CINCINNATI — Hamilton County officials unveiled the long-awaited renovation plan for Paycor Stadium on Tuesday, as its lease with the Cincinnati Bengals is set to expire in less than two years.
But who pays for the $1.25 billion cost is unclear.
"No decision is made today," Hamilton County Commission President Alicia Reece said at the start of Tuesday's meeting, promising that any new agreement with the Bengals would be an improvement over the current lease in which taxpayers shoulder 95 percent of the cost.
"The current funding model, we can't go back to that," Reece said.
Reece has met with Gov. Mike DeWine to ask for state funding for stadium renovations, noting that the Cleveland Browns had already approached him for the same financial help.
“You can’t give everything to Cleveland and leave us with the scraps," Reece said. "We certainly have to get our fair share and not be left with the scraps."
Local officials also expect the Bengals and the NFL to help pay for renovations to what Commissioner Denise Driehaus described as "one of the county's largest and most important assets."
Newly-released renderings show a massive retooling of the stadium’s north end zone sections, with new club seats and other premium-seating options, as well as a large viewing patio and giant scoreboard. (click or tap and drag the slider to see existing and proposed renderings)
The new design calls for expanding the plaza and concourse around Paycor Stadium to improve pedestrian flow and give fans more ways to catch live action on three large, outward-facing screens. This offers another way for the Bengals to generate revenue on sellout games.
The plan would turn the stadium site into more of a campus, with a permanent indoor practice facility that includes a large headquarters space for the team. Renderings show how the Bengals practice field could become more of a public space and a revenue opportunity for the team. Grandstand seats could be sold for practice and a game day experience, using one of three new huge video displays.
The plan shows that Mehring Way would be rerouted to eliminate a surface lot south of the stadium, replacing it with a "green" parking lot west of the stadium.
But it does not include a dome, ruled out as too costly by county officials, which could have expanded the number of concerts and events in colder months. The proposal also doesn’t increase the stadium’s 65,000-seat capacity.
In August 2000, then-Paul Brown Stadium opened to fans who were struck by the expansive views and post-modern, open-air design. The structure won an architectural award and became an iconic part of the downtown skyline.
MORE PHOTOS: See all the new renderings of the proposed renovations here
Now as the stadium enters its third decade of use, it is considered middle-aged by NFL standards.
The proposed renovations, developed by Cincinnati-based MSA Design, are part of a stadium master planning process jointly funded by the county and the Bengals. That process has already led to more than $100 million in improvements at Paycor stadium, also jointly funded.
The county and the Bengals hired Los Angeles-based architecture and design firm Gensler Sports to evaluate the stadium. The firm released a capital assessment report in April 2022, recommending $493.7 million in basic repairs to the aging structure such as fixing steel rails and ramps, replacing seats and upgrading electric and plumbing systems.
The county’s lease with the Bengals is set to expire on June 30, 2026, but the team could opt for five consecutive two-year extensions. These extensions would go into effect upon written notice from the team no later than 12 months prior to the lease's expiration.
“So even if we don’t want to, they’ve handcuffed us to that as an option," Reece said. "The lease is number one ... and then we talk about possible upgrades.”
The new plans do not include an option for building a new stadium.The county commissioners asked in April 2023 for the master plan to include options for a new stadium as well as for renovations to the current stadium so they can see costs for both options.
The Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills all have plans for new stadiums.
But a new stadium is not an option here, said Tom Gableman, the county's consultant on riverfront development, who noted that Paycor Stadium's bones are good.
“There is not a funding model that can get us to $2.5 billion (for a new stadium) within our community," Gabelman said.
In a statement, the Bengals thanked Hamilton County for "sharing these concepts and designs" but didn't indicate how, when or whether it will act on the proposal.
"Paycor Stadium is a cornerstone of the community that has been well maintained but needs immediate repairs and improvements to remain competitive now and into the future," the statement said. "The team will review the materials in due course and believes an approach of responsible investing in this great public asset can serve the community for NFL games, major concerts and other events that bring vibrancy to The Banks, Greater Cincinnati and the entire region for years to come.”
Northern Kentucky University Professor Joe Cobbs thinks the renovation plan is designed to draw a maximum contribution from the Bengals by providing lots of new revenue sources for the team to latch onto.
That includes three new club sections that the team can use to attract companies and existing season ticket holders to purchase more lucrative seating arrangements for the team.
“Not only is the revenue higher, but the revenue split with the other teams in the NFL is much, much lower,” Cobbs said. “Any sort of premium seating, the teams don’t share at all with the league. But a seat in the stands, where I would usually sit in the upper level, the visiting team gets 40% of that revenue.”
Cobbs said the team might try to sell the new club seat sections with private-seat licenses, which are one-time fees that are used by many teams – including the Bengals in the 1990s – to finance new stadiums.
That might seem like a tough ask in a town with three professional sports teams and the expanding Cincinnati Open tennis complex, but Cobbs thinks it might work if the Bengals remain a playoff-caliber team.
“I think they’d try and move some of their existing fans into those club seats and then replace the existing fans in those areas with some people who have been single-game or multi-game buyers,” Cobbs said.
Beyond premium seats, Cobbs said the team could generate new revenue from a renovated practice facility and plaza expansions that draw bigger crowds on game day and during concerts. Relocating the team’s headquarters also frees up space for banquet facilities and event space that could draw visitors to the stadium on non-game days.
Cobbs said all of that new revenue potential could lead to a financial plan that includes a hefty contribution from the team - perhaps in excess of 40% of the total price tag.
“You know, the Bengals are smart. I think the people at the county have done their homework. And there’ll be some back and forth on it without a doubt. But I’m just happy to see that discussion is starting now instead of them posturing without any real plan and pushing it to a deadline where one side comes in with an ultimatum,” Cobbs said.
A Messer Construction official said Tuesday that similar projects elsewhere have cost between $900 million and $1.5 billion, and estimated that Paycor's renovation price tag would fall in the middle at $1.25 billion.
"Whatever the final price tag is for renovations, or a new stadium, the public should expect massive cost overruns," said Andrew Zimbalist, an economics professor at Smith College, who has consulted in the sports industry for players' associations, cities, companies, teams and leagues, said,
“I will guarantee it whether those cost overruns are 20 or 30 or 50%, or even more,” Zimbalist said in a September 2023 interview with WCPO. “What always happens is you start with a low number; you low ball your estimates.”
