CINCINNATI — It’s been four years since Hamilton County started working with the Cincinnati Bengals to determine what’s next at Paycor Stadium.
Commissioner Alicia Reece said it’s time to fix what’s wrong instead.
“We’re trying to get out of an upside-down lease. Everything else is irrelevant,” Reece said after commissioners were briefed on a “Negotiation Framework” for stadium renovations.
The six-page document outlines issues the county wants to address in future lease negotiations with the team but doesn’t offer any specific lease terms that the county has proposed.
Instead, the document identifies, as its first priority, “the design, development, financing, renovation, operation and maintenance” of a $1.25 billion Paycor Stadium Complex that was unveiled by county officials last September.
“We can’t build another thing until we straighten out the relationship contractually between the taxpayers and the Bengal ownership,” Reece said.
Tuesday’s stadium discussion came four days after the public release of emails showing the Bengals and county officials have accused each other of defaulting on their 1997 stadium lease, which is scheduled to expire in June 2026. The Bengals have an option to extend the lease by two years under its existing terms if they exercise that option by June 30 of this year.
“Don’t wait ‘til the final seconds,” Reece told Aluotto. “Don’t let the clock run out. Let’s get down to the lease.”
Aluotto said the lease discussions should proceed simultaneously with the development of a financing plan for the stadium complex and negotiations that prioritize what parts of the complex should be built first or revised.
“We have said from the beginning that we can’t really start these formal discussions and detailed discussions until we had the facility condition assessment and master plan together,” Aluotto said. “If you’re going to build a house, you need to know what the plan is.”
Commission President Denise Driehaus agreed the simultaneous approach is best.
“I think a broad framework is appropriate,” Driehaus said. “You don’t go in and say, ‘This one, this one, this one,’ but rather, this is what we’re trying to accomplish. A better deal. A fair-market deal for the taxpayers and keeping the Bengals here long term.”
The Bengals have made three proposals to extend the lease on its existing terms, in exchange for commitments by the team to invest in stadium improvements. But neither side has clearly identified what it wants in a future lease for a renovated Paycor Stadium.
Driehaus declined to comment on specific lease terms the county and Bengals have discussed. But the negotiation framework calls for “fair and equitable contributions” from the county, team, NFL and state of Ohio to pay for renovations.
“The county has been clear that we are seeking a market lease,” said Aluotto. “We realize there is no one-size-fits-all lease amongst NFL teams. While that might make discerning a true market lease more difficult, we’re confident that as we do sit down, we’ll be able to … ensure taxpayers are getting a deal commensurate with other NFL communities.”
