By Ken Alltucker
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The man who helped oversee the $1 billion-plus overhaul of Pittsburgh's riverfront will be named today as the top executive in charge of Cincinnati's new private development group seeking to recharge the area from the riverfront through Over-the-Rhine.

Those who work with Stephen G. Leeper in Pittsburgh say he has a knack for finding money and executing ambitious plans to build one-of-a-kind urban gems. That's the type of track record that founders of the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. say they want in a new president and chief executive officer.

3CDC is a private group of business and civic elite chaired by Procter & Gamble CEO A.G. Lafley.

Leeper, 46, has held key development roles in Pittsburgh since the mid-1980s, most recently as executive director of the city's Sports & Exhibition Authority. That group oversees Pittsburgh's professional sports stadiums, convention center and other riverfront development.

Leeper said he was attracted to 3CDC because he believes it is committed to a Fountain Square overhaul, as well as to finishing important projects in Over-the-Rhine and along the riverfront.

He says he helped Pittsburgh accomplish a lot - including a $1.1 billion riverfront investment that includes new sports stadiums for the Steelers and Pirates, a new convention center and a $240 million private, mixed-use development next to the stadiums.

"But I believe in my heart that this is a larger, more challenging project," said Leeper, who arrived in Cincinnati on Thursday to meet city leaders and downtown stakeholders.

There are many parallels between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. Like Pittsburgh, Cincinnati has invested about $1 billion in its riverfront with Paul Brown Stadium, Great American Ball Park and the revamped Fort Washington Way.

Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy, who appointed Leeper to his position, describes him as "the best guy in America at what he does."

"When we decided to one-up you guys (Cincinnati), we gave (Leeper) a billion dollars to build new ballparks and a convention center and told him to build it on budget and on time," Murphy said. "He accomplished that over five years."

In Cincinnati, Leeper's mission will include executing the three-pronged development strategy identified by New York consultant John Alschuler.

In addition to finishing the Banks and helping revive Over-the-Rhine, Alschuler's plan calls for a strong emphasis on redeveloping Fountain Square and surrounding blocks as the heart of downtown.

Last month, 3CDC hired Baltimore-based Williams Jackson Ewing to craft a retail strategy for Fountain Square.

Leeper said "he'll leave it up to the experts" to figure out the mix of uses that will improve Fountain Square. His job will be to find a variety of public and private funding sources and building support.

Pittsburgh City Councilman Alan Hertzberg said Leeper was a master at crafting complex financing plans to get development done quickly.

When 3CDC formed last July, the group vowed to raise $50 million from private sources and another $100 million from the city. The group also has applied for $90 million in tax credits for various private development projects.

Leeper received an undergraduate degree from Ohio University and a master's degree from Ohio State University.

E-mail kalltucker@enquirer.com