The Mayor was on a recent episode of "That's So Cincinnati" podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thats-so-cincinnati-with-cincinnati-mayor-aftab-pureval/id1429999971?i=1000683083672

 

His answer weighed the pros/cons of the site next to the Convention Center (implied it's the best location and the only downside is the question of timing) vs the CET site (said there were some issues about "site control"). He said he thought a decision would be made on the location at some point in 2025. 

5 hours ago, ucgrady said:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2025/01/10/new-arena-banks-mayor-aftab-berding-no-location.html

 

Mayor speaks about new arena location, key quote to me is this: "Asked by moderator Doug Bolton where the arena should be, Pureval said, “Let me answer your question with a question: How do we pay for an arena?”"  To me this pretty clearly sums up why it's probably going to end up at the West End site because FCC/Berding are the only ownership group who have offered to pay for it, so unless Nederlander ponies up the conversation is likely over. 

 

 

Good catch. I think you're right.

I wonder if the thought process for the people pushing for a new arena without a major tenant is this:

As we've discussed, KC has the busiest arena in the country but it's also far from the next similar-sized venue and also doesn't have a major tenant (or any tenant that I can see).

I'm wondering if the Cincy Arena group thinks that since every other arena within a 100-mile radius has a major league sports team (Indy/Cbus) or several college teams with priority over the arena (Louisville) a new arena in Cincinnati would be a better option for entertainment acts since there are not as many scheduling conflicts. An arena here would be more flexible than Columbus because an arena here wouldn't have to worry about 40+ home games and possible playoff games each year taking up valuable weekend dates.

On 1/9/2025 at 10:45 AM, thebillshark said:

it would fit on the Bengals practice fields. That would be about 0.25 mile from the convention center and about 0.5 mile from the Banks Freedom Way strip of bars/restaurants by GABP.

 

Here that is on a map.

 

Bengals and FC Cincinnati ownership go in together on owning an NBA franchise for the arena.

 

The arena is also used for convention center events. 

 

The Bengals build a permanent indoor facility south of Mehring Way big enough for two fields, with perhaps an additional outdoor field somewhere nearby.

 

The approaches to the new arena would need to be spruced up, and there would have to be some thought put into how people get there from the Banks street level elevation on the north side.

 

A little far-fetched?

 

 

 

 

10 hours ago, thebillshark said:

 

 

 

Bengals and FC Cincinnati ownership go in together on owning an NBA franchise for the arena.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week Berding did everything but declare out loud that FC has every intention of getting a new arena built near the soccer stadium and to leave The Banks for dead.  He had the temerity to call The Banks "a failure" despite his being one of its Ur-architects back when he was under the employ of The Bengals during their stadium push in 1996. 

 

It's like, if The Bengals re-hire him in 5 years to get yet another new stadium, he'll harass FC Cincinnati. 

 

Unfortunately, the little Twitter know-it-alls don't understand the game. 

 

p.s. there is plenty of space for a new arena with a larger footprint to be built on the site of Riverfront Coliseum.  For example, the footprint could expand in place of Pete Rose Way, with the block of that roadway rebuilt in-line with the Second St. ramp.  This change would eliminate the odd traffic pattern in this area:

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0984461,-84.5052564,132m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDEwOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

 

7 hours ago, Lazarus said:

FC has every intention of getting a new arena built near the soccer stadium and to leave The Banks for dead.

My gosh this really is Trumps America. The exaggerated language to describe everything is exhausting. The Banks is NOT going to die if the new arena is built in the west end. 2 Pro Stadiums, a museum, a music venue, 600+ apartments, a hotel, thousands of parking spaces, a street car stop, a world class park, a office building and LOTS of space for expansion, THE BANKS WILL BE JUST FINE one way or the other. 

If anything, the Banks needs to focus more on residential than its current lifestyle center focus. IMO, the rest of the development should be condos instead of apartments in order to get some more permanent foot traffic year-round with some other "neighborhood" ammenities like maybe a bank or mini-Target or something like that.

Agreed, I don't like giving credit to Columbus but their condos along the south end of the Arena district are quite nice and would be a great addition to the empty lots facing the music venue lawn at the Banks.

6 minutes ago, ucgrady said:

I don't like giving credit to Columbus

Columbus, on the whole, is doing more interesting new housing than Cincinnati.   

Downtown Cincinnati definitely needs new condo development. It has fallen off since the pandemic.

4 hours ago, zsnyder said:

Columbus, on the whole, is doing more interesting new housing than Cincinnati.   

I completely agree. High Street, Franklinton, Arena District... all wild to see the growth over the past 5 years.

5 hours ago, JaceTheAce41 said:

If anything, the Banks needs to focus more on residential than its current lifestyle center focus. IMO, the rest of the development should be condos instead of apartments in order to get some more permanent foot traffic year-round with some other "neighborhood" ammenities like maybe a bank or mini-Target or something like that.

Do you actually think there is demand to pay top dollar for a condo at the banks?  There is tons of traffic, events, and crowds you have to deal with all time living there.  

Cincinnati definitely needs more new condo development asap. Not sure if The Banks makes the best sense, The Banks definitely needs another hotel and a retail shopping mix of some sort. A small movie theater would do well down there too. There are some parking lots in the business district that would be great for a condo tower. Cincinnati’s housing stock overall/ neighborhoods are amazing tho far better than the other Ohio metro areas. From the stunning properties on the hills of Mt Adams, to the East End, Hyde Park, Mariemont, OTR to name a few that can’t be matched in the other C’s.

In regards to Columbus specifically it’s hard to compare because the 2 cities are soooo different and it reflects in its housing inventory.
 

Anyway back to the arena, seems like things are picking up steam will be interesting to see the financing proposals I’m very interested in the no new taxes or new* public funding commitment.

 

 

Edited January 13Jan 13 by 646empire

20 hours ago, 646empire said:

In regards to Columbus specifically it’s hard to compare because the 2 cities are soooo different and it reflects in its housing inventory.

Tangential to this, there was actually a good thread on reddit over the weekend discussing why the 3 Cs are so different from each other.

I don't like it actually. Besides acknowledging the existence of the Cincinnati Streetcar it sounds like it was written in 2000.

Most people on Reddit haven’t been outside in years. 

whats read it?

On 1/13/2025 at 7:52 AM, 646empire said:

 The Banks is NOT going to die if the new arena is built in the west end. 2 Pro Stadiums

 

Simultaneous events (or at least programming on the same day) at both stadiums is rare.  It only happens 2-3 times per year, i.e. a Reds game and a Bengals preseason game, or a Reds game + concert or high school football game at Paul Brown.  It's not as if there are significantly more events happening each year with two stadiums as opposed to when there was only multi-purpose Riverfront Stadium.  Same with the addition of FC Cincinnati's stadium - there are now not any more total events as opposed to when they were in Nippert Stadium or if they had been made to play in Paul Brown Stadium. 

 

Also, back in the 80s, UC football played at Riverfront for most of the decade, and basketball played at Riverfront Coliseum for many years before Shoemaker Center opened.  So there were actually many more active days in the 1980s than there are now.  There were a lot of not-yuppie bars and restaurants on the riverfront where The Banks and Paul Brown Stadium currently stand.  So lots of public dollars for an incremental improvement over what existed previously. 

 

The restaurants and bars at The Banks, like the rest of downtown, are fueled by suburbanites and out-of-town visitors.  They can add all the apartments that they want but there aren't going to be a significant number of people taking the elevator down on a Tuesday night to do the escape room.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 15Jan 15 by Lazarus

What else were people going to do in the '80s? Stay home and watch Punky Brewster? You had to leave the house.

Definitely only an incremental improvement...

 

 

vs

 

 

Is it perfect?  No.  Is it even finished?  No.  But it's a huge improvement over the sea of parking lots that used to be there.  

Seeing that photo makes me really want to cap FWW.  

 

On 1/15/2025 at 11:14 AM, Lazarus said:

So there were actually many more active days in the 1980s than there are now.

No. There weren’t. 
 

 

And a public marina or boat dock. Bring back Yeatman's Cove!

 

On 1/15/2025 at 11:14 AM, Lazarus said:

It's not as if there are significantly more events happening each year with two stadiums as opposed to when there was only multi-purpose Riverfront Stadium

 

There have been 20+ concerts at GABP since 2021 alone. Some of those are post-game concerts but I can say anecdotally that there are quite a few people who only go to a Reds game for the post-game concert. This is additional customers on top of the usual crowd. That's not counting Paycor's recent stint as a mega-concert hotbed with mulit-nights of Taylor Swift and Garth Brooks. I can't remember if Beyonce came here but that's also not counting any country acts and festivals. And, of course, you have the Brady, which hosts a concert or something every week. AEW wrestling is there this weekend.

 

On 1/15/2025 at 11:14 AM, Lazarus said:

Same with the addition of FC Cincinnati's stadium - there are now not any more total events as opposed to when they were in Nippert Stadium or if they had been made to play in Paul Brown Stadium. 

 

Got to get your dig in at FCC don't you? Anyway, TQL stadium is still new but they've hosted The Who and Kenny Chesney as well as the entirety of the MLS season, League's Cup, US Open Cup, US Men's and Women's games and this summer it's hosting the Club World Cup. Had we gotten an NWSL team, that would have been 20ish more events per year as well. Your math ain't mathing.

Freedom March at Freedom Center tomorrow. 

Went to the Cyclones game last night at the Heritage Bank Center and bought a corn dog.

 

 

At first glance when I began reading your post that was a seat cushion.

2 hours ago, zsnyder said:

At first glance when I began reading your post that was a seat cushion.

 

Seat cushion probably would've tasted better.

I thought the mayor's comments about the current site of the arena were interesting (quote starts around 14:45): https://www.wvxu.org/show/cincinnati-edition/2025-02-05/mayor-pureval-city-budget-sanctuary-cities-arena

 

Quote

[The current arena site] is pristine landscape and real estate right on the riverfront. We've been working for several years on creating a marina just south of Great American Ball Park. And so, to the extent that we can pair a potential marina with a new maybe residential or office development where the current arena is, that would really catalyze The Banks as well. 

38 minutes ago, jwulsin said:

I thought the mayor's comments about the current site of the arena were interesting (quote starts around 14:45): https://www.wvxu.org/show/cincinnati-edition/2025-02-05/mayor-pureval-city-budget-sanctuary-cities-arena

 

 

 

Yeah he lied about a bigger arena not being able to fit on the current sight and then deferred to Jeff Berding's lazy criticisms of The Banks. 

56 minutes ago, jwulsin said:

I thought the mayor's comments about the current site of the arena were interesting (quote starts around 14:45): https://www.wvxu.org/show/cincinnati-edition/2025-02-05/mayor-pureval-city-budget-sanctuary-cities-arena

 

These arguments would hold a lot more weight if The Banks didn’t still have so much undeveloped land. I’m always amused when people talk about the potential of new land being freed up while so much still sits undeveloped. Silly silly. Same with the Arena West Convention Center area site everyone is sooooo up in arms over, if no arena goes there it will probably sit empty for decades, west of the convention center is not actually a desirable location for much especially with more central land in the business district available.

Edited February 13Feb 13 by 646empire

5 minutes ago, 646empire said:

 I’m always amused when people talk about the potential of new land being freed up while so much still sits undeveloped. Silly silly.

 

Downtown has 60+ surface parking lots. 

2 minutes ago, Lazarus said:

 

Downtown has 60+ surface parking lots. 

60+ sounds very high but regardless there are plenty and some REALLY good ones at that. The big ones at 7th and Main/ Sycamore in particular are primetime.

On 2/13/2025 at 12:52 PM, jwulsin said:

I thought the mayor's comments about the current site of the arena were interesting (quote starts around 14:45): https://www.wvxu.org/show/cincinnati-edition/2025-02-05/mayor-pureval-city-budget-sanctuary-cities-arena

 

I'm confused. Is he proposing to demolish the arena and rebuild a new one with a tower?

26 minutes ago, Rabbit Hash said:

I'm confused. Is he proposing to demolish the arena and rebuild a new one with a tower?

My interpretation was that the existing arena is a prime site for an office or residential tower development. The arena would be located by the convention center or tql.

Tangentially related, but remember that brief moment when Heritage Bank Center was “The Crown” after it was renovated from “The Coliseum” and right before it became the “Firstar Center?”

 

I got this ad served to me on YouTube the other day after a few drinks. Had to do a double take. Not sure why the algorithm is choosing to show me ads for a circus stop in Fayetteville, NC, but here we are. 

would be more appropriate with an interrobang:

RINGLING‽

1 hour ago, Gordon Bombay said:

Tangentially related, but remember that brief moment when Heritage Bank Center was “The Crown” after it was renovated from “The Coliseum” and right before it became the “Firstar Center?”

 

 

Yeah they took out the original multi-colored seats and replaced them with burgundy seats. 

 

 

 

9 hours ago, Lazarus said:

Yeah they took out the original multi-colored seats and replaced them with burgundy seats. 

 

Correct—along with a myriad of other improvements such as completely renovating the appearance of the concourses and bathrooms, adding a center-hung scoreboard, upgrading backstage areas, renovating the suites, a new Zamboni, and more. 

 

There’s a photographer named Bob Busser who has a fantastic collection of arena/stadium photographs — he has some great views of how the arena appeared before its 1996/97 renovations into “The Crown”:

 

 

 

Those renovations were great at the time. Too bad they have don't nothing since to keep up.

 

1 hour ago, JaceTheAce41 said:

Those renovations were great at the time. Too bad they have don't nothing since to keep up.

I’m never gonna be one to champion the downtown arena, but I think it’s fair to say they’ve done what they can, especially after Heritage Bank became the sponsor. There’s now new lighting inside, an updated scoreboard, etc. The reality is that the owners were never going to put “big league” money into it especially without a major tenant and despite what Jeff Berding says (yet can’t show), the current setup is able to accommodate the standard touring acts of our day. 
 

Heritage Bank Center isn’t great, but it’s probably the best it can currently be given its reality and limitations. 

On 2/25/2025 at 10:17 PM, Gordon Bombay said:

I got this ad served to me on YouTube the other day 

This is the only ad I get on YouTube now.

I might have to go. 

Edited March 4Mar 4 by Gordon Bombay

I wonder if Sundance might sway support in a particular direction? The mayor prefers the convention center site, but it would not be ready by 2027, if they get the SFF. He might change to the west end site, if certain schedule guarantees are met.

Would the arena even be used during Sundance?  I assumed that festival would take place in our different theatres around the urban core, but I could be wrong.  

Yeah I think hosting the NFL Draft would have more weight on something like this for fan fests, etc.

Sundance wouldn't use the arena and I'd be surprised if it used much of the convention center space at all. Cincinnati has a plethora of theaters that could host screenings.

NFL Draft could use the arena but if/when Cincinnati hosts it, I'd like to see us do like KC did and have it at Union Terminal or Washington Park in front of a nice landmark.

 

I went to a Cyclones game last Friday, and even with a half-full crowd, the concourses were packed and hard to navigate. Also, that scoreboard hasn't been updated since 1997 and isn't the easiest thing to read. I know it would take taxpayer mone,y so I'm against it, but the more I think about it, the more I think just rebuilding HBC or renovating it a la Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle would be the best option. There's room around the outside on the concrete pads to expand the concourses and add luxury boxes.

1 hour ago, JaceTheAce41 said:

NFL Draft could use the arena but if/when Cincinnati hosts it, I'd like to see us do like KC did and have it at Union Terminal or Washington Park in front of a nice landmark.

 

Yeah I have no doubt that the main stage would be somewhere more iconic, but an arena would be used for some type of activation. 

Edited March 5Mar 5 by tonyt3524

1 hour ago, JaceTheAce41 said:

Also, that scoreboard hasn't been updated since 1997

 

Au contraire, my friend. It has in fact been updated, and if you can imagine—it used to be worse. 😄

 

I don’t know what the original setup was (and I think that the scoreboard itself came from Montreal), but for a good long while between like 2007 and 2012—two sides of the scoreboard actually showed rear projection video (which was impossible to see clearly when the house lights were on) while the other two sides had a more “traditional” big screen tv-like set up with several burnt out pixels.

 

I believe they replaced that/upgraded to the current screens shortly before the name change (and the few touch-ups that brought).

 

 

Edited March 5Mar 5 by Gordon Bombay

From this week: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2025/03/13/group-launches-push-for-new-cincinnati-arena-timed-for-march-madness/82362122007/

 

Quote

"'The opportunity Cincinnati is missing': New group launches to push for Downtown arena"

"Cincinnati-based political consultant Jay Kincaid, who previously served as former Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley's chief of staff, will head the Hamilton County Growth Alliance as its executive director."

Edited March 16Mar 16 by Gordon Bombay

With the Bengals lease coming up, the Modell Law's inevitable demise, and the county fighting to keep the Bengals and Reds here in the near future, I don't see how an arena is going to get done.

The Bengals are going to poison the well for taxpayers funding anything (again) with whatever they're going to be asking for Paycor and the Reds lease is up in 2033 IIRC and with Eric Trump, sorry, Phil Castellini running the organization, I'd be willing to bet that we'll see the potential for the Nashville/Portland/Charlotte Reds come up as a negotiating strategy for big renovations to GABP. I don't see how any public money for an arena is even possible under those circumstances unless it's a city-only project.

A new arena will get done but it is still a few 2-3 years out from breaking ground.I could see a funding model private public  partnership details start to come out by late summer.

 

The stadium tax will not be used but a 30-35% private 30-35 TIF funding 30-35 % state funding model will be the financing tool.The Port will obviously be involved and FC Cincinnati ownership.The CET site will be the location just too long to wait for the Brent Spence bridge land to become usable.

 

The Reds will never leave town not a chance.

The Bengals would if the Brown family was not loyal to a fault and making near 50-100 million in profit every year.

Edited March 17Mar 17 by ucnum1