''There are a lot of people that said you can't build that ballpark because they'll never rebuild Fort Washington Way,'' Michael Schuster, a downtown architect and advocate of Baseball on Main, said Thursday.
The best riverfront site requires rebuilding the highway, advocates say.
But with Wednesday's announcement, ''there really aren't any obstacles anymore,'' said John Schneider, the other primary advocate, whose First Valley Corp. manages area property.
Hamilton County and the Reds are negotiating to build the team a new ballpark. The options are the Baseball on Main riverfront site, also known as the ''Wedge,'' between Cinergy Field and Riverfront Coliseum; and Broadway Commons at Broadway Street and Reading Road downtown.
While Broadway Commons enjoys a lot of popular support, Baseball on Main has this advantage: The Reds have said repeatedly the team wants to be on the Ohio River.
Restaurant owner Jim Tarbell, who has long pushed Broadway Commons as the best choice for a ballpark, stressed Thursday that the renovation of downtown's east-west artery is far from certain.
The question is where the city will find the rest of the money for the $120.5 million road project. The city has committed $16 million and must find another $24.5 million by Oct. 15 to get the state money.
The city has been working to get $50 million in federal money for the project and a transit center on the riverfront. But it could be next year before Congress decides, said Brian Besanceney, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Rob Portman, R-Terrace Park.
Reds Managing Executive John Allen said he didn't think the state's announcement would affect the team's talks with the county, though, he added it wasn't bad news.
Geoff Hobson contributed to this article.
