FirstEnergy Stadium

Interior and exterior views in 2016

FirstEnergy Stadium

Location in the United States and Ohio

Former names

Cleveland Browns Stadium (1999–2013)

Address

100 Alfred Lerner Way

Location

Cleveland, Ohio

Coordinates

41°30′22″N 81°41′58″W / 41.50611°N 81.69944°WCoordinates: 41°30′22″N 81°41′58″W / 41.50611°N 81.69944°W

Public transit

West 3rd Station
Cleveland Lakefront Station

Owner

City of Cleveland

Operator

Cleveland Browns

Capacity

73,200 (1999–2014)
67,431 (2014–present)

Record attendance

73,718 (November 3, 2002 vs. Steelers)

Surface

Kentucky Bluegrass

Construction

Broke ground

May 15, 1997

Opened

September 12, 1999

Construction cost

$283 million
($407 million in 2017 dollars)

Architect

HOK Sport
Robert P. Madison International, Inc.
Ralph Tyler Companies

Project manager

The Project Group

Structural engineer

Osborn Engineering

Services engineer

URS Corporation

General contractor

Huber, Hunt & Nichols

Tenants

Cleveland Browns (NFL) (1999–present)

FirstEnergy Stadium, officially FirstEnergy Stadium, Home of the Cleveland Browns, is a multi-purpose stadium in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, primarily for American football. It is the home field of the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL), and serves as a venue for other events such as college and high school football, soccer, and concerts. It opened in 1999 as Cleveland Browns Stadium and was renovated in two phases in early 2014 and 2015. The initial seating capacity was listed at 73,200 people, but following the first phase of the renovation project in 2014, seating capacity was reduced to 67,431. The stadium sits on 31 acres (13 ha) of land between Lake Erie and the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway in the North Coast Harbor area of downtown Cleveland, adjacent to the Great Lakes Science Center and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The site was previously the location of Cleveland Stadium from 1931 to 1996.

FirstEnergy Stadium is located on the site of Cleveland Stadium, commonly called Cleveland Municipal Stadium, a multipurpose facility built in 1931 that served as the Browns' home field from their inception in 1946 through the 1995 season. During the 1995 season, owner Art Modell announced his plans to move the team to Baltimore, which resulted in legal action from the city of Cleveland and Browns season ticket holders. The day after the announcement was made, voters in Cuyahoga County approved an extension of the original 1990 sin tax on alcohol and tobacco products to fund renovations to Cleveland Stadium. Eventually, as part of the agreement between Modell, the city of Cleveland, and the NFL, the city agreed to tear down Cleveland Stadium and build a new stadium on the same site using the sin tax funds. Modell agreed to leave the Browns name, colors, and history in Cleveland and create a new identity for his franchise, eventually becoming the Baltimore Ravens, while the NFL agreed to reactivate the Browns by 1999 through expansion or relocation of another team. Demolition on the old stadium began in November 1996 and was completed in early 1997. Debris from the former stadium was submerged in Lake Erie and now serves as an artificial reef.

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Wikipedia