POLITICS EXTRA

PX column: Finally, someone said enough is enough on FC Cincinnati stadium shell game

Jason Williams
Cincinnati Enquirer
Charlie Luken

Finally, someone showed some leadership around here. 

Charlie Luken said enough is enough on the soccer stadium ridiculousness. The Greater Cincinnati Redevelopment Authority chairman told FC Cincinnati President Jeff Berding on Tuesday night the quasi-governmental agency isn't playing the stadium shell game.

Luken then cancelled his board meeting scheduled for Wednesday, when it was supposed to vote on the Oakley stadium site. By saying enough of this B.S., Cincinnati's former mayor did everyone a big favor: Luken essentially forced FC Cincinnati into making a decision once and for all. It's time. It's past time.

FC Cincinnati faces a Saturday deadline for a having stadium deal in place. Berding's only option at this point appears to be Newport, although this whole thing is so fluid and chaotic that it wouldn't be a surprise if the stadium ultimately ends up in the West End.

Maybe Berding could ask Major League Soccer to extend the deadline, but that might be risky. You have to think MLS is tired of taking the constant PR pummeling on Cincinnati's never-ending game of pick-a-site.

"It is clear that FC Cincinnati is still looking at three sites," Luken told Politics Extra. "I do not want our authority to be used as leverage and in order to protect the integrity of our board, I have canceled the meeting until FC Cincinnati has selected a site." 

Good for you, Charlie. City Hall sure could use someone this decisive to put an end to all the game-playing over there right now. You gotta hand it to Luken for standing up to Berding, Carl H. Lindner III and the rest of the club's influential ownership group. Luken might be the only person in this town who could do that and still be widely respected.

We all want to be Charlie Luken but he thought of it first. He cares enough about Cincinnati to not care what people think of him. He doesn't need anyone's money or approval. The Lukens are already on the Mount Rushmore of Cincinnati political families.

As such, FC Cincinnati thought it could waltz right into the port authority board room and get approval on a sale-lease back deal for the proposed Oakley site. It would be something on paper that FC Cincinnati could present to MLS by Saturday's deadline and lock up the expansion bid.

Then FC Cincinnati could proceed with pursuing the stadium site it really wants – West End.

Nope, not doing that, Luken said. Not at the port authority's expense, anyway.

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This five-month roller coaster has been so herky-jerky, so full of twists and turns, that it wouldn't be a surprise if somehow, someway the team still pulled off a deal to go to the West End. FC Cincinnati continues to work toward a West End stadium deal.

The votes don't appear to be there on City Council for a West End deal right now. It's difficult seeing anyone at City Hall making a move on the stadium as long as Mayor John Cranley and Council's Progressive 5 continue their petty stare down over City Manager Harry Black. But it's also foolish to bet against Berding and Lindner. 

It's hard to believe MLS is cool with Oakley. Otherwise, wouldn't this whole thing be over by now? City Council and Hamilton County commissioners approved the Oakley deal in November.

Maybe FC Cincinnati's strategy was to have the port authority vote for Oakley to try to put pressure on the Cincinnati Public Schools board, hoping it would cave on a West End deal. The school board controls the West End site, located behind Taft High. The board wants the soccer club to pay $2 million a year to make the district whole on property taxes. FC Cincinnati has said that's too much. 

Maybe FC Cincinnati's play is the school board would get anxious about getting no money if it looked like the stadium was headed to Oakley. Maybe the school board would get worried about upsetting the business community, which funds school levies and some members' campaigns.

Or maybe FC Cincinnati has overplayed its hand.

Jason Williams

Politics Extra is a column looking inside Greater Cincinnati and Ohio politics. Follow Enquirer political columnist Jason Williams on Twitter @jwilliamscincy.