MIXED REACTIONS: As Browns reportedly making plans to leave Downtown.

The ownership group of the Cleveland Browns is apparently trying to buy 176 acres of land in Brook Park, Ohio, according to NEOtrans, a blog that follows new developments in Northeast Ohio.

The property in neighboring Brook Park would not make sense for a new headquarters, given that the club has already been purchasing extra land in Berea, Ohio to expand its practice and training camp facilities. Nonetheless, it would be consistent with a possible stadium location in the future.

There used to be two Ford motor factories on this property. Although NEOtrans’ sources did not specify that the area will be utilized as a stadium site, it is important to note that they are making connections on the fact that the land is sizable and meets every need for a new stadium:

What the stated purchase deal for Brook Park is for is still unknown. The Haslam Sports Group’s plan to construct a football stadium in the suburbs of Cleveland could actually be an effort. It may also be the Haslams’ insurance policy in the event that negotiations with Cleveland officials do not result in an agreement quickly enough to renovate Cleveland Browns Stadium, which is owned by the city and located on the lakefront in downtown. The stadium lease held by the Browns ends following the 2028 football season.

The location would be next to both the Brook Park RTA Rapid Station and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

Team spokesperson Peter John-Baptiste issued the following statement on behalf of the Browns in response to the rumors quickly:

The rumor is not refuted by the statement. It says that they are “exploring other potential stadium options in Northeast Ohio at various additional sites,” but they also appreciate the City of Cleveland’s investigation into the landbridge and the ongoing stadium reconstruction. The site in Brook Park, Ohio may be a backup plan for the Haslam family, or it may be a ploy to increase pressure on the City of Cleveland to get funds before losing the Browns once more (under very different circumstances) and moving outside of Downtown Cleveland.

Additionally, it’s not unusual for a Browns owner to purchase a sizable tract of property yet do nothing with it. In the 1980s, Art Modell “bought an abundance of land in Strongsville, Ohio with the idea that a new stadium might be built there, but eventually sold all that land as residential property,” as DBN’s Barry Shuck noted last year.