BEREA: The Browns have changed their minds about Columbus again.
The team announced Wednesday it will keep training camp in Berea “for the immediate future” after planning to move summertime practices to Columbus in 2018.
As the Browns had internal discussions about moving the majority of camp practices to Columbus, owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam decided they preferred to instead focus on perfecting camp at team headquarters in Berea.
The more the organization’s bigwigs talked about relocating camp to Columbus, the more they began to fully realize the magnitude of the logistical challenges and the amount of effort that moving camp there would present.
Three weeks ago, news broke about a proposal to move camp to Columbus. Under the plan, the Browns would have contributed $5 million, Franklin County would have contributed $5 million and the city of Columbus would have covered the rest of the cost of a new recreation center that would host camp. The total cost was estimated to be between $15 million and $17 million.
The Columbus Dispatch first reported Wednesday the Browns scrapped the plans to move camp to Columbus in 2018.
“After evaluating all aspects and conversations about potential training camp sites, we have decided to keep training camp in Berea for the immediate future,” Peter John-Baptiste, Browns vice president of communication, said in a statement. “While we greatly appreciate the efforts of and our discussions with representatives from the City of Columbus, Franklin County and Ohio State University, we believe it is best for our football team, our organizational goals and our fans to continue to host training camp in Northeast Ohio.”
This is the second time the Browns have heavily flirted with moving camp to Columbus, only to back away. A previous proposal to move camp there died after a request for state aid was withdrawn in February amid public outcry.
The Browns have held camp at their headquarters in Berea since 1992.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Browns blog at www.ohio.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NateUlrichABJ.