CLEVELAND — On Friday, NEOtrans blog's Ken Prendergast reported that the Cleveland Browns are in the process of exploring locations for a potential new stadium with their lease at FirstEnergy Stadium set to expire at the end of 2028.
As one might expect, Browns fans across social media were quick to react to the news of a potential new stadium, which according to Prendergast, could include either a dome or a retractable roof.
"The Haslams reportedly want a year-round stadium with either a permanent dome or retractable roof to attract to Cleveland more non-football related events such as bigger concerts and shows, larger and annual Rock Hall induction ceremonies, college sporting events including basketball tournament games and more," Prendergast wrote. "Unfortunately, FirstEnergy Stadium is used only about 10-12 times per year, underutilizing 20 acres of prime lakefront land."
As for the locations the Browns are reportedly exploring, Prendergast specifically mentions two: where the Main Post Office is currently located at 2400 Orange Ave., southeast of downtown, and just east of downtown’s central business district, north of St. Clair Avenue -- potentially between East 13th and East 17th streets. While most fans on social media appear to favor keeping the team's stadium on the lakefront with the second location, some have expressed concern over how the stadium would be paid for, which Prendergast reports would include at least some level of public funding.
"One thing is certain — some public funding will be involved whether the Browns play in a renovated or replaced stadium. Only three NFL facilities – Gillette Stadium in New England, MetLife Stadium in New Jersey/New York City and SoFi Stadium in Greater Los Angeles – were built without any public funding, according to a recent article in The Buffalo News," he writes.