I-TEAM: Pressing Cleveland’s mayor on Browns stadium talks

CLEVELAND (WJW) — The FOX 8 I-Team went to Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb this week with the questions so many of you are asking about the Browns .

Are we any closer to knowing if they will build a dome in Brook Park , or renovate the current stadium and stay downtown?

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In August, city officials offered the team a $461 million financing plan with a lease arrangement over the next 30 years. The city asked for a response from the Browns by Aug. 12, but the Browns raised some additional follow-up questions.

"What are you offering them now to get them to stay that you didn't offer before?" I-Team reporter Ed Galled asked the Mayor.

Mayor Justin Bibb said he didn't want to make details of the private negotiations public.

"I will say they responded to our due diligence questions about our roughly $460 million proposal," he added, and went on to say "Those conversations are ongoing. I'm just as optimistic as I was before that we have the right deal and the right strategy to keep them here."

At the same time, the mayor of Brook Park is investigating everything that goes into a Browns game day just in case the team builds a stadium with a dome in his city.

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Recently, we've also heard local leaders float the idea of using the Burke Lakefront Airport property to build a new stadium. However, doing anything with the land that now houses the airport could be complicated and take many years.

Still, we asked the mayor about that airport property.

"We're a long way away from that being on the table. But, if the Browns are interested in a new site in the city, we are open to that conversation," he said.

The Browns, though, publicly have indicated interest only in a project on the current stadium site, or a dome project in Brook Park.

Days ago, Cleveland City Council President Blaine Griffin told the I-Team he believes the team has made a decision.

"It has become evident to me the team wants a new stadium," Griffin said. "They want a dome stadium. They want a legacy project."

Browns owners have told us they still have not made a decision.

Cleveland's mayor is hoping he is making the right calls with his game plan to keep the team on the lakefront.

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"We have a lot more work to do," the mayor said.

For this story, we also checked back with the Governor's office for any word on possible use of public money to help pay for a Browns stadium project. A spokesman told us he had nothing new on that.