With only five days left before Mike brown's deadline, the Bengals said Monday they heard ''encouraging news,'' but there's no deal yet between the city of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.
Cincinnati leaders argued Monday that the county's latest riverfront development proposal would give too much control to the county and Bengals.
But Troy Blackburn, Bengals director of stadium development, said the club was informed Monday that there has been progress.
''We think all sides are willing to make a deal,'' Mr. Blackburn said. ''But time is growing short. If it's going to get done, now is the time.''
Sources told the Enquirer Monday night that two of the outstanding issues are the city's need for a time period to transfer parkland; and the city's desire to ensure a development agreement can't be revoked by the Bengals or the county.
A city analysis of the county's Jan. 23 proposal lists seven differences. City officials argue those issues are mostly about control.
''The seriousness of these points clearly illustrates the need to reach a firm, written agreement with the county on such matters before consummating any transaction,'' the analysis states.
The city analysis says the county proposal would:
Allow the county to use riverfront park sites for as long as county leaders want to use the sites for parking or stadium construction staging.
''This change eliminates any guarantee that the central riverfront will ever be anything but the infamous sea of surface parking.''
Give the Bengals a chance to ''reinsert'' the team into decisions concerning riverfront development outside the stadium by deleting the city proposal that would specifically remove the Bengals from future riverfront decisions.
''It has been reported to me that the city will accept the Bengals' ability to enforce the agreement that all parties agree to according to the riverfront development guidelines,'' Mr. Blackburn said.
Require the city to get prior written approval from the county before developing any part of the riverfront. That provision ''makes future development tenuous.''
Eliminate any city input in future amendments to the county's lease with the Bengals. The city wants a say in future lease changes that would affect riverfront development. The city argues this eliminates any guarantee that the Bengals won't reacquire control of the riverfront after the city turns over its land.
Give ''other stadium events'' preference over public events to use riverfront parks. ''Thus, Riverfest could be pushed out of the riverfront parks in favor of a soccer game-related promotion.''
Extend the length of time that the city would return property taxes on the stadium so the city would return the taxes to the county even after the stadium debt is retired.
Require the city to return county contributions toward the Fort Washington Way overhaul if the highway project isn't complete by 2000.
''We're all anxious to move this forward,'' City Councilman Phil Heimlich said of city leaders. ''But we just can't give (the Bengals) veto power over whatever happens on our front doorstep.''
But County Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus said the county just wants flexibility in case, for example, the county and Reds decide to transform Cinergy Field and need riverfront land for a while to accomplish that.
''The interest that the county has is to position the community to compel high-quality, enduring development as soon as possible,'' County Commission President Tom Neyer Jr. said. ''We try not to leave things open-ended for 30 years.''
Councilman Todd Portune said understanding the county's motivation is exactly why city and county leaders should talk face-to-face. Mr. Portune and Councilwoman Jeanette Cissell have called a special council meeting for 3 p.m. today to discuss the city-county talks, and they want the county and Bengals to be there. Other council members say they will adjourn the meeting immediately.
Bengals President Brown has said if the city and county don't reach an agreement by Saturday he'll kill the stadium deal.
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