Wednesday, March 22, 2000
City board pans plan for ballpark public space
Says it doesn't live up to 'civic promise'
BY DAN KLEPAL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
A group reviewing the Reds ballpark design for the city of Cincinnati says preliminary drawings show the public area around the stadium is not public enough.
The Urban Design Review Board, a group appointed by City Manager John Shirey, wants to see a stadium complex that is more welcoming to people — whether there is a game or not, whether people have a ticket or not.
The board says preliminary design drawings indicate a “modest public area of the plaza that does not fulfill the civic promise of the project,” according to minutes of its March 1 meeting obtained by The Cincinnati En quirer.
At the closed meeting, stadium architects HOK Sport presented new drawings of which areas around the ballpark would be open to the public and which would be open during game days.
According to the minutes, the board:
• Is “very concerned” about the amount of space preserved for public access around the perimeter of the ballpark.
• “Strongly recommends” the future development site at the southwest corner of the park at Main Street and Mehring Way be treated as integral to the project.
• Said architects need to be careful in designing the building edges and fences around the perimeter of the ballpark.
Reds stadium design approval will not be given until the public access issues are resolved, board Secretary Mark McKillip said.
“It's a pretty major issue,” Mr. McKillip said. “We're trying to arrive at some preliminary design approval in the near future.”
The area of most concern is a “sponsorship zone,” just east of the proposed Reds Hall of Fame along Main Street.
The zone would be an area for families that would offer an array of interactive games and attractions. But the nature and number of those attractions is sure to change as the team finds a sponsor and negotiates the details. That has some board members worried.
Reds' architectural consultant Michael Schuster said money generated in that area of the ballpark is critical to the Reds.
Mr. Schuster could not be reached for comment Tuesday. But at the meeting, he could not guarantee the area would be open to the general public, according to minutes of the meet ing.
“The board is cautious about making informed spatial and architectural evaluations of the plaza area with relatively undefined program elements that are likely to change over time,” the minutes say.
Reds Chief Operating Officer John Allen said the team is committed to meeting the board's goals.
“Basically, the Reds have said, if it's the type of area we know from a security standpoint can be open all the time, that's fine,” Mr. Allen said. “If not, and it needs to be secured with fencing, people will still be able to go around the ballpark. We don't see it as a major issue.”
The board does see getting around the ballpark as a major issue, according to the minutes.
“The limited areas of public access along the north and south sides of the ballpark must be carefully designed to avoid inhibiting public access to the riverfront,” the minutes say.
Mr. Shirey will ultimately have to give approval to the drawings before construction can proceed.
The $280 million Reds stadium is scheduled to open in time for the 2003 season. Cinergy Field will be demolished.
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