The Cleveland Browns have officially broken ground on their new stadium in Brook Park, with the ceremony taking place on April 30. The site, formerly a Ford plant, will become the NFL's newest venue and home for the team.
Key points
Cleveland Browns broke ground on new stadium
Ceremony took place on April 30, 2026
Stadium located in Brook Park, Ohio
Former site of a Ford plant
Stadium expected to be Super Bowl quality
Mentioned in this story
Brook Park
Huntington Bank FieldCleveland Browns
A bit of Cleveland sports history was made at 6:01 p.m. Thursday, April 30, when the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Browns stadium in Brook Park officially took place.
Truth be told work has already started to transform the former site of a Ford plant into the NFL's newest stadium and future home for the Cleveland Browns.
Cleveland Browns players Denzel Ward and Carson Schwesinger, left, join with others as they take part in the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Vinny Testaverde talks with super fan John “Big Dawg” Thompson at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
Cleveland Browns super fan John “Big Dawg” Thompson greets Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine and Governor Mike DeWine at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
Q&A
When did the Cleveland Browns break ground on their new stadium?
The Cleveland Browns broke ground on their new stadium on April 30, 2026.
What is the location of the new Cleveland Browns stadium?
The new Cleveland Browns stadium is located in Brook Park, Ohio.
What was the site of the new Browns stadium before construction?
The site of the new Browns stadium was previously a Ford plant.
What is the expected quality of the new Browns stadium?
The new Browns stadium is described as 'Super Bowl quality'.
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Dee Haslam addresses the audience at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam talks to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio, on April 30, 2026.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, former Browns quarterback Vinny Testaverde and first lady Fran DeWine pose for a photo at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park on April 30, 2026.
Dee Haslam addresses the audience at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
Cleveland Browns Macho Fan mugs at the camera during groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine chats with Jimmy Haslam and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell before they take the stage during the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine addresses the audience as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Jimmy Haslam listen during the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
The audience listens to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine addresses the audience as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Jimmy Haslam speak at Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine and Governor Mike DeWine talks to William Summers, Jr. at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger, left, and Browns general manager Andrew Berry, right, listen to Browns head coach Todd Monken speak at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
Cleveland Browns legend and NFL Hall of Fame Joe Thomas interviews Browns Denzel Ward during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
Cleveland Browns legend and NFL Hall of Fame Joe Thomas addresses the audience at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
Cleveland Browns legend and NFL Hall of Fame Joe Thomas fires up the audience at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Vinny Testaverde, right, meets with fans at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
Fans poses for photos at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
A string quartet plays contemporary music before the start of Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
Guitar neck shovels hang at the ready to be used at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
1 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
Cleveland Browns players Denzel Ward and Carson Schwesinger, left, join with others as they take part in the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
1 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
Cleveland Browns players Denzel Ward and Carson Schwesinger, left, join with others as they take part in the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
2 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Vinny Testaverde talks with super fan John “Big Dawg” Thompson at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
3 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
Cleveland Browns super fan John “Big Dawg” Thompson greets Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine and Governor Mike DeWine at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
4 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
Dee Haslam addresses the audience at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
5 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam talks to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio, on April 30, 2026.
6 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, former Browns quarterback Vinny Testaverde and first lady Fran DeWine pose for a photo at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park on April 30, 2026.
7 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
Dee Haslam addresses the audience at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
8 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
Cleveland Browns Macho Fan mugs at the camera during groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
9 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine chats with Jimmy Haslam and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell before they take the stage during the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
10 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine addresses the audience as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Jimmy Haslam listen during the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
11 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
The audience listens to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine addresses the audience as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Jimmy Haslam speak at Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
12 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine and Governor Mike DeWine talks to William Summers, Jr. at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
13 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger, left, and Browns general manager Andrew Berry, right, listen to Browns head coach Todd Monken speak at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
14 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
Cleveland Browns legend and NFL Hall of Fame Joe Thomas interviews Browns Denzel Ward during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
15 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
Cleveland Browns legend and NFL Hall of Fame Joe Thomas addresses the audience at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
16 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
Cleveland Browns legend and NFL Hall of Fame Joe Thomas fires up the audience at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
17 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Vinny Testaverde, right, meets with fans at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
18 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
Fans poses for photos at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
19 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
A string quartet plays contemporary music before the start of Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
20 / 20
Browns' Huntington Bank Field groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park.
Guitar neck shovels hang at the ready to be used at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
Large earth-moving equipment has begun work on the $2.6 billion project that is expected to be completed by the start of the 2029 season.
A lot of words were tossed like football passes from the stage like "transformative" and "historic" but in the end a few words mattered.
Browns great and NFL Hall of Famer Joe Thomas told the hundreds of dignitaries and fans gathered simply: "Cleveland deserves this."
Cleveland Browns legend and NFL Hall of Fame Joe Thomas addresses the audience at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
Cleveland Browns legend and NFL Hall of Fame Joe Thomas addresses the audience at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
Gone will be the days of the bone-chilling winds and snow whipping off of Lake Erie challenging not only the players on the field but also the fans in the stands.
The new Huntington Bank Field will be domed with a transparent roof where fans can look up at the wintry weather outside but stay warm and cozy in their seats.
The stadium when complete promises to be a record breaker with the widest concourse in the NFL, along with the closest seating to the field, the biggest home locker room and biggest screen in the end zone.
Some 6,000 construction jobs are expected to be created over the next three years as the massive stadium and year-round amenities like restaurants and entertainment venues, retail and other business space and a 10,000-space parking lot are built from the ground up.
And when it opens, some 5,000 year-round jobs are expected as the stadium becomes the spot for everything from concerts to conventions and a place for visitors to come and play.
"We don't want this to be just a football stadium," said James Wood "JW" Johnson III, a partner of the Haslam Sports Group. "We want this to be a place to bring Northeast Ohio together."
One thing is certain: the Cleveland Browns will call the stadium home starting in 2029.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam talks to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio, on April 30, 2026.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam talks to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio, on April 30, 2026.
And NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the new stadium will be a crown jewel for the league.
But Goodell stopped short on April 30 of promising the Browns would host a future Super Bowl once the stadium opens.
He did promise Cleveland that the NFL Draft will come back.
Goodell said a new stadium is a key element for landing a Super Bowl but added that the NFL looks at other things like transportation concerns and the availability of tens of thousands of hotel rooms to accommodate all the fans and everyone else the biggest game in sports brings to a city.
"I have no doubt this stadium will be Super Bowl quality," he said.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, former Browns quarterback Vinny Testaverde and first lady Fran DeWine pose for a photo at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park on April 30, 2026.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, former Browns quarterback Vinny Testaverde and first lady Fran DeWine pose for a photo at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park on April 30, 2026.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said the new stadium will create economic ripples all across Northeast Ohio.
"This is a great day not only for Cleveland and Northeast Ohio but for all Ohio," he said.
The governor praised everyone from the team to local and state officials for coming up with the financing to make the construction of the state's only domed stadium possible.
"This is a big, big deal for the state of Ohio," DeWine said.
Team owner Jimmy Haslam admits "it wasn't easy" completing the deal to build a new stadium.
Haslam said every part of the process was focused on building a stadium not only for the players but one with the fan experience in mind.
He credits diehard Browns fans for sticking with the team through some pretty tough seasons.
"Our fans deserve better than what we have given them over the last few years," Haslam said.
Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger, left, and Browns general manager Andrew Berry, right, listen to Browns head coach Todd Monken speak at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger, left, and Browns general manager Andrew Berry, right, listen to Browns head coach Todd Monken speak at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio on April 30, 2026.
And it all starts with new Browns coach Todd Monken.
The coach said he plans on celebrating wins with the fans this season.
When asked whether he would jump into the Dawg Pound to celebrate his first win as the Browns coach, Monken said, "Bet your ass."
Cleveland fans are already notoriously loud. Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger, the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, said he can't fathom how much louder it will be in the new stadium with its domed roof.
"I can't imagine what it will be like when the Dawg Pound is that much closer to the field," Schwesinger said.
