When Cincinnati Economic Development Director Andi Udris looks at the city's central riverfront, he envisions a family-oriented entertainment district that will draw millions of people and their money to the Tristate.
What's been hard for some other local developers to imagine, though, is that such a development won't compete with downtown's established shops and restaurants.
But Mr. Udris said downtown and the riverfront won't compete because of the city's plan to team up an established downtown developer and a developer with a national reputation for retail and entertainment projects.
That team - of Faison Associates, which developed and owns Tower Place Mall, and Herman Renfro, the Indianapolis developer whose credits include the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn. - will ensure a connection between downtown and the riverfront, he said. That's because it will be in Faison's best interests to connect the two.
The city's riverfront plans also have been complicated in recent weeks by a feud between city council and Hamilton County commissioners, who are working to buy riverfront land for the new Cincinnati Bengals stadium and other developments.
The city accused the county of giving the Bengals ''veto power'' over all other riverfront development. The county said that was ridiculous. Top officials called a truce last month.
Not all the city's concerns have been resolved, Mr. Udris said, but the city and county are making progress.
''The issue of the stadium and the Bengals lease very clearly demonstrated to both sides that there's lots of work to be done,'' Mr. Udris said. ''Now it's time to roll up our sleeves and get to work.''
County Commission President Bob Bedinghaus, the county's point man on stadium issues, said it ''makes perfect sense'' for the city to contract with a development team to serve as its agent in riverfront development.
''We look forward to sitting down and talking'' with the city and the developers, he said.
The city envisions any riverfront developments will sit atop parking decks that will serve as flood protection for the businesses.
The city and county have not yet decided who will pay for the parking decks or how much private money will be needed to build them, Mr. Udris said.
Mr. Udris stressed that businesses that locate on the riverfront will not receive major government subsidies or tax breaks.
''This is prime real estate,'' he said, adding that the city hopes a profitable, private development will help the city develop the park areas along the riverfront that officials also envision.
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DEVELOPERS SUGGESTED FOR RIVER PROJECTS
