CINCINNATI (WXIX) – Hamilton County and the Bengals have been negotiating for months, but a new deal has yet to be signed, with less than one week before the expiration of a lease that allows the Bengals to play at Paycor Stadium.
While this holdup could potentially mean that the Bengals could leave the city, with 24 years in Cincinnati and the ball already rolling on a deal that would pump $830 million into stadium renovations, there are no expectations that it will happen.
The history of Paul Brown and Paycor Stadium dates back to the turn of the century.
With Akili Smith as quarterback, head coach Bruce Coslet on the sidelines and a stadium packed to the rafters with fans, the first game played at the then-revolutionary Paul Brown Stadium was Aug. 19, 2000.
Getting to that point began three years earlier with the signing of a decades-long lease deal.
The last time Hamilton County commissioners discussed it in an open forum was on June 12th.
“The original lease (edit) was entered into the board’s record back on May 29, 1997,” Hamilton County Administrator Jeff Aluto said. “It covers 29 years through June 30, 2026.”
Since its signing, Hamilton County commissioners have expressed their concerns with some of the details in the 1997 deal.
“The Bengals’ ownership did a great job of this lease that is lopsided,” said Hamilton County Commissioner Alecia Reece.
County commissioners want to make sure that the new deal contains updates to the responsibility of taxpayers for upkeep and maintenance, access to the stadium during the Bengals’ off-season and continuing to provide property tax rollbacks.
Under the current lease, Hamilton County taxpayers are responsible for paying 94% of the cost of stadium maintenance.
“The 94%, we know that residents were paying, that’s over,” said Hamilton County Commissioner Staphanie Summerow Dumas. “That’s old news.“
Commissioner Denise Driehaus says she wants to unlock the possibilities that Paycor has to offer.
“So whether that’s a high school football game or more concerts, graduations or wedding receptions, I mean, there’s so much potential,” she says.
Commissioner Alicia Reece says the Bengals are taken care of, but taxpayers need to see some of the benefits with property tax relief.
“We ain’t making sure grandma is ok. We ain’t making sure that hard-working man working three jobs [is ok],” Reece says.
June 12 was the last time the team spoke out as well.
It came in a released statement that read in part, “As Paycor Stadium enters its final lease year, the Bengals remain committed to forging a stadium solution in Cincinnati…with short-term solutions and long-term flexibility.”
“The county and the team are still at the negotiating table,” said Bridget Doherty, Hamilton County Communications Director. “We hope to have a conclusion within the next week.“
Both the county and the Bengals say they want to keep the team in Cincinnati even if a new deal isn’t reached by Monday.
Under the current lease, the Bengals can exercise a 2-year option to extend the deal, but critics say that would just kick the can down the road until 2027, when the county and team will have to do this all over again.
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