Communications breakdown: Behind county’s dismissal of Frost Brown Todd attorney

Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich had never met or spoken with the county’s longtime outside riverfront counsel, Tom Gabelman, until Thursday morning. But Pillich had heard for weeks in private meetings with commissioners that they were displeased.

For his part, Gabelman said he was astonished when the county fired him and the law firm he works for, Frost Brown Todd, after 27 years. Pillich said she tried to call Gabelman, to no avail, before the county commission meeting Thursday, May 15. It ultimately ended up being Hamilton County Administrator Jeff Aluotto and Steve Simon, chief of the prosecutor’s civil division, who delivered the news by phone. They gave no reason, Gabelman said, and thanked him for his efforts.

The stunning and sudden breakdown between the county and its top riverfront legal adviser comes at a critical time. The county and the Cincinnati Bengals face a June 30 deadline to either extend or sign a new lease at Paycor Stadium with the team, otherwise the Bengals can extend the current pact for two years or leave altogether after the 2025-26 season.

During a whirlwind day, which also saw the Bengals accuse a member of the county’s team of having a conflict of interest, Pillich sought to assure the commissioners and the public that a fresh perspective and a new legal team could get things back on track even as they stare down a deadline that is six weeks away.

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Bengals lawyer: ‘We’re supposed to be getting a deal done now, not starting over’

An attorney for the Cincinnati Bengals said Friday that Hamilton County’s decision to dismiss its longtime, outside riverfront counsel, Tom Gabelman, calls into question whether it wants to get to an agreement on a new Paycor Stadium lease before a key deadline on June 30.

The Bengals must decide then whether to extend the existing lease by two years, which they have the option to do under the existing lease. Both parties have stated they want a new pact before then.

“Yesterday makes us very concerned that the county is not serious about getting a deal done,” Aaron Herzig, an attorney at Taft, Stettinius and Hollister, which represents the team, told the Business Courier on May 16. “We’ve made no real progress toward a lease extension.”

Herzig noted recent decisions in which the team has cooperated with the county, including signing a memorandum of understanding to implement $185 million in upgrades to Paycor, of which the team and the NFL will pay $120 million. It also agreed to go to the state of Ohio and seek $350 million in funds for an $830 million package of upgrades.

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Amateur hour.

Bengals seek new stadium lease without state funding amid budget talks

The Cincinnati Bengals intend to pursue a new lease agreement for Paycor Stadium without relying on state funding from Ohio, as reported by Business Courier media partner WKRC-TV Local 12.

Duane Haring, the team’s director of stadium and event operations, said that while the team would welcome state aid, they are prepared to move forward with Hamilton County independently.

"An agreement between the Bengals and Hamilton County can be achieved now without waiting on what the state ultimately decides," Haring said in a statement to Local 12.

The urgency stems from the Ohio state budget, which may not be finalized before a critical deadline in the lease negotiations. The Bengals' current lease expires in June 2026, and the team has until the end of next month to decide whether to extend the current deal by two years, a decision they can make up to four more times for a total of 10 years.

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Driehaus: Bengals stadium ‘not left out’ of latest version of state budget

There is still hope that Hamilton County and the Cincinnati Bengals will get state funding for an $830 million renovation plan at Paycor Stadium, despite the Ohio Senate not specifically including spending for Paycor Stadium in its budget plan, a key county official said Thursday.

The Senate’s plan, which also includes the option for county voters to approve a cigarette tax hike, sets aside $1.7 billion from the state’s unclaimed property fund for stadiums. It includes $600 million set aside for a proposed new stadium for the Cleveland Browns in suburban Brook Park, but nothing for Paycor Stadium.

Commissioner Denise Driehaus said the county and the team can apply for a chunk of the remaining $1.1 billion.

“We were not left out,” Driehaus said. “We are optimistic there will be something in the final budget.”

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https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2025/06/05/ohio-state-budget-bengals-funding-paycor-stadium.html

Cincinnati Planning Commission acts on proposed Bengals riverfront tailgating parking lots

The Cincinnati Planning Commission unanimously approved a massive new parking lot for Cincinnati Bengals tailgating at the site of the former Hilltop concrete plant Friday, but only on a temporary basis until March 2026.

The commission OK’d a rare “notwithstanding” ordinance, an acknowledgement that the measure does not comply with the city’s zoning code. It now heads to Cincinnati City Council, where it will be considered before council breaks for the summer.

While the city’s staff emphasized that the parking lot’s approval has a finite life, Hamilton County’s top official for riverfront development acknowledged that the long-term plan is to continue to park cars on the site, albeit fewer vehicles in perhaps a more pleasing park-like setting in which the land can be used for something other than vehicle storage at other times.

In fact, adding more surface parking for the club’s fans who like to tailgate is a part of a 2018-2019 deal still in effect with the county that paved the way for the construction of the Andrew J. Brady Music Center.

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https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2025/06/06/bengals-riverfront-tailgating-parking-hilltop-demo.html

Hamilton County commissioners balk, for now, at $1.5 million for Bengals escalators

Hamilton County commissioners delayed until later this week a vote on $1.5 million to replace six escalators at Paycor Stadium, a part of a memorandum of understanding of the first phase of $185 million in repairs for an overall $830 million project.

On June 5, Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas said she was “feeling a little uncomfortable about voting for this right now.” Dumas said she believed the county could know more about the overall state of a larger new lease deal with Paycor’s tenant, the Cincinnati Bengals, this week.

“I know it’s part of the MOU, but I’m not comfortable with it today,” said Dumas, who voted for the MOU. “I don’t think a week is going to make a difference. We’ll know some things by next week.”

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https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2025/06/09/county-commissioners-bengals-escalators.html

Hamilton County releases proposed new lease terms with the Cincinnati Bengals

Hamilton County released both its proposed new lease terms with the Cincinnati Bengals as well as the team’s own latest proposal, which calls for the city of Cincinnati to start contributing money to the stadium.

The dueling proposals, which are from April, show just how far apart the sides remain as they stare down a June 30 deadline for the Bengals to extend the current lease, with major differences on how much should be spent, how much each party’s share should be and how long the Bengals should be legally required to stay in Cincinnati.

"These term sheets are reflective of where we were in April and prove what my colleagues and I have been saying from the beginning: We are seeking a better deal for the taxpayers while keeping the Cincinnati Bengals here with a long-term agreement," Commissioner Denise Driehaus said in a statement.

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https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2025/06/12/county-agree-lease-terms-bengals-stadium.html