The Bengals are urging Cincinnati and Hamilton County leaders to settle their differences and work together on developing a music venue at The Banks. The team released a letter this afternoon after a Joint Banks Steering Committee meeting ended with arguments over the proposed facility.
The venue would be built as part of a plan to move a concrete plant away from Paul Brown Stadium and turn that land into parking.
Bengals Vice President and committee member Katie Blackburn says the team believes the deal is best for The Banks. "Whether it ties into the use of the music venue and parking or whatever else might be developed there; whether it's being able to be used by us when we have our events there; we think that's a good thing for the city."
"You think?" interjected board member and former mayor Charlie Luken. He says he wants to hear from people in Lower Price Hill, who would be affected by the relocation of the Hilltop Basic Resources plant.
Luken says what's before the committee has far reaching effects. "There are people who are affected by this. There are companies that are affected by this. There are jobs that are affected by this. And we ought to know more about what those people think before we go endorsing."
Board member and Reds majority owner Bob Castellini says he's fine with hearing from Lower Price Hill residents, but he says the city is stonewalling.
"All we get from the city are things that prevent us from cooperating and from talking to each other and coming through this thing with some kind of a solution."
Castellini says despite construction being underway on a competing music venue in Newport, The Banks has not given up on a facility.
