02-03-2022, 03:24 PM
(02-03-2022, 03:11 PM)Roland Wrote: Anything can be moved. It's a question of how much it will cost and who is going to pay it. That has probably been the bone of contention all along.
You would think that the city would be thrilled that the Bengals want to maintain and build their presence downtown. Instead they've spent the last decade plus creating an adversarial relationship with the team while using the stadium tax as a slush fund.
https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2018/11/23/bengals-blackburns-paul-brown-stadium-viable-several-decades/2083179002/
Quote:The lease, signed in 1996, will expire in 2026. At that point, a series of five rolling two-year options are on the table to keep it alive up to 2036.
The rearrangement of pieces between both sides included the team giving up nearly $30 million owed to them by the county and capping the total on potential future stadium enhancements. On the other side, the county agreed to purchase the Hilltop Ready Mixed Concrete property next to the practice field and give the Bengals access for gameday parking and an option for a future indoor practice facility while expanding the riverfront.
Quote:The conversation thrust to the forefront during these negotiations as the Bengals put into the deal the ability to build an indoor facility on the Hilltop property if they so choose.
The Bengals currently bus to the University of Cincinnati when an indoor area is necessary for practices -- almost always in the final weeks of the season -- to use the Bearcats’ bubble.
Troy disputes the idea they are now more willing to build an indoor area, arguing hesitation comes due to logistics, not willingness.
“It’s an easy idea that’s hard to implement,” he said. “I think we’ve been willing from the outset, what we’ve struggled with is what is a great option?”
They point out the electrical substation’s lines to the Downtown power grid run under the Bengals’ current practice fields, making a structure built on top of them extremely complicated. For one, the power company would need access available to go underneath at any point. Also, with an indoor area, it would make holding training camp on the fields tough to pull off due to the need for more space. Also, the idea of adding a grass field under the bridges brings in the issue of not having enough sunlight.
“If we had 30 acres over there it would have been done,” Troy said. “We don’t.”
He went on to state the easiest solution would be to find 30 acres out in the suburbs and build a facility out there – much like we are seeing FC Cincinnati do in Milford – but doing so would take an employer out of Downtown and be a financial hit to the county losing the earning tax. Not something they are willing to do.
The additional space on the Hilltop property could open up new options and add feasibility for the addition.
“If it were simple, we would spend the money and build it tomorrow, it’s unfortunately not simple,” Troy said. “It’s something that has been in people’s eyes. I think it will continue to be in people’s eyes. We’ll give it a fresh set of looks again … That’s why that was put into the agreement, we’ve had the right to do that on the practice fields throughout, this maybe gives us another option you could take a look at.”
