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Hamilton County Capital Projects: Needs Vs. Wants

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City of Cincinnati
A replacement for the Western Hills Viaduct, one of the county's priority projects, is estimated to cost $335 million.

Hamilton County leaders are looking for money to build a new Western Hills Viaduct. There's also been talk at the county commission about putting decks over Fort Washington Way and expanding the Duke Energy and Sharonville Convention centers.

Commissioners are looking for public input on capital projects.

Tuesday night, the board will discuss the county's capital project commitments and obligations. That includes maintaining Paul Brown Stadium and Great American Ballpark, and transportation infrastructure. The discussion will also include a look at the county's budget.

Supporters of FC Cincinnati want a soccer stadium, and the owners of U.S. Bank Arena have plans to renovate that facility. Neither have filed a formal request for public money.

Commission President Todd Portune has been open to the idea of helping build a new soccer stadium, but is skeptical the county can contribute financially. "I know that we can benefit from a new arena. There's no doubt about that. We can also benefit from keeping FC Cincinnati in Cincinnati. But those elements have to be managed in the context of how they fit and where they fit with all of this other stuff," he said at a July meeting.

FC Cincinnati fans plan to be at Tuesday's hearing to make their case for county dollars.

An opposition group is also encouraging attendance.

The meeting is at 7 p.m. at the Board of Elections headquarters, 4700 Smith Road in Norwood.

Bill Rinehart started his radio career as a disc jockey in 1990. In 1994, he made the jump into journalism and has been reporting and delivering news on the radio ever since.