Hamilton County is switching legal representation for The Banks riverfront development.
Tom Gabelman of Frost Brown Todd has been outside counsel for the development project for 28 years, but the county is dropping him in favor of two other firms. County Administrator Jeff Aluotto says commissioners and the county prosecutor were both satisfied with a switch.
Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease will deal with renewing a lease with the Cincinnati Reds. Dinsmore & Shohl will represent the county in renewing the Bengals' lease. Both firms will also represent the county in future developments at The Banks.
Aluotto says the decision does not reflect on the work accomplished by Gabelman and Frost Brown Todd.
Recently, Hamilton County and the city of Cincinnati agreed to hold off on approving any new development at The Banks until the completion of a study on what has worked so far, and what hasn’t. That report is expected by January.
County Prosecutor Connie Pillich will ask a judge to make the switch.
“Sometimes when you have fresh eyes on a situation you come up with a fresh idea, and I think this is the time for it to happen,” she says.
Tom Gabelman spoke at Thursday's meeting.
“As the project counsel to the Board for the last 28 years, it has been an honor and a privilege to serve this Board, until about an hour and 15 minutes ago when I received a call that our services were being terminated,” he says. “That was completely unexpected.”
Gabelman told commissioners his firm did good work for the last 28 years.
“Our entire retention has always been more than just about protecting the interests of the county and being loyal to the county; it’s a return on investment and a cost benefit,” he says. “Always, our services... those costs are far less than the benefits that were received.”
He says Frost Brown Todd developed sports betting legislation under consideration now that would fund stadiums in Ohio.
Gabelman says his team was instrumental in the growth of the neighborhood and did it at a discounted rate for the county.
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