Council Approves Funding Cleveland Browns Stadium Restorations

Cleveland’s City Council has approved giving $5.8 million to the Browns to help fix the football team’s 12-year-old, city-owned stadium.

The council voted 16-2, in approval of the repairs with one councilperson absent.

The Browns lease of the stadium, and the agreement requires the city to pay $850,000 annually for major improvements. But the team’s general counsel says that’s not enough to cover routine work. The Browns want to use the larger payment to refurbish seats and fix up concrete at the weather-battered facility.

Mayor Frank Jackson’s chief of staff says the city confirmed that the repairs were needed and reviewed the planned fixes.