The Cleveland Browns are running into more red tape.
The Browns are facing another unusual hurdle when it comes to building their new $2.4 billion stadium in suburban Brook Park, and away from downtown Cleveland.
This time, the red tape comes in the form of the Ohio Department of Transportation rejecting a building permit, citing that the structure is too tall.
First reported by NEOtrans blog, the letter states: “The purpose of this letter is to notify you that your permit application concerning the proposed construction of a commercial building at the above submitted location and height has been denied for the following reason: the proposed structure has been determined to be an obstruction to air navigation.”
The stadium’s blueprint as currently constructed exceeds the maximum height for the location by 58 feet.
The Browns and the Haslam Sports Group have released their own statement on how they would be moving forward.
“Our aviation consultants were surprised by ODOT’s letter from two weeks ago, which is flatly at odds with the FAA’s careful analyses and determinations resulting from well over a year of in-depth work, that found our proposed stadium poses no airspace hazards,” a Haslam Sports Group spokesperson said.
“They’ve also noted several other existing structures in Ohio that exceed the height ODOT apparently now finds objectionable…
“We’ve already begun working collaboratively with ODOT to explain the stadium’s heights and the detailed work we’ve done more fully, which shows no safety or efficiency issues to Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport.
“We look forward to resolving this matter expeditiously and continuing our work to bring this transformative project to Northeast Ohio.”
The original plan was for construction to begin early next year, with the hope of it being ready for the 2029 season. There has not been a new update on where the timeline currently stands.
The new multi-billion dollar stadium is set to seat nearly 68,000 and as many as 75,000 for concerts and other events.
It is projected to be one of the most expensive stadiums in modern history, with the Haslam family covering half the cost, while the state and local governments split the remaining $1.2bn.
This isn’t the first roadblock the franchise has run into while looking to build its new stadium.
In June, the Browns ran into more trouble when attorneys for the city had asked a judge to order the Browns to stop all work on the planned move.
Justin Herdman, an attorney for the city of Cleveland, argued in a filing that the franchise had violated the team’s lease, which says the city would be entitled to remedies beyond monetary damages, including the ability to halt any relocation.
The Browns’ current lease at Huntington Bank Field expires at the end of the 2028 season.
Herdman argued that the Browns violated terms of the lease, including a provision that requires the team to ‘hold, maintain and defend its rights to play professional football in the City of Cleveland’ and another that prohibits the team from negotiating or taking steps to leave the city.
“In those plain terms, the lease guarantees that, until the lease expires, the Browns will not pursue any plans to relocate to a new stadium outside of the City of Cleveland — exactly what the Browns are doing,” Herdman wrote, per Cleveland.com.
No ruling has been made in Herdman’s case.
The Haslam family and the Browns have a lot on their plate in hopes of playing in their new stadium in four years, and while all signs indicate that it will get done, it hasn’t been easy.
And it won’t start getting any easier.
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When one fire gets put out, another seems to pop up right back in its place. Such is the cost of trying to move your football team to a new stadium, even if it is just 16 miles southwest of their current home.
For now, the Browns will need to rework their blueprint so the stadium isn’t ‘too tall’ to be built.