BY ANNE MICHAUD
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Todd Portune
|
Confronting county commissioners Friday night, City Councilman Todd Portune proposed to put the Reds stadium site decision "back in the hands of the people" with a city charter amendment on November's ballot.
His remarks came during a Hamilton County commissioners' meeting, at which commissioners said they are very close to an agreement with the Reds to play ball at Baseball on Main.
Mr. Portune, who champions the Broadway Commons site, is working on a draft initiative for the citywide ballot.
The initiative, he said, would make it illegal for council to take any action inconsistent with recommendations by the city and county planning commissions. Both bodies favor Broadway Commons. He said he would be willing to hold riverfront land hostage, land the county needs to build the stadium.
County Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus pointed out that most Hamilton County residents, who are also paying the stadium sales tax, would have no opportunity to vote under Mr. Portune's plan.
"It would seem to me it might have an indirect result of forcing us to build (the stadium) outside the city of Cincinnati," Mr. Bedinghaus said.
Asked whether he took such a threat seriously, Mr. Portune said he did not.
"If commissioners are unwilling to consider locating at the best site, the point is to get the issue back in the hands of the people," Mr. Portune said after the meeting.
"At this point, we're not advised there is any way to do a countywide initiative that is binding, but if that changes, that certainly would be the approach."
Jim Tarbell, leader of the pro-Broadway Commons movement, would co-chair the initiative campaign. Supporters would need 9,300 signatures by August to place the measure on the ballot.
Mr. Portune delivered a copy of the draft initiative to commissioners. He is still researching whether it can be made legally binding on city council.
A similar vote on the Aronoff Center site was non-binding. Mr. Portune said he wants to avoid that disappointment.
Mr. Bedinghaus said the only location that has been mentioned during the last several months of negotiations is Baseball on Main, the so-called "Wedge" site near Cinergy Field.
For a short period, he said, the team and the county discussed a renovation of Cinergy Field.
The county has also raised Broadway Commons on a few occasions as a possibility, Mr. Krings said. The impression was that the site has never been a serious consideration for the Reds.
The initiative that Mr. Portune suggested could delay the city's plans for redevelopment of the riverfront, Mr. Bedinghaus said after Friday's meeting, and he guessed that would deter some city council members from accepting Mr. Portune's idea.
"It's yet to be seen whether a majority on council will share his position of holding up such an important project for the community," Mr. Bedinghaus said.
Mr. Portune pointed out that the Reds stadium could be built more quickly at Broadway Commons, because it is vacant and does not depend on completion of the Fort Washington Way renovation.
He also warned that the city may be considering legal action to force commissioners to live up to a city-county memorandum of understanding that promised 15 percent of the Bengals stadium construction would go to minority- and women-owned businesses.
Stadium deal 'very close'
Previous stadium stories
