Monday, January 25, 1999
Stadium's minority watchdog bows out
BY LUCY MAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
After two years of working to increase minority participation in the $404 million Paul Brown Stadium complex, Jonathan Railey is ready to resume his career at Cinergy Corp.
“Physically, I'm not here anymore,” Mr. Railey said during an interview at Hamilton County offices. “I don't know that I will ever be 100 percent removed from the process on the project.”
This past week, Mr. Railey ended his tenure as a Cinergy executive on loan to the county.
It wasn't easy. He has been caught between community leaders and the county officials they blasted for falling far short of their goal of 15 percent minority participation.
“That's been the problem. The county commitment,” said the Rev. William Land, chairman of the social action committee of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Greater Cincinnati.
Mr. Railey escaped such criticism as he carried out his own form of shuttle diplomacy.
He balanced that work well, said Hamilton County Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus. “He was pushing our staff. And he was responsible for delivering the hard, cold realities to the minority community at times.”
Or as Mr. Railey said, “It sounds real warm and fuzzy, but once the entities get in the room and start talking business, (relationship building) goes away.” The county has taken heat over the stadium project, but Mr. Railey is proud of what he views as a milestone on another project: two minority-owned firms are leading the county's $10 million renovation of the office building at 237 William Howard Taft.
Megen Construction Co. Inc. is construction manager and DNK Architects is lead architect.
For the stadium, Mr. Railey started with a goal: Companies owned by women and minorities would get 15 percent of the work.
In initial meetings with minority business owners, it became clear they thought they had a guarantee.
After two years, companies owned by minorities and women have won 7 percent of the stadium work.
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