to go through the legal process to move the team, whether it’s to Timbuktu or to Brook Park,” Kazy said.
The Haslams are pursuing two options. The current stadium could be renovated at roughly $1 billion, or a new domed stadium could be built in Brook Park at roughly $2 billion.
Source Agencies
