Can Hamilton County afford a dome over Pacore Stadium?

CINCINNATI (WXIX) – Hamilton County Commissioners discussed the possibility of building a fence over Pacore Stadium Tuesday, including how much it might cost. But can the district afford it?

Construction companies Turner, Messer, Mortenson, AECOM and Hunt provided the estimated cost of installing fencing at Paycor Stadium. Answer: Somewhere between $903 million and $1.05 billion.

Two designs were unveiled Tuesday, one with an arch and another that would completely enclose the stadium, both at a hefty price tag.

According to the project presentation, the cost of the Linked Arch concept is estimated between $962 million and $1.05 billion.

Construction would have taken a few years, or less if the Cincinnati Bengals could play elsewhere for a while, according to Hamilton County Administrator Jeff Aluotto.

Aluotto says the Tied Arch concept was the first one designers looked at back in September, but the price tag was a bit daunting, so a second option was proposed.

The alternative concept is similar to what people see at traditional stadiums and would close Paycor Stadium entirely.

It’s valued at $903 million, which is still quite expensive.

“We are not going to raise any local taxes—I want to make that clear,” Hamilton County Commission President Alicia Reece assured during the meeting.

However, simply renovating and using Paycor Stadium wouldn’t cover the capital investment costs, but hosting additional major events could help cover operating costs, Aluotto explained, such as WrestleMania, NCAA basketball tournaments or large-scale concerts.

Even if Hamilton County was willing to foot the bill, Paycor Stadium has some physical challenges, such as its “unique elliptical design” that would make it difficult to attach a roof and completely enclose the structure, as well as the functionality of the stadium. , such as mechanical, electrical, plumbing systems and more.

“The bottom line, commissioners, is that you’re looking at between $900 million and a billion dollars to enclose the stadium,” TOO AND SO said. “This is in addition to other renovations that will be required at the stadium from a functionality standpoint, which we discussed while reviewing all the information on the site condition assessment and renovation plan that MSA submitted several months ago. ”

After the presentation, Hamilton County Commissioners Vice President, Denise Driehaus and Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas agreed that building the dome was beyond the county’s budget.

“So we’ve done our analysis, we’ve got a billion dollar price tag, we have a limited source of funding – we have a lot to do on this stadium. We have analysis that confirms this,” Driehaus said. “From my point of view, we simply cannot afford it.”

Although Reece acknowledged the value of the dome, she was not ready to end the conversation. At least not yet.

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