It's official. Browns leave downtown toward Brook Park.

CLEVELAND – The city of Cleveland ended months of speculation about where the Cleveland Browns will play in the future, announcing that the franchise has made the decision to leave downtown Cleveland, the team's home since 1946.

The city will host a press conference at 2:30 p.m. to provide an “update on the status of stadium negotiations”:

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Mayor Bibb expressed his frustration with the Haslams as he broke the news to the city.

“We see and feel that our city center is doing well. Our vision of redesigning the lakefront is becoming reality. And more and more companies are choosing to invest in our great city,” said Bibb. “The Haslams’ decision to divert the team from this progress is frustrating and deeply disheartening.”

Bibb said he would be willing to return to the table if the Haslams' Brook Park deal falls through.

Conversations about the future of the stadium – stay or go, renovate or build new – have been taking place behind closed doors for months.

In early August, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb released a letter outlining his proposal to help fund a renovation of the city-owned stadium near Lake Erie.

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Days later, Cuyahoga County's top two officials said they were unwilling to invest in a proposal to build a new stadium in the suburbs.

They wanted the Browns to move back downtown, where a remodeled stadium could anchor lakefront development.

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The team has been trending toward a dome for months.

In August, the Browns sent out renderings and a video of their Brook Park proposal, as well as a letter to season ticket holders advocating for a new building.

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The Browns and Haslam Sports Group have not said much publicly about the details of their financing plans. But they are focused on using future tax dollars — revenue from the new stadium and surrounding development in Brook Park — to fund construction.