Friday, January 28, 2000
Parks won't pay for deck
Scrambling for money, city rejected again
BY ROBERT ANGLEN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
A three-block park above Fort Washington Way looked nice in renderings, but not enough to sway the Hamilton County Park District into seeing it as anything more than a transportation project.
In a unanimous vote Thursday, district board members rejected pleas from Cincinnati officials for $5 million to help pay for the park's support structure.
Board members referred to the project as urban renewal and said funding it would vio late state law guiding their mission and contradict promises made to voters who approved a 1988 park levy to acquire land and natural resources.
The state and Hamilton County Commissioners have already rejected similar requests for help, and City Council voted last week not to shoulder the entire $10 million cost for installing the supports.
That leaves city officials with only one offer on the table and until Monday to negotiate it.
Two Cincinnati developers and the Greater Cincinnati Building Trades Council said Wednesday they would put up $5 million in exchange for development rights to the entire Banks project.
“We have a sincere and legitimate interest,” said Councilman Todd Portune, adding there is still time to craft a deal. “I would not worry about the (development rights). That is part of the negotiation.”
But if an agreement can't be reached by Monday, then construction will have to proceed in order for the city to complete Fort Washington Way by August — and the cranes needed to install the deck's footings and pilings will be dismantled.
The deck is seen as the entry to the $248 million Banks project, which would transform the riverfront into a residential and business district surrounded by parks and two new stadiums.
While the deck would remain part of the project, putting in the support structure now — while the road is under construction — would save about $14 million.
“I think it's beautiful and exciting,” Park Board President Nancy Hamant said after the meeting. “But the law precludes us from using the money this way.”
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