BY LUCY MAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Cincinnati City Council should refuse to spend more money on a consultant's study until the consultant picks a site for the Reds' new ballpark, Councilman Todd Portune said Friday.
At the very least, Urban Design Associates should do a comparative analysis between Broadway Commons, the site Mr. Portune prefers at Broadway and Reading roads, and Baseball on Main, the riverfront site between Cinergy Field and Riverfront Coliseum, Mr. Portune said.
"I think we need to force the issue with the county a little bit," he said.
To that end, Mr. Portune will ask council's Community Development Committee to approve a motion that withholds additional city money from Urban Design until the firm meets those demands.
Together, the city and Hamilton County already have spent $240,000 on consulting services by Urban Design, a Pittsburgh firm.
Hamilton County Commission President Bob Bedinghaus, the county's point man on stadium issues, said he's been pleased with the firm's work. Urban Design simply decided to leave the policy decision of where to put the Reds ballpark to the commissioners, he said.
"You can't depend on consultants to make policy decisions for you," he said.
He opposes the idea of a comparative analysis between the two ballpark sites because he says it would pit one good choice against another.
But Mr. Portune said Urban Design will not have fulfilled the first phase of its contract unless it makes a recommendation. The second phase of the contract, which will cost the county and city another $100,000 each, is supposed to focus on other riverfront development. The county agreed to fund its $100,000 if the city pays its half.
Even if council refuses to fund its part of the cost, riverfront development will happen, Mr. Portune said.
"Development of the riverfront has always been the city's primary interest," he said.
ALLEN VISITS ATLANTA SEEKING STADIUM IDEAS August 23, 1997
Previous stadium stories
BIG STADIUM ROADBLOCK REMOVED July 25, 1997
STADIUM SIDES DEFINED July 11, 1997
STADIUM STANCES July 11, 1997
STADIUM MEETING TONE UPBEAT July 11, 1997
REDS PLAY DOWN SEAT LICENSES July 9, 1997
REDS CALL FOR SEAT LICENSES, RIVERFRONT SITE July 8, 1997
HIGHLIGHTS OF REDS' PROPOSAL July 8, 1997
REDS WANT GUARANTEE ON 2002 July 5, 1997
REDS SAY THEY NEED GOOD STADIUM DEAL TO COMPETE July 4, 1997
CITY, COUNTY FEUD OVER CONSULTANT July 4, 1997
REDS ASKED FOR $235M STADIUM July 3, 1997
'WEDGE' FOES DEMAND STADIUM STUDY July 2, 1997
'WEDGE' TO BE PUT TO THE TEST July 1, 1997
REDS UNMOVED BY PRICE GAP June 20, 1997
DOWLIN SAYS BROADWAY CAN SAVE $62 MILLION June 19, 1997
BALLPARK ESTIMATE: $230 MILLION June 11, 1997
RIVERFRONT SITE BETTER BET June 6, 1997
BROADWAY, 'WEDGE' ONLY OPTIONS LEFT? June 4, 1997
REDS RELENT ON WEST SITE June 3, 1997
NOTHING WILL DISLODGE REDS FROM RIVERFRONT Tim Sullivan column, June 3, 1997
REDS TO KENTUCKY? WHISPERS PERSIST May 31, 1997
NO DEAL WITH REDS SEEN BY JUNE 1 May 23, 1997
REDS EASE STANCE ON 'WEDGE' May 16, 1997
REDS MIGHT HAVE TO WAITMay 5, 1997
COSTS GOING UPMay 5, 1997
SCHOTT SAYS 'NO WAY' TO WEDGE April 12, 1997
SULLIVAN COLUMN April 12, 1997
CITY COULD PAY TO DELAY STADIUM April 10, 1997
BENGALS LEERY OF 'WEDGE' April 9, 1997
THE GREAT STADIUM DEBATE
BALLPARK DEBATE LINGERS ON April 6, 1997
NEIGHBORHOOD A BIG PART OF BALLPARK April 6, 1997
BALLPARK, FANS' HONEYMOON SHORT April 6, 1997
REDS HAVE HURDLES, HELP IN SITE HUNT April 6, 1997
KENTUCKY DESERVES REDS, TOOApril 6, 1997
BORGMAN CARTOON
April 6, 1997
REDS PLAN SEAT LICENSING March 14, 1997
REDS TOLD BENGALS NOT PICKING SITE March 12, 1997
MAYOR SUPPORTS BROADWAY March 5, 1997
DESPITE FLOOD, REDS DON'T WAVER FROM RIVER March 5, 1997
BASEBALL ON MAIN PROPOSED Feb. 26, 1997
WEDGE SITE GETS BOOST FROM COUNTY Feb. 22, 1997
REDS, COUNTY RESUME STADIUM TALKS Feb. 19, 1997
ONLY CRIME IS NOT CONSIDERING BROADWAY Feb. 18, 1997
RIVER SITE OR LAWSUIT Feb. 15, 1997
REDS ARE READY TO PLAY HARDBALL Feb. 15, 1997
SCHOTT THREATENS TO MOVE IF REDS AREN'T ON RIVER Feb. 14, 1997
