13 hours ago
Hamilton County, Ohio officials revealed plans for $1.2 cardinal successful renovations to Paycor Stadium, nan location of nan Cincinnati Bengals.
With nan team's lease group to expire successful 2026, section authorities is trying to guarantee nan nine Hall of Famer Paul Brown founded successful 1968 remains successful nan Queen City for nan foreseeable future.
The problem is, nan team's 25-year-old Paycor Stadium (formerly Paul Brown Stadium) is now seen arsenic ill-equipped for an NFL franchise. And since building a caller stadium could costs upwards of $5 billion, nan County hopes renewal plans from architecture patient MSA Sport will suffice.
Unfortunately, financing remains unclear.
There are presently nary caller taxes projected to salary for nan renewal plans, though an existing half-cent income taxation remains connected nan books from a 4th period earlier, erstwhile nan stadium was first financed.
Currently nan Bengals believe adjacent a actual works on nan Ohio River
County officials dream to move nan actual works down stream to build a believe facility
That existing tax, on pinch contributions from nan squad and league, mightiness beryllium needed to get nan connection complete nan proverbial extremity line. Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reece wants $100 cardinal from nan NFL and has criticized nan existent team-friendly lease arsenic a load connected taxpayers.
'My extremity is to person a diversified plan,' Reece said successful 2023 arsenic quoted by Cincinnati.com. 'Everybody is looking astatine that. NFL, you're putting tegument successful nan crippled for different teams. You request to put immoderate tegument successful nan crippled for our team. Give america immoderate respect.'
The Bengals do person nan correct to widen nan existent lease by 5 years aliases two, according to Cincinnati.com.
The projected renovations will consequence successful 35 percent much quadrate footage for nan stadium, 67 percent much entryways, 38 percent much instrumentality amenities, 20 percent much restrooms, and a 17-percent bump successful concessions, according to Hamilton County officials.
The North extremity area will spot nan biggest alteration if nan MSA Design plans are adopted
And for illustration each stadium renovations, location would beryllium a monolithic scoreboard upgrade
A rendering of nan plans for nan North extremity area astatine Paycor Stadium are seen
Naturally, caller concessions will unfastened arsenic portion of nan projected renovations astatine Paycor
One important characteristic of nan plans would beryllium a renovated believe facility.
Currently nan Bengals usage an indoor believe bubble and surrounding fields abutting a actual works on nan Ohio River.
The connection has plans for a larger brick-and-mortar installation pinch indoor and outdoor believe fields.
The full capacity of Paycor would stay astir 65,000 seats if nan connection is adopted, only pinch a higher percent of nine seating.
Many of nan surrounding streets and walkways would beryllium adjusted to create much unfastened spaces on nan river, while making nan stadium much accessible for each fans.
And for illustration each stadium renovations, location would beryllium a monolithic scoreboard upgrade. In this case, a caller 200-foot-wide and 60-foot-tall scoreboard would beryllium added to nan northbound extremity area astatine Paycor.
The Bengals primitively played 2 seasons astatine Nippert Stadium, wherever nan University of Cincinnati continues to play football. They moved to Riverfront Stadium successful 1970 and enjoyed 2 AFC titles while playing astatine nan multi-sport facility.
