BY LUCY MAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
![[riverfront]](/editions/1998/10/11/101198riverfront_250x134.jpg)
In this projected view of Cincinnati's riverfront in 2005, stadiums frame a space devoted to parks, commercial development and the Underground Railroad museum.
(Kinetic Vision photo)
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Downtown Cincinnati Inc. has prepared a new computer-enhanced illustration of Cincinnati's riverfront and pledged to make sure the vision becomes a reality if voters reject Issue 11.
The downtown marketing group, known as DCI, has endorsed the riverfront campaign pushing for a "no" vote on Issue 11 -- the stadium campaign that, in the absence of any real drawings, is likely to become a battle of images in the weeks leading to Nov. 3.
Issue 11 seeks to create a county charter that would prohibit the county from building a new Reds ballpark anywhere but Broadway Commons. The county and Reds have a deal to build a new ballpark next to the Crown coliseum, at the site known as Baseball on Main or "The Wedge." Broadway backers aim for Issue 11 to undo that deal.
DCI believes the county has shown through its financing plans that the "pretty picture" DCI is unveiling can become a reality, said Rick Greiwe, DCI's chief operating officer.
"DCI's role will continue long after these stadium decisions are finally made," he said in a statement. "We will monitor the progress of the projects and work to ensure that each element of the vision is planned and developed properly. In just a few years, we can redevelop one-third of our downtown and give our city a world-class front door."
Hamilton County Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus, a riverfront ballpark proponent, characterized DCI's role after the campaign as crucial.
"The pro-riverfront and pro-Broadway campaigns are going to go away," he said. "I think it's imperative that we have a private entity to take on this role after the campaign."
Mr. Bedinghaus said the city of Cincinnati and Hamilton County sometimes can get "distracted in turf wars and silly little things."
"They'll serve as the facilitator to make sure that the vision of our downtown is followed through on," he said. "They understand the real-world realities of making a project come forward, and they can also interact in the sometimes not-so-real world of politics and government."
The vision of what a riverfront could look like was produced by Kinetic Vision of Blue Ash for DCI. It shows both stadiums on the riverfront and a spot for the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center at the entrance to the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge. The center hasn't been designed yet, but its location has been guaranteed by the city.
The illustration also includes the riverfront park plan being developed by the city and imagined commercial development that could be built on garages the county would build between the two stadiums.
The city has no plan in place for the commercial development, however, and no funding is in place for the park, an estimated $50 million expense.
The Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, which also has endorsed the riverfront site, will help raise the money for the parks, pledged Chamber President John Williams.
"We want this front door so we can sell this to the world," he said.
DCI is also releasing to local television stations today a three-dimensional video tour of how the riverfront might look in 2005.
"With all this stadium debate, it's been hard to comprehend how the riverfront might look," Mr. Greiwe said. "This video shows how all the pieces fit together."
The illustration does not show how the Crown would be connected to other attractions on the riverfront. The illustration also appears to minimize the size of the Crown.
While Broadway backers had not seen the illustration, Broadway Campaign Coordinator Melisa Rottinghaus said she expects the pro-riverfront campaign to use images that exaggerate green space and minimize features like the Crown.
"They're lobbying the public, and I guess there's such a thing as license in lobbying," she said. "But if they were really truly advertising their product, I think they'd be guilty of not adhering to truth in advertising."
But Mr. Greiwe said the intent of the illustration was to show the riverfront as accurately and to-scale as possible.
"I don't think we're trying to cook the books here," he said.
The image doesn't show how the Crown would connect to the new ballpark, he said, because the county hasn't determined that yet. Mr. Greiwe said there likely would be a plaza to connect the ballpark and the Crown, which sit at different elevations.
Stadium story list
![[riverfront]](/editions/1998/10/11/101198riverfront_600x321.jpg)