BY LUCY MAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Hamilton County Commission President Tom Neyer Jr. has steadfastly refused to state a preferred location for a new Reds ballpark.
He argues the decision is much more complex than whether a new stadium should be built at Broadway and Reading Road or on the riverfront. But despite his circumspection, the county and baseballteam are negotiating exclusively for a new riverfront ballpark, something he and his fellow commissioners acknowledge couldn't happen without the support of two of the three of them.
County Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus is a declared river supporter. County Commissioner John Dowlin favors Broadway Commons. While Mr. Neyer insists he doesn't favor one site over the other, he's clearly open to a river deal.
"Baseball on Main is the right site under the right circumstances," Mr. Neyer said. "And Broadway Commons is the right site under the right circumstances."
But Mr. Bedinghaus states bluntly: "Every road that you see leads to the riverfront."
So while the public still wonders where the ballpark will go -- to Broadway or the riverfront site known as Baseball on Main, or "The Wedge" -- that decision has tacitly been made.
All recent documents exchanged between the two sides point to a riverfront deal, and all three commissioners acknowledge that's the direction negotiations are headed.
Interviews with county and baseball sources indicate negotiations are focusing not on a location, but on financial matters such as rent and maintenance costs.
A stadium agreement is solely a matter between county commissioners and the team, although Cincinnati City Council has weighed in with support for Broadway Commons.
Marilyn Hyland, Mr. Neyer's Democratic challenger in the contest for county commissioner, has declared her preference for Broadway, saying the county should respect the city's wishes.
If two county commissioners insisted on a Broadway Commons site, they could take their cues from the last time a new Reds stadium was built.
City won in the '60s
City officials forced the Reds' hand in the 1960s when they were planning for Riverfront Stadium, said Eugene Ruehlmann, a former mayor whose law office overlooks the stadium he fought to have built. Then-owner Bill DeWitt preferred a Blue Ash site, but the city insisted on the riverfront. Mr. Ruehlmann asked Mr. DeWitt to sell so the stadium project could proceed. Mr. DeWitt did.
The Reds argue the riverfront location has worked so well, the team doesn't want to leave it. The team cites easy access for out-of-town fans and proximity to downtown hotels as two reasons for the choice. Mr. Bedinghaus said if the team changed its mind and wanted to discuss a deal for Broadway Commons, county negotiators would listen.
But he argues there's a compelling case for a riverfront ballpark. "This isn't about sports," he said, repeating a theme from the 1996 campaign to increase the county sales tax to fund stadium construction. "This is about the redevelopment of our central business district."
He argues that the "critical mass" that would be created on the riverfront by two stadiums and the thousands of parking spaces the teams would share would help downtown businesses.
Arguments for Broadway
Broadway Commons supporters like Mr. Dowlin, however, use the same economic development argument to bolster their case.
Economic consultants for the county have said that a ballpark at Broadway offers quicker return on the stadium investment and would keep more spin-off benefit from the stadium in Ohio. Northern Kentucky reaps some of the economic benefits of a riverfront ballpark, the consultants said.
Those conclusions point to Broadway as the best location for the community's benefit, Mr. Dowlin said, echoing, "This is not about sports, this is about economic development."
Meanwhile, Broadway backers continue to fight for their site. Restaurant owner Jim Tarbell, perhaps Broadway's most ardent supporter, has begun talking about what action the Broadway faithful would take after a preliminary deal for a riverfront ballpark is signed.
Mr. Tarbell had threatened to collect signatures to put the decision to a vote, something that, as it turns out, is impossible. Now he's talking about trying to remove at least one commissioner from office if the county makes a riverfront deal.
Debate not over
Mr. Bedinghaus, a likely target of such a drive, isn't worried. For Mr. Neyer's part, he said he just wants the decision to be final so the county commissioners can move past it.
"I believe we're just spending too much time and energy on it as a community," he said. "I think once the baseball decision is made, it will allow the community to continue some very important discussions."
Staunch Broadway backers insist, however, that a preliminary deal with the Reds won't be the end of the stadium debate.
Stadium story list
