BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Despite this week's spat over a site, the Reds and Hamilton County continue negotiations for a new ballpark that could include seat licenses for exclusive seating.

Reds' Managing Executive John Allen said Thursday part of the club's contribution to stadium construction could come from a fee for ''high-profile'' seats.

''If we go with something like that, it would only be a small number of seats,'' said Mr. Allen of a 45,000-seat park with 40-50 luxury suites.

He said a seat license could apply to 3,000 to 5,000 seats.

''It's a way for us to contribute without gouging the average fan,'' Mr. Allen said. ''We want to keep Cincinnati prices.''

Seat licenses, an annual or one-time fee giving fans the right to buy tickets, have been the domain of the NFL until recently. The bulk of the Bengals' 66,000-68,000 seats come with a transferable ''charter ownership agreement'' averaging $500.

''This is not New York. We've got a track record of keeping prices reasonable,'' said Hamilton County Commission President Bob Bedinghaus.

Baseball's Texas Rangers have a limited number of ''seat bonds'' in their three-year-old park and the San Francisco Giants plan to sell 15,000 licenses in their future stadium for a one-time fee of $2,300.

Stressing the idea is far from final, Mr. Allen said he could envision a ''club section,'' providing food and comfort amenities. The Orioles have a $500 annual fee for 3,800 club seats costing $25 per game. The Indians have 2,062 club seats for $1,350, plus a $21 ticket.

Many teams have club seats with a flat fee. The St. Louis Cardinals have 408 Dugout Boxes at $2,025 per season and 184 Club Box seats at $100 per game or $8,100 per season. The Colorado Rockies have 4,400 club seats at $26 per game.

Mr. Allen said finances of the deal have been going smoother than deciding on a site. But he wouldn't comment when asked if that meant the county has backed off its original call for a Reds' contribution of $80 million, nearly double the Bengals' pledge.

Mr. Allen would not say if he agreed with the county that west of the Roebling Suspension Bridge is now off the table. He also would not say if the county's position makes the ''Baseball on Main'' site between Cinergy Field and Riverfront Coliseum the team's choice.

Last week, the Reds thought the county told them it had a verbal agreement with the Bengals delaying construction of a new ballpark on Main Street until after the 1999 NFL season.

But the county denied it and Mr. Allen said, ''I think it's been cleared up. I hope this is just a bump in the road. We're still talking. We're negotiating exclusively with Hamilton County.''

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