Recent meetings involving Hamilton County Commission President Bob Bedinghaus and Reds' brass Marge Schott and John Allen have improved stadium negotiations.
"The county has made a real effort in the last week to reach out to the Reds," said a source close to the talks. "The negotiations are going better."
Indications Thursday were the Reds are offering to consider the site between Cinergy Field and Riverfront Coliseum known as "The Wedge."
"Although 'The Wedge' is not desirable to them, yes, I think the Reds are talking about it," said county Commissioner John S. Dowlin, who supports a new Reds stadium at Broadway Commons. "They finally realize the west side (of the John A. Roebling) Suspension Bridge is not for sale."
Mr. Bedinghaus told a meeting of the Hamilton County - Cincinnati stadium siting steering committee: "At this point, both the riverfront and Broadway Commons remain on the table in our negotiations with the Reds."
Mr. Dowlin said the idea the county would pay the Reds money if stadium construction is delayed because of the complexities of "The Wedge" is "absolutely a terrible idea."
"From my standpoint, you say, 'Gee, Marge, Broadway Commons is the best for the taxpayer and the best for you. Do it.' "
Mr. Allen, Reds' managing executive and point man in negotiations, had no comment on possible sites. Mrs. Schott, suspended from running the Reds day to day, isn't allowed to talk to the media.
But Mr. Allen distanced himself from an April 29 memo from the Reds' stadium negotiating team to the club's limited partners blasting the county.
He wouldn't comment when asked if a representative of Mrs. Schott wrote the letter, which summarized the Reds' frustration they have vented publicly through the negotiations.
Mr. Bedinghaus said the memo was unsigned and had no letterhead. He said the memo, which he called "obviously out of date," is an indication that the team and county are getting close to an agreement.
"We're not going to react to an untitled memo from an unnamed source. We'll deal with it," he told steering committee members. Mr. Dowlin reiterated his concern: "We just don't know who speaks for the Reds. Who wrote the letter?"
The memo, characterized as an update for the partners, repeated the club's concern about the Bengals dominance in the process, the Reds' demand for the west side of the Suspension Bridge, uneasiness with construction headaches of "The Wedge," and the threat to court other communities.
But Mr. Allen said Thursday:
- The club is negotiating exclusively with Hamilton County.
- He has not seen anything making "The Wedge" impossible.
- All river options are open.
The Reds reportedly have sent third parties to meet with Newport officials. But the source said, "The Reds aren't talking to anyone. Listening is more like it."
When asked about the reports, Mr. Bedinghaus said, "They assure us they are negotiating in good faith with us to be on the riverfront in Ohio."
Mr. Bedinghaus said his talk with Mrs. Schott was "just a friendly visit, an opportunity for her to let me know how she feels."
The job of planning for riverfront development and stadium siting is more expensive than the city and county thought. Don Carter, of Pittsburgh's Urban Design Associates (UDA), said Thursday it will cost an extra $195,000 for his firm to finish siting work. The city and county originally approved $240,000, agreeing to pay half. Mr. Bedinghaus and Cincinnati Mayor Roxanne Qualls said they would seek an extra $100,000 each from their governments to finish the work.
At this point, that work does not entail a detailed study of "The Wedge," which concerns Cincinnati Councilman Todd Portune, a steering committee member. "If we're going to have a consultant do the job, then it ought to be thorough," said Mr. Portune, a Broadway Commons proponent.
Mr. Portune said he plans to talk with council members to see if they think such an analysis should be included in the UDA contract extension.
Mr. Carter, after meeting with county officials and representatives of HOK Sports Facilities Group to make sure neither site interferes with the overall vision of riverfront development, assured the steering committee a ballpark could be put either at Broadway Commons or "The Wedge."
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