Hamilton County commissioners are to approve an agreement todayfor a cooling system at Paul Brown Stadium that officials say could help spur other development along Cincinnati's riverfront.
The county's agreement with Trigen-Cinergy Solutions of Cincinnati will make the Bengals' new stadium the first structure south of Fort Washington Way to tap into the underground network of pipes that carries chilled water to cool buildings.
The agreement will save the county $1 million it would have spent on air-conditioning equipment in the stadium, officials said. It also will save on cooling costs and could eliminate ugly, roof-top cooling systems from future developments, County Commission President Bob Bedinghaus said.
''This is an excellent example of the football stadium serving as a catalyst for other development on the riverfront,'' he said.
The commissioners are to approve a 15-year deal for cooling services with Trigen-Cinergy, a joint venture of Cincinnati's Cinergy Corp. and Trigen Energy of White Plains, N.Y. Trigen-Cinergy will cool stadium offices, dressing rooms, press box and private suites.
The company will pay $53,000 up front, and the county will get one-time fees for any other developments that use the technology, Mr. Bedinghaus said.
The city will also benefit each time Trigen-Cinergy's cooling system expands. The company will pay a 4 percent tax on system revenues, at least $200,000 a year, said General Manager Donna Robichaud. It will cost Trigen-Cinergy about $1 million to extend its network of 24-inch underground pipes to the riverfront, she said.
Six buildings downtown now use the network for cooling, Ms. Robichaud said. They are: the Cincinnati Gas & Electric building, the Fourth and Vine Tower, the Fourth & Walnut Center, the Crowne Plaza Hotel, the federal courthouse and the federal office building.
