Cincinnati City Manager John Shirey on Friday dismissed Bengals President Mike Brown's Jan. 31 deadline for the stadium project, saying the city has no obligation to transfer property by that date.
Mr. Brown has said if the city doesn't transfer 10 acres of city-controlled land to the county by Jan. 31 for the stadium project, he will kill the team's stadium deal with Hamilton County.
Mr. Shirey expressed confidence the city and county would reach a riverfront development agreement by then. But, he said, the county and the Bengals could meet that deadline without the city's land.
The deadline comes from the county's lease with the team, which says the team can kill the deal if it doesn't approve a ''guaranteed maximum price,'' or GMP, from the county by Jan. 31. County and Bengals officials say the stadium's construction manager won't give a GMP until it becomes clear when the land will be available.
Mr. Shirey said he's heard that argument, but added, ''I've also been told that's a bunch of bunk.'' He would not say who told him that.
''Well, what the hell does he know?'' County Commissioner John Dowlin said in response. ''If we don't have (the land) by that date, the whole thing could go down the toilet. I would lay that at the hands of John Shirey.''
Negotiations between the city and Bengals appear to be deadlocked over what form the riverfront development guidelines should take.
The city wants the city and county to agree to those guidelines. The team wants the guidelines to be part of its lease with the county so that the team has legal authority to enforce them.
''They're trying to trap us into something they can later sue us on, and we're not going to play that game,'' Mr. Shirey said of the Bengals.
But Troy Blackburn, Bengals director of stadium development, said, ''There's no trap intended or anticipated.''
He said the team just wants to make sure it can protect vital interests, such as making sure fans have good access to the stadium.
Stadium price rises $13.5M
