Cincinnati Council members have approved a motion that will ask the Bengals to approve the construction of a music venue at The Banks without asking for new parking. Such a move would mean the relocation of a concrete plant wouldn't be necessary.
Councilman Greg Landsman says the "ask" is a simple solution to a complicated problem. "We don't have to move a whole bunch of local companies. We don't have to upend West Side communities. We don't have to waste any more taxpayer dollars. We can move forward with these investments and do so, I think, in a way that benefits the Bengals."
Landsman says it will promote development on the west side of The Banks, closer to Paul Brown Stadium. The motion is just a request of the Bengals, not a directive.
P.G. Sittenfeld is in favor of asking but doesn't expect an answer. "It's a little bit: I move that Proctor & Gamble stock hit an all time high. I move that my son sleep through the night. I move that it be a mild winter," he says. "It's not that I don't like the outcomes you are seeking, but the notion that us writing our Christmas wish list on a piece of paper accomplishes anything… it doesn't give me great comfort."
Mayor John Cranley says he's fine with the music venue and sees the motion as a starting point. "I think we as a body should stop being told what to do by the county, and the Joint Banks Steering Committee. We should express our opinion as where we want to go. And then, as equal partners we can sit down with the county, The Banks, the Bengals and any other relevant party to find a compromise to move forward."
The Joint Banks Steering Committee meets Thursday afternoon. The body includes representatives of the city, the county and the Bengals.
