Striving to resolve a series of issues in one fell swoop, Cincinnati City Manager John Shirey on Tuesday proposed a city-county agreement for developing the central riverfront and the new Bengals stadium.
Hamilton County gave the city a Dec. 15 deadline to transfer city land it needs for the stadium. The city's failure to turn over its land by then would kill the $400.3 million football complex, county officials have said.
Mr. Shirey said Tuesday he doesn't think the Dec. 15 deadline means much because it's the latest in a series of deadlines the county has given the city.
The agreement, which city council must approve, would give the county the land it needs by Dec. 31. Mr. Shirey said that transfer could happen sooner if the county meets requirements in his proposed agreement.
County Commissioner John Dowlin, who hadn't seen the proposed city-county agreement, said Tuesday night that the requirements sounded like ''an attempt at extortion.''
But Mr. Shirey said all the issues rolled into his proposed agreement - the reconfiguration of Fort Washington Way, riverfront development and the Bengals stadium - are linked and should be dealt with all at once.
Among the requirements set forth are:
- The county adopts a different amendment to the county's lease with the Bengals to build a new stadium. The city says the more concise proposed amendment is necessary to protect the city's interests in developing the riverfront.
- The county contributes $14 million toward reconstruction of Fort Washington Way, half in 1998 and half in 1999.
- The city spends up to $5 million toward reconstructing Pete Rose and Mehring ways. The county pays costs over $5 million and the entire cost of reconstructing Central Avenue and Elm Street.
- The city and county agree to development guidelines. A review panel would be set up to handle disputes between the city and county over compliance.
Mr. Shirey said the county has not agreed to the proposal, but its ''provisions are consistent'' with what the city has presented to the county since the summer.
''The county has expressed its urgent wish for immediate transfer of the property owned by the trustees,'' Mr. Shirey wrote. ''I recommend that city council adopt this ordinance so that the city can be prepared to transfer the property but only if the city's conditions are met.''
Commission President Bob Bedinghaus had only this to say Tuesday: ''We'll look at it and when we feel it's appropriate, we'll make a comment.''
Mr. Shirey is asking council to send the proposal to the city's planning commission for its recommendation. Council could make the referral as early as today. .
Mr. Shirey's proposal also deals with parking, who controls what riverfront land at what times and other matters.
- The city gets the option until Jan. 1, 2016, to lease from the county all or part of what is called the ''central riverfront development site.'' The city would have to pay the county any net parking revenues from Bengals' game days.
- The city would let the county use land intended for a riverfront park for temporary parking through August 2004.
- The county can lease during the life of the stadium land freed up from the Fort Washington Way project for public parking garages.
- The city would give the county until Aug. 31, 2004, to use land near the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge and land south of Mehring Way for parking lots. After that, the city would get the land for parks.
Mr. Dowlin said the conditions show the city is trying to renege on a city-county agreement made several years ago in which the city agreed to transfer its land to the county.
But Mr. Shirey said the city couldn't possibly have anticipated the complexities of the Fort Washington Way overhaul and the county's lease with the Bengals when that agreement was reached.
Mr. Dowlin said the city proposal is why he urged his fellow commissioners not to approve an agreement to buy 24 acres of riverfront land for $36.5 million. The other commissioners approved that last week.
''What are we going to do with that property if we can't come to an agreement with the city?'' Mr. Dowlin asked.
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