Wednesday, September 24, 1997
City could play hardball
on stadium

BY LUCY MAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati City Council should hold hostage the city land needed to build the Bengals' new stadium until Hamilton County agrees to the city's development plans, City Manager John Shirey said Tuesday.

Council members appeared stunned by the idea, which could derail the $400 million football project.

Mr. Shirey said he wasn't making any threats but simply wants council members to know what their leverage is in dealing with the county.

"That is the way for city council to assure they get a quality riverfront development," he said.

Told of the city manager's remarks, County Commissioner John Dowlin responded: "The county leverage with the city is, we won't build the stadium. Then what happens to your riverfront?"

Mr. Shirey's recommendation was the latest in a series of conflicts between the city and county over the new football stadium. Mr. Shirey stressed that city-county negotiations have been good lately, but the city isn't satisfied yet with the county's stadium plan. Parking is at the root of the problem.

To accommodate football fans, the county plans to build temporary parking lots from the stadium's eastern edge, at an extended Elm Street, all the way to the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge.

But Mr. Shirey warned council that once that parking is there, it could be impossible to get rid of. Instead, the city wants to build parking garages there that are strong enough to hold theaters, shops, restaurants and the Underground Railroad Freedom Center on top.

The city thought the county would be able to pay for those garages, and even roads and flood protection, using proceeds from the half-cent sales tax increase passed to pay for stadium construction, Mr. Shirey said.

But the garages, roads and flood protection would cost another $107 million, and the sales tax can't cover it, he said. The county's parking lots, on the other hand, would cost only $3 million.

"We have to recognize the county has a money problem," he said. "That sales tax seemed like an awful lot of money with $50 million rolling in a year. . . . But you've got too few dollars chasing too much debt."

But Hamilton County Commission President Bob Bedinghaus said that's simply not true.

The county has enough money to build new stadiums for the Bengals and Reds, he said, but county officials never planned to use sales tax money to build all the parking, roads and infrastructure needed for other development.

Mr. Bedinghaus said once the city and county agree about the parking structures, how they would be financed and what goes on top of them, the county will make way for the garages.

Mr. Shirey's comments during Tuesday's Community Development Committee meeting were an effort to explain to council members the reason for the entertainment district strategy and to persuade them to move quickly.

But several on council said they didn't want to rush into riverfront decisions that will affect the city for generations to come.

They appeared open to the idea of withholding the city's land from the county.

Community Development Committee Chair Bobbie Sterne said she understands the county needs the city land right away.

However, "there's some action by the county I feel needs to take place before we transfer the land," she said.

Mr. Bedinghaus said there's no question the county needs the city land immediately. Paul Brown Stadium is scheduled to open in August 2000.

"The city is one player that could stop this project in its tracks," Mr. Bedinghaus said. "And if they choose to play that card, it will be on their shoulders."

The county's lease agreement with the Bengals includes penalties if the stadium isn't completed on time. For every game the opening is delayed, the team gets $4 million.

Mr. Shirey thinks the massive parking structures, roads and flood protection needed for the entertainment development plan could be financed by the development itself. Parking revenues could help pay off the debt issued to build the garages, he said. But the county isn't convinced that would work, said Suzanne Burck, the county's budget chief.

That's partly because the county already has counted on using the revenues from the parking lots to help pay off the debt from building the Bengals stadium, she said.

Today's report

Carter may be lost again
Police ride Blake home
Carter is Bengals' king of pain Tim Sullivan column
Jets top '96 win total

Previous stadium stories

Stadium price tag: $400.3M September 5, 1997
Moody's, S&P hear county's pitch September 5, 1997
Lawsuits put blitz on landowners August 13, 1997
Stadium estimate tops $300 million August 12, 1997
Stadium land cost a big if July 21, 1997
Who are the landowners? July 21, 1997
Stadium meeting tone upbeat July 11, 1997
City threatens to withhold land July 10, 1997
Disputed county deal mirrors old city pact July 9, 1997
Mayor rips county's deal with Bengals July 4, 1997
COA complaints take a back seat June 5, 1997
Next hurdle: Stadium land May 31, 1997
Bengals won't sell naming rights May 31, 1997
WELCOME TO PAUL BROWN STADIUM May 30, 1997
NEXT GENERATION OF BROWNS MAKE THE DEAL May 30, 1997
It's goal to go for stadium May 29, 1997
Details remain before construction begins May 29, 1997
Stadium victory at hand May 26, 1997
Terms of the deal May 26, 1997
Regional effort fills seats May 25, 1997
Bengals reach sales goal May 24, 1997
Hold on: Shirey wants to boost admissions tax May 24, 1997
Brown, county race deadline May 21, 1997
NFL committee OK's lease May 20, 1997
Ticket tax increase gains steam May 20, 1997
Stadium team tries to trim $48M May 6, 1997
Bengals ask lease by May 20 April 30, 1997
Stadium redesign well received April 25, 1997
Bengals leery of Wedge April 9, 1997
Stadium price tag growing April 3,1997
Stadium gaining ground? April 2,1997
Bengals won't sign till tax dies March 25,1997
Mike Brown's 'Letter to the Editor' March 25, 1997
Bengals balk at tax plan March 24,1997
Bengals want county blitz on seat licenses March 21,1997
City balks at size of stadium March 15,1997
Seat sales on target for team to stay Feb. 19,1997
'The Jungle' moving to Central Ave. Feb. 14, 1997
Stadium site to be announced this week Published Feb. 9, 1997
Seat license sales pass $20M goal Published Feb. 7, 1997
Consultants favor Riverfront West Published Dec. 20, 1996
Seat licenses $300 to $1,500 Published Dec. 18, 1996
Rules, procedure for buying seat licenses Published Dec. 18, 1996
Designs draw oohs and ahhs Published Dec. 17, 1996
Architect's drawings revealed Published Dec. 8, 1996
Site selection is a decision of a lifetime Published Dec. 2, 1996