Browns' $2.4B stadium gets green light from regulators

COLUMBUS (AP) — The Ohio Department of Transportation approved a permit Thursday for the construction of a new stadium for the Cleveland Browns.The proposed stadium would be built in suburban Brook Park, next to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The Browns are looking to begin construction next year and start playing in their new home in 2029, following the completion of their 30-year lease at their lakefront stadium in downtown Cleveland.ODOT originally rejected the permit Aug. 1, citing height concerns. Haslam Sports Group — the company founded by Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam, their daughter and son-in-law — had the opportunity to appeal, and both sides had been in talks for the past two months.ODOT decided to waive the height limit, which is 150 feet above the airport's ground elevation, after an independent third-party consultant determined that construction of the proposed $2.4-billion domed stadium would not change any flight paths. The building will have marking and lighting required by the Federal Aviation Administration."All along our goal has been to ensure that all concerns were heard and addressed, and a resolution could be found," ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn said in a statement.The stadium would be built on the former site of a Ford Motor Co. plant. It would sit 80 feet below ground and 221 feet above ground."We respect both the comprehensive work that the FAA did to determine that our stadium project poses no hazard to the surrounding area and ODOT's diligent process to confirm these findings," Haslam Sports Group President Dave Jenkins said. "Safety is of paramount importance to all of us and was at the forefront of our detailed and deliberate process with our FAA consultants, whom we engaged with well before our architects began designing the stadium."Jenkins added that the Browns plan to have more working sessions with airport officials about the stadium.The Browns are paying $1.2 billion for construction and will receive $600 million from the state. The team is hoping to fill the remaining financing gap after discussions with Brook Park officials.