City Council considers reimbursement for Huntington Bank Field emergency repairs
The City of Cleveland is considering an emergency ordinance, File No. 1385-2026, to reimburse the Cleveland Browns Stadium Company LLC for essential repairs recently completed at Huntington Bank Field. Under the terms of the stadium's lease, the City is responsible for funding certain material capital repairs that are necessary to maintain basic building systems or to protect the health and safety of workers and fans.
What's in the file
The legislation authorizes the Directors of Parks and Recreation and/or Capital Projects to enter into an agreement to reimburse the Cleveland Browns for a total of $1,122,824.02 in completed emergency repairs. According to the Mayor's Office of Capital Projects (MOCAP), these specific repairs were inspected and deemed necessary to ensure the stadium can safely operate.
The documents note that while a recent lease amendment shifted most major repair costs to the Browns, the City remains responsible for "Material Capital Repairs" required for safety or basic utility functions. The Browns paid for these repairs upfront and are now seeking reimbursement from the Stadium Capital Repair Fund.
The completed repairs include:
| Repair | Amount | Justification |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete and joint repairs | $650,000.00 | Safety (deterioration of reinforced concrete and exterior joint sealants creates trip hazards) |
| Arc flash: failed device replacement | $203,000.00 | Safety (electrical hazard to workers) |
| Sewer ejector pump failure | $120,590.54 | Health (raw sewage could backup through floor drains, toilets or other plumbing fixtures) |
| Overhead door capital repair | $74,329.88 | Basic building systems (25 year old rolling overhead door failed which caused freeze risk and risk of unauthorized entry) |
| Quad D sanitary pipe failure | $33,400.00 | Health (raw sewage could leak into occupied spaces and could cause flooding) |
| Failed pipe insulation | $22,150.00 | Basic building systems (freeze risk for domestic cold water, pre-mix hot water, and sanitary pipelines) |
| Quad C ejector pump replacement | $19,353.60 | Health (raw sewage could backup through floor drains, toilets or other plumbing fixtures) |
Who may be affected
- Department of Parks and Recreation: Authorized to enter the reimbursement agreement.
- Department of Capital Projects: Authorized to enter the reimbursement agreement.
- Cleveland Browns Stadium Company LLC: The entity receiving reimbursement for completed emergency works.
Status and timeline
- 2026-11-05: The emergency ordinance was introduced for its first reading.
This file follows a previous attempt regarding similar stadium reimbursements, as noted in the related legislation for 931-2026, which failed.
Residents can verify all details regarding these expenditures and the specific repair justifications by reviewing the official source record.
Source record
- File
- 1385-2026
- Type
- Emergency Ordinance
- Status
- First Reading
- Committee
- City Council
- Introduced
- November 4, 2026
Official documents
- 1385-2026-Ag w Cleveland Browns to reimburse them for repairs made to stadium, Huntington Field
- 1385-2026-A File - Ag w Cleveland Browns to reimburse them for repairs made to stadium, Huntington Field
- 1385-2026-MEMO_STADIUM CAPITAL REPAIRS PDF - October 14 Final
- 1385-2026-Huntington_Bank_Field_Capital_Repair_Spending - PDF