CINCINNATI (CelebrityAccess) The Cincinnati City Council unanimously approved a new concert venue for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, but the story isn’t over yet.
The symphony want to build an indoor/outdoor venue at The Banks, an entertainment/shopping district along the Ohio River between Paul Brown Stadium and U.S. Bank Arena. Banks planner Tom Gabelman wants to build it on a site near the Bengals’ stadium that would require a $20 million parking garage that would trigger another building phase for The Banks, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
However, the Bengals have a lease with the county that gives the NFL team approval power on any project at The Banks that will house more than 3,000 people or is higher than two stories, according to the paper, and the team wants the concert venue built near the General Electric building which it claims is in line with the original proposal. It granted waiver to its rules for GE.
Because of the lot dispute, Mayor John Cranley said the venue may not be built at all.
“I worry we’re giving people false hope,” Cranley recently told the Enquirer. “There’s no question we’re far from a deal.
“One, the Bengals have made it clear they don’t support using the lots closest to the stadium. And, two, there is no agreement or legal obligation for us to put money into parking.”
The symphony was recently selected over PromoWest to develop the venue at the mixed-use entertainment district.
