June 26, 2025 • 16 mins
Tony and Austin get the breakdown of the Bengals deal with Hamilton County from 700 WLW News man Rick Ucchino, on ESPN 1530!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Six about Cincinnati from Cincinnati, sponsored in part by Cinci Shirts.
Cinci Shirts All Cincy, all Day. This is ESPN fifteen
thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Welcome back our number two, Cincy three sixty on ESPN
fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Thanks to our friends at Cinci Shirts.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
More phone calls and your talkback's coming up here in
our number two and in our number three. But before that, Austin,
there's a lot going on right now with the stadium
leaves between Hamilton County and the Cincinnati Bengals, and we've
been trying to kind of decipher everything that's happened from
different reports that are out there, and Austin told me
(00:45):
during one of the breaks that, hey, we got Uchino
that's going to come in at one o'clock. And I
thought to myself, is there a wrestling pay per view
that is happening that because I normally I'm up to
speed on everything going on with WWE, and there is
one on and you know, Goldberg's coming back, So maybe
Rix's announcing a return to the ring for himself. No,
(01:06):
but that's not the case because our guy, rick Yuchino,
Ricky Ringside, is also here to break down everything that's
going on from a standpoint between the County and the
Cincinnati Bengals. So, Rick, I guess my biggest thing. I
want this explained to me, Like I'm a toddler. Okay,
can you explain to me what today signifies for these
(01:28):
two sides?
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (01:29):
So this coming Monday, and I granted I just sat
through the entire hour long proceeding of what this was
today down at the Hamilton County Commissioner's meeting. So, as
you are well aware, Monday, June thirtieth, that was the
deadline to come to an agreement on a new long
term lease extension. So that by June thirtieth of this year,
(01:51):
the Bengals had that deadline of saying, hey, we're either
you know, opting out whatever we're gonna do, or we're
gonna extend the current lease for two more years to
figure something out, come to some kind of an agreement. Now,
what they did today is not a lease, okay, It
is a letter of intent. It is a sheet of
(02:12):
the terms, the major financial terms, the length of the deal,
of everything that they are going to finalize in the lease.
And what this was also voted upon was basically an
extension of that June thirty a deadline to coincide to
when the final paperwork is done. So they have a
(02:32):
framework of a deal. They have agreed to terms. Both
the county and the Bengals have agreed to terms, and
now it's getting down to the nitty gritty the final
little clauses all the major details of the lease, which
is going to take more time than they have from today.
What is a June twenty sixth to June thirty. They
can't get all that done in four days, so they're
(02:52):
going to get this done over the next several weeks
and months.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Do we have an understanding of what the major factors
that were holding this or are holding this up are.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Again, it's just all the details of getting the contract together.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Yeah, how much money the Bengals are kicking in? How much?
Speaker 4 (03:09):
Well we know that, We do know that now. So
this is a what this is overall? It's an eleven
year lease because what this is doing is this is
rolling in the final year of the current lease, which
is this upcoming twenty twenty five season, and it is
adding a ten year extension. So actually this last year
of this current lease is getting upgraded terms So it's
(03:30):
going to be an eleven year lease that'll run through
twenty thirty six, which, by the way, for those keeping track,
the Red's leases up in twenty thirty seven. So kicking
this can down the road a little bit here to
where both teams are going to be negotiating their next
leases at roughly the same time, have a couple World.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Series in Super Bowls to celebrate before then.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
Who so that that could be a little bit Hey,
that's that's next decades problem, all right, you know, So
we'll figure some things out, maybe they get some deals
done ahead of time. But it is an eleven year
extension for four hundred and seventy million dollars. The Bengals
will be kicking in one hundred and twenty of that,
plus they will be paying rent for the first time ever. Wow,
(04:10):
one million dollars a year for the first three years
and then two million per year through the extent. So
they are probably going to be somewhere in the ballpark.
All told, one hundred and forty million roughly in on
this deal. Hamilton County is kicking in three hundred and
fifty million dollars cap that is it, So that provision
of oh, Hey, look at what the Browns did with
(04:31):
their stadium. Look what the Ravens did with their stadium.
Can we go ahead and get that upgraded for us
at the county's expense.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
That clause is now gone.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
The Bengal, the Hamilton County is putting in three hundred
and fifty million dollars, not all at once, It's going
to be over the course of the next couple of
years or so.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
But that is it.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
That is everything they are putting in. The biggest caveat
is the state funding, which as we know right now
is up in the air. The state budget that has
recently been passed by the House in the Senate is
the unclaimed funds that they've set aside six hundred million
dollars specifically for the Cleveland Browns. There's roughly four hundred
million dollars that the Bengals could apply for. The governor
(05:08):
still hasn't signed that part of the budget. And also
there's already legal challenges facing that because technically that is
the taxpayer's money, is that that pool of unclaimed funds,
So that is going to be a long time before
any of that gets really figured out. So again, what
this lease does or what this letter of intent does
is give more time for the state to figure things out,
(05:29):
and then Hamilton County can go and the Bengals jointly
can request state funding once they get their end figured out.
So their bottom line eleven years, four hundred and seventy
million dollars deal. Is there any indication of like what
or where the state funding would go once they get that, Like,
do we know, like is there provision anywhere? Obviously I
(05:51):
know they're still building building the actual physical lease is
what's taking up the time now moving forward to you're
asking a lot now, Alston, they've had they've only had
thirty years to this out. So like that you're asking
a lot, do we know is there anything in there
that says, okay, state funding when it is secured or
if it is secured, would go to this, this or
this not at this particular time. So listening to Jason
(06:13):
Williams of The Inquirer, who broke the story first this
morning when he was on with Sloan on seven hundred
w WELW. His understanding was the majority of this funding,
the four hundred and seventy and of course we're talking
about the stadium renovations at this point would go towards
more infrastructure type things than maybe the upgraded suite renovation.
So fixing the elevators, fixing the escalators, you know, making
(06:36):
a more serviceable building, and some other extra is thrown
in on top. But as far as like line item,
here's where every dollar is going to that that's going
to be part of the Least figure out process. My
next question is this seems like a pretty good deal
for Hamilton County. They have a cap on the amount
of money that they spend. It's less than what they
(06:56):
spent before. They have more power. The Bengals can't just
come and say, hey, these stadiums did this, so we
should get this. They took away the restrictions with the
banks and the stuff that the Bengals have kind of
shut down over the years. What's the biggest thing for
the Bengals that they got in this? Do you think
(07:17):
the biggest benefit to the Bengals would be what? You know?
I honestly, I don't really know. You know, I'm looking
at this. They really did the Bengals that made a
lot of concessions, right, yeah, yeah, Because if you look
at the old Least was a ninety four to six split.
So I think the biggest thing for the Bengals is
(07:39):
this is still a seventy five to twenty five split,
and the one hundred and twenty million dollars that they're
putting in the league is going to be helping them
out with that. So I think even at the end
of the day, the Bengals still got a good deal,
just in comparison to what the old deal was. This
is so much better from my point of view, which
(08:00):
is what people care about, right, yes, yes, more than
exactly exactly. And the question all comes down to the
fine print. Is this is an letter of intent that
did pass the county commissioners to zero. Technically, Stephanie Dumas
and Denise Treehouse voted for it, and Alicia Reese abstained
(08:22):
her vote. Today she did not take a vote, and
her biggest thing was, you know, this is not a lease,
it's a concept. This is very similar to ninety seven
when the voters approved the concept and then they got
screwed in the fine print of the deal. She wants
to see the fine print on anything, literally anything, whether
it's the convention center renovations, whether it's a convention center hotel.
(08:42):
She's always been very very consistent, show me a done deal,
not a concept. And she has voted no or abstained
on a lot of different deals, not just the Bengal
Stadium lease, but a lot of different deals because they
weren't one percent done and she could read the fine print.
So that was her big concern today is the hammer
out the fine print of the details of the deal,
which is going to come over the next several weeks
(09:04):
a month. So when do we expect there to be
a lease completed, ready to be read over and voted upon.
So we don't know that yet, but we will know
that soon because right now, what the county commissioners voted
on today, the way it was described in the meeting
was that that deadline that was June thirtieth would be
extended out to coincide with the final date. But there
(09:26):
is no actual final date, and this is something that
Elisha brought up. So the final date will be determined.
The County voted on approved it. They're going to sign
the paperwork and do everything. Then it will go to
the Bengals now to give them something. Actually physically they've
already agreed to the term, so that the Bengals will
put pen to paper and then at that point they'll
determine the date of when the new deadline to get
(09:48):
everything done will be.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
So fans, local businesses can breathe a sigh of relief today.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
Yeah, oh, huge, huge sigh of relief today. Yes, I
would say so.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Do you think with the Bengals making concessions on this
side of the deal, that maybe they're ready to make
some concessions on the Trey Hendrickson and Shamar Stewart side
of the tame.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
You know what, the two separate negotiators there to completely
different set of negotiation negotiators and lawyers and things like that.
I don't think the boys that at Densmore and shul
are representing Trey Hendrickson or Shamar Stewart. But hey, this
is a good thing for those people who are biting
their nails over the fact that, you know, they were
(10:24):
running short on time they today at the end of
the day, they bought themselves some more time. And again
just the major issues have been hammered out. Austin brought
up the urban development design, the fact that there are
four major plots of land down at the Banks that
are still ready for development near the Bengal Stadium. The
(10:44):
Bengals used to have like control over that can complete
control over that, whether something was high, what could go there,
a lot of different things. Now they're a part of
the discussion, but they can't just put the kaibosh on
certain things anymore. The other big thing that I think
from this is the county now controls the booking of
(11:06):
the stadium.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Yes, yeah, okay.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
They are going to book more concerts. They are going
to book more shows. Tone come on Summer Slam some
point now in the end of that lease, big major
stadium acts are going to be coming to pay Course Stadium.
Don't know what the revenue split is going to be
on that. That could be part of the fine print
that still needs to be worked out. But the county
is going to bring more events. The way that Denise
(11:31):
Dreehouse put it, the taxpayers are now going to have
more access to their stadium. So I think that's a
big thing on this. Can I put you on the
spot here, Rick?
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Is there anything you said? The Reds lease expires in
twenty thirty six, twenty thirty seven, the Bengals twenty thirty six. Yes,
Do the Reds have anything in their lease where they
can go to and ask Hamilton County for funding for
improvements or anything kind of similar to what the Bengals
had in that previous deal. Because I've been to nearly
(12:00):
twenty Reds games this year and that ballpark is really
starting to show its age?
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Is it? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (12:07):
And I'm just wondering about is that because hey, the
Reds are waiting on you know, I don't know. This
is an impossible question to ask you right right on top,
but I just for the first time in years of
going to that ballpark, it started to become noticeable to me.
To be honest, I don't I don't know what the
terms of the Reds lease are. I know they did.
(12:30):
They re upped recently, I think within the last ten
years or so. There's always going to be a point
for renegotiation. I'm sure the Reds could go to Hamilton
County and ask for funding. If the other thing is
they might go to do the state route. They might
be waiting for the state funding to figure out, because
it's not if the if the Unclaimed Funds plan goes
into effect, the four hundred million that's sitting there that
(12:53):
you could say, oh, well, that's Earmark for the Bengals right,
not necessarily, because the Blue Jackets want to renovate nationwide.
FC Cincinnati has said they want to slice of that
pie as well, so the Bengals could request that, the
Reds could request that. So again, state funding may have
a lot to do with that, but I'm sure there
is something in the Reds lease with Hamilton County that
would allow them to seek additional funding if they wanted
(13:16):
to make stadium upgrades. When it comes to this deal
specifically between the Bengals in Hamilton County, should other teams
like the Reds or FC Cincinnati be upset by it
or does it in any way have a negative effect
on them.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
It's another one. Honestly, I don't know without knowing what.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
The details of their current details of their currently so
it's the only thing I can compare this to is
the old Bengals stadium lease, which, again, for as far
as the taxpayers are concerned, I think this is a
vastly significant better deal, assuming that the define print is
worked out and there's not any whereas is. As Alicia
(13:57):
Reese said numerous times today during I have another question
that you probably don't know the answer to. Okay, yeah,
keeping and I'll keep making stuff. The development that FC
Cincinnati is working on around TQL Stadium, Yes, is that
funded primarily primarily publicly? Or is that primarily FC Cincinnati
(14:20):
funds Because that's not like a stadium specific, right, that's
like a development of stores and hotels and restaurants, right, Yeah,
a vast like the stadium itself for FC Cincinnati was
privately funded, right, which is why that got built so quickly.
As far as I am aware now they have They've
been granted certain tax deductions and grants along the way,
(14:45):
so they've gotten some state funding and some other, you know,
additional help elsewhere. But from my understanding, and majority of
SC Cincinnati's ventures in the West End have been privately funded.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
Okay, do you have any other questions to preface with
the answer?
Speaker 4 (15:01):
I think of any more really trying to test my
because I was just like a toddler to learn something here.
This is like an example, and Rick can attest to this.
Every day I go into the newsroom and I start
asking questions. Yeah, I'll ask Brian or I'll ask Rick,
and sometimes they know the answers and sometimes they don't.
This is basically just an on air version for me
(15:23):
going and bothering the news people every day.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
Yeah, it's a live version of that, Yeah for sure. Yeah,
well thank you, Rick. Yeah, you're welcome. Appreciate this. Yeah.
I feel smarter now than I did when you Joys.
Nobody explained everything correctly.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
I feel smarter because this is me trying to remember
an hour's worth of content and try to regurgitate it
in a succinct way. So hopefully I did that. You did,
You feel like I know what I'm talking about now?
Speaker 3 (15:48):
All right? That is Rick Uccino. Rick, thank you, buddy.
You're welcome.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
We appreciate the time. Uh, talkbacks are are coming up
in just a few minutes. Before we grab those talkbacks,
let's grab a phone call here while we out a second.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
What's up Mike?
Speaker 4 (16:03):
Hey, dom Dom, can you can you pay? I'll call
back hour three.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
They just started doing something in my leg.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Okay, Mike, we'll talk to you in the third hour.
Thank you man. That is Uh, that's Mike.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
We'll get to Mike an hour three. We'll get to
your talkbacks next. Cincy three sixty ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati
sports station. Thanks to Cincy shirts
Six about Cincinnati from Cincinnati, sponsored in part by Cinci Shirts.
Cinci Shirts All Cincy, all Day. This is ESPN fifteen
thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Welcome back our number two, Cincy three sixty on ESPN
fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Thanks to our friends at Cinci Shirts.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
More phone calls and your talkback's coming up here in
our number two and in our number three. But before that, Austin,
there's a lot going on right now with the stadium
leaves between Hamilton County and the Cincinnati Bengals, and we've
been trying to kind of decipher everything that's happened from
different reports that are out there, and Austin told me
(00:45):
during one of the breaks that, hey, we got Uchino
that's going to come in at one o'clock. And I
thought to myself, is there a wrestling pay per view
that is happening that because I normally I'm up to
speed on everything going on with WWE, and there is
one on and you know, Goldberg's coming back, So maybe
Rix's announcing a return to the ring for himself. No,
(01:06):
but that's not the case because our guy, rick Yuchino,
Ricky Ringside, is also here to break down everything that's
going on from a standpoint between the County and the
Cincinnati Bengals. So, Rick, I guess my biggest thing. I
want this explained to me, Like I'm a toddler. Okay,
can you explain to me what today signifies for these
(01:28):
two sides?
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (01:29):
So this coming Monday, and I granted I just sat
through the entire hour long proceeding of what this was
today down at the Hamilton County Commissioner's meeting. So, as
you are well aware, Monday, June thirtieth, that was the
deadline to come to an agreement on a new long
term lease extension. So that by June thirtieth of this year,
(01:51):
the Bengals had that deadline of saying, hey, we're either
you know, opting out whatever we're gonna do, or we're
gonna extend the current lease for two more years to
figure something out, come to some kind of an agreement. Now,
what they did today is not a lease, okay, It
is a letter of intent. It is a sheet of
(02:12):
the terms, the major financial terms, the length of the deal,
of everything that they are going to finalize in the lease.
And what this was also voted upon was basically an
extension of that June thirty a deadline to coincide to
when the final paperwork is done. So they have a
(02:32):
framework of a deal. They have agreed to terms. Both
the county and the Bengals have agreed to terms, and
now it's getting down to the nitty gritty the final
little clauses all the major details of the lease, which
is going to take more time than they have from today.
What is a June twenty sixth to June thirty. They
can't get all that done in four days, so they're
(02:52):
going to get this done over the next several weeks
and months.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Do we have an understanding of what the major factors
that were holding this or are holding this up are.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Again, it's just all the details of getting the contract together.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Yeah, how much money the Bengals are kicking in? How much?
Speaker 4 (03:09):
Well we know that, We do know that now. So
this is a what this is overall? It's an eleven
year lease because what this is doing is this is
rolling in the final year of the current lease, which
is this upcoming twenty twenty five season, and it is
adding a ten year extension. So actually this last year
of this current lease is getting upgraded terms So it's
(03:30):
going to be an eleven year lease that'll run through
twenty thirty six, which, by the way, for those keeping track,
the Red's leases up in twenty thirty seven. So kicking
this can down the road a little bit here to
where both teams are going to be negotiating their next
leases at roughly the same time, have a couple World.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Series in Super Bowls to celebrate before then.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
Who so that that could be a little bit Hey,
that's that's next decades problem, all right, you know, So
we'll figure some things out, maybe they get some deals
done ahead of time. But it is an eleven year
extension for four hundred and seventy million dollars. The Bengals
will be kicking in one hundred and twenty of that,
plus they will be paying rent for the first time ever. Wow,
(04:10):
one million dollars a year for the first three years
and then two million per year through the extent. So
they are probably going to be somewhere in the ballpark.
All told, one hundred and forty million roughly in on
this deal. Hamilton County is kicking in three hundred and
fifty million dollars cap that is it, So that provision
of oh, Hey, look at what the Browns did with
(04:31):
their stadium. Look what the Ravens did with their stadium.
Can we go ahead and get that upgraded for us
at the county's expense.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
That clause is now gone.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
The Bengal, the Hamilton County is putting in three hundred
and fifty million dollars, not all at once, It's going
to be over the course of the next couple of
years or so.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
But that is it.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
That is everything they are putting in. The biggest caveat
is the state funding, which as we know right now
is up in the air. The state budget that has
recently been passed by the House in the Senate is
the unclaimed funds that they've set aside six hundred million
dollars specifically for the Cleveland Browns. There's roughly four hundred
million dollars that the Bengals could apply for. The governor
(05:08):
still hasn't signed that part of the budget. And also
there's already legal challenges facing that because technically that is
the taxpayer's money, is that that pool of unclaimed funds,
So that is going to be a long time before
any of that gets really figured out. So again, what
this lease does or what this letter of intent does
is give more time for the state to figure things out,
(05:29):
and then Hamilton County can go and the Bengals jointly
can request state funding once they get their end figured out.
So their bottom line eleven years, four hundred and seventy
million dollars deal. Is there any indication of like what
or where the state funding would go once they get that, Like,
do we know, like is there provision anywhere? Obviously I
(05:51):
know they're still building building the actual physical lease is
what's taking up the time now moving forward to you're
asking a lot now, Alston, they've had they've only had
thirty years to this out. So like that you're asking
a lot, do we know is there anything in there
that says, okay, state funding when it is secured or
if it is secured, would go to this, this or
this not at this particular time. So listening to Jason
(06:13):
Williams of The Inquirer, who broke the story first this
morning when he was on with Sloan on seven hundred
w WELW. His understanding was the majority of this funding,
the four hundred and seventy and of course we're talking
about the stadium renovations at this point would go towards
more infrastructure type things than maybe the upgraded suite renovation.
So fixing the elevators, fixing the escalators, you know, making
(06:36):
a more serviceable building, and some other extra is thrown
in on top. But as far as like line item,
here's where every dollar is going to that that's going
to be part of the Least figure out process. My
next question is this seems like a pretty good deal
for Hamilton County. They have a cap on the amount
of money that they spend. It's less than what they
(06:56):
spent before. They have more power. The Bengals can't just
come and say, hey, these stadiums did this, so we
should get this. They took away the restrictions with the
banks and the stuff that the Bengals have kind of
shut down over the years. What's the biggest thing for
the Bengals that they got in this? Do you think
(07:17):
the biggest benefit to the Bengals would be what? You know?
I honestly, I don't really know. You know, I'm looking
at this. They really did the Bengals that made a
lot of concessions, right, yeah, yeah, Because if you look
at the old Least was a ninety four to six split.
So I think the biggest thing for the Bengals is
(07:39):
this is still a seventy five to twenty five split,
and the one hundred and twenty million dollars that they're
putting in the league is going to be helping them
out with that. So I think even at the end
of the day, the Bengals still got a good deal,
just in comparison to what the old deal was. This
is so much better from my point of view, which
(08:00):
is what people care about, right, yes, yes, more than
exactly exactly. And the question all comes down to the
fine print. Is this is an letter of intent that
did pass the county commissioners to zero. Technically, Stephanie Dumas
and Denise Treehouse voted for it, and Alicia Reese abstained
(08:22):
her vote. Today she did not take a vote, and
her biggest thing was, you know, this is not a lease,
it's a concept. This is very similar to ninety seven
when the voters approved the concept and then they got
screwed in the fine print of the deal. She wants
to see the fine print on anything, literally anything, whether
it's the convention center renovations, whether it's a convention center hotel.
(08:42):
She's always been very very consistent, show me a done deal,
not a concept. And she has voted no or abstained
on a lot of different deals, not just the Bengal
Stadium lease, but a lot of different deals because they
weren't one percent done and she could read the fine print.
So that was her big concern today is the hammer
out the fine print of the details of the deal,
which is going to come over the next several weeks
(09:04):
a month. So when do we expect there to be
a lease completed, ready to be read over and voted upon.
So we don't know that yet, but we will know
that soon because right now, what the county commissioners voted
on today, the way it was described in the meeting
was that that deadline that was June thirtieth would be
extended out to coincide with the final date. But there
(09:26):
is no actual final date, and this is something that
Elisha brought up. So the final date will be determined.
The County voted on approved it. They're going to sign
the paperwork and do everything. Then it will go to
the Bengals now to give them something. Actually physically they've
already agreed to the term, so that the Bengals will
put pen to paper and then at that point they'll
determine the date of when the new deadline to get
(09:48):
everything done will be.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
So fans, local businesses can breathe a sigh of relief today.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
Yeah, oh, huge, huge sigh of relief today. Yes, I
would say so.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Do you think with the Bengals making concessions on this
side of the deal, that maybe they're ready to make
some concessions on the Trey Hendrickson and Shamar Stewart side
of the tame.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
You know what, the two separate negotiators there to completely
different set of negotiation negotiators and lawyers and things like that.
I don't think the boys that at Densmore and shul
are representing Trey Hendrickson or Shamar Stewart. But hey, this
is a good thing for those people who are biting
their nails over the fact that, you know, they were
(10:24):
running short on time they today at the end of
the day, they bought themselves some more time. And again
just the major issues have been hammered out. Austin brought
up the urban development design, the fact that there are
four major plots of land down at the Banks that
are still ready for development near the Bengal Stadium. The
(10:44):
Bengals used to have like control over that can complete
control over that, whether something was high, what could go there,
a lot of different things. Now they're a part of
the discussion, but they can't just put the kaibosh on
certain things anymore. The other big thing that I think
from this is the county now controls the booking of
(11:06):
the stadium.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Yes, yeah, okay.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
They are going to book more concerts. They are going
to book more shows. Tone come on Summer Slam some
point now in the end of that lease, big major
stadium acts are going to be coming to pay Course Stadium.
Don't know what the revenue split is going to be
on that. That could be part of the fine print
that still needs to be worked out. But the county
is going to bring more events. The way that Denise
(11:31):
Dreehouse put it, the taxpayers are now going to have
more access to their stadium. So I think that's a
big thing on this. Can I put you on the
spot here, Rick?
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Is there anything you said? The Reds lease expires in
twenty thirty six, twenty thirty seven, the Bengals twenty thirty six. Yes,
Do the Reds have anything in their lease where they
can go to and ask Hamilton County for funding for
improvements or anything kind of similar to what the Bengals
had in that previous deal. Because I've been to nearly
(12:00):
twenty Reds games this year and that ballpark is really
starting to show its age?
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Is it? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (12:07):
And I'm just wondering about is that because hey, the
Reds are waiting on you know, I don't know. This
is an impossible question to ask you right right on top,
but I just for the first time in years of
going to that ballpark, it started to become noticeable to me.
To be honest, I don't I don't know what the
terms of the Reds lease are. I know they did.
(12:30):
They re upped recently, I think within the last ten
years or so. There's always going to be a point
for renegotiation. I'm sure the Reds could go to Hamilton
County and ask for funding. If the other thing is
they might go to do the state route. They might
be waiting for the state funding to figure out, because
it's not if the if the Unclaimed Funds plan goes
into effect, the four hundred million that's sitting there that
(12:53):
you could say, oh, well, that's Earmark for the Bengals right,
not necessarily, because the Blue Jackets want to renovate nationwide.
FC Cincinnati has said they want to slice of that
pie as well, so the Bengals could request that, the
Reds could request that. So again, state funding may have
a lot to do with that, but I'm sure there
is something in the Reds lease with Hamilton County that
would allow them to seek additional funding if they wanted
(13:16):
to make stadium upgrades. When it comes to this deal
specifically between the Bengals in Hamilton County, should other teams
like the Reds or FC Cincinnati be upset by it
or does it in any way have a negative effect
on them.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
It's another one. Honestly, I don't know without knowing what.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
The details of their current details of their currently so
it's the only thing I can compare this to is
the old Bengals stadium lease, which, again, for as far
as the taxpayers are concerned, I think this is a
vastly significant better deal, assuming that the define print is
worked out and there's not any whereas is. As Alicia
(13:57):
Reese said numerous times today during I have another question
that you probably don't know the answer to. Okay, yeah,
keeping and I'll keep making stuff. The development that FC
Cincinnati is working on around TQL Stadium, Yes, is that
funded primarily primarily publicly? Or is that primarily FC Cincinnati
(14:20):
funds Because that's not like a stadium specific, right, that's
like a development of stores and hotels and restaurants, right, Yeah,
a vast like the stadium itself for FC Cincinnati was
privately funded, right, which is why that got built so quickly.
As far as I am aware now they have They've
been granted certain tax deductions and grants along the way,
(14:45):
so they've gotten some state funding and some other, you know,
additional help elsewhere. But from my understanding, and majority of
SC Cincinnati's ventures in the West End have been privately funded.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
Okay, do you have any other questions to preface with
the answer?
Speaker 4 (15:01):
I think of any more really trying to test my
because I was just like a toddler to learn something here.
This is like an example, and Rick can attest to this.
Every day I go into the newsroom and I start
asking questions. Yeah, I'll ask Brian or I'll ask Rick,
and sometimes they know the answers and sometimes they don't.
This is basically just an on air version for me
(15:23):
going and bothering the news people every day.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
Yeah, it's a live version of that, Yeah for sure. Yeah,
well thank you, Rick. Yeah, you're welcome. Appreciate this. Yeah.
I feel smarter now than I did when you Joys.
Nobody explained everything correctly.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
I feel smarter because this is me trying to remember
an hour's worth of content and try to regurgitate it
in a succinct way. So hopefully I did that. You did,
You feel like I know what I'm talking about now?
Speaker 3 (15:48):
All right? That is Rick Uccino. Rick, thank you, buddy.
You're welcome.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
We appreciate the time. Uh, talkbacks are are coming up
in just a few minutes. Before we grab those talkbacks,
let's grab a phone call here while we out a second.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
What's up Mike?
Speaker 4 (16:03):
Hey, dom Dom, can you can you pay? I'll call
back hour three.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
They just started doing something in my leg.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Okay, Mike, we'll talk to you in the third hour.
Thank you man. That is Uh, that's Mike.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
We'll get to Mike an hour three. We'll get to
your talkbacks next. Cincy three sixty ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati
sports station. Thanks to Cincy shirts
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