Hamilton Co. commissioner feels stadium lease talks with Bengals proceeding at good pace

Comment by team official during NFL owners meeting raising eyebrows among fans

Comment by team official during NFL owners meeting raising eyebrows among fans

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ALL RIGHT. THE CINCINNATI BENGALS, LOOKING ELSEWHERE FOR COMMON GROUND. YEAH. SO SOME FANS ARE ASKING THAT QUESTION TONIGHT AFTER HEARING WHAT A TEAM OFFICIAL SAID DURING THIS WEEK’S NFL OWNERS MEETING. WE HAVE WLWT NEWS FIVE’S TODD -- HAS THE LATEST ON THE EFFORTS TO KEEP THE BENGALS PLAYING AT PAYCOR FOR YEARS TO COME. TODD WE TALKED THE BENGALS. WE ALL WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE LATEST IS. BENGALS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT KATIE BLACKBURN SAYS THE TEAM LOVES BEING A PART OF CINCINNATI’S DOWNTOWN RIVERFRONT EXPERIENCE. BUT WHETHER THAT LOVE WILL LEAD TO A NEW LEASE AGREEMENT REMAINS TO BE SEEN. THE LAST MONDAY IN JUNE, JUNE 30TH, MARKS A BIG DEADLINE FOR THE CINCINNATI BENGALS AND HAMILTON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, INCLUDING STEPHANIE SUMMEROW DUMAS. WE’RE DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO BE GOOD PARTNERS WITH THE BENGALS. DUMAS SAYS COUNTY OFFICIALS ARE WORKING TO HAMMER OUT A NEW LEASE DEAL THAT WOULD KEEP THE BENGALS PLAYING BALL AT PAYCOR STADIUM, THE TEAM’S CURRENT 30 YEAR LEASE, WHICH A LOT OF LOCAL TAXPAYERS HAVE CRITICIZED AS BEING TOO TEAM FRIENDLY, EXPIRES IN THE SUMMER OF 2026. FOR NOW, NEGOTIATORS WITH THE BENGALS AND HAMILTON COUNTY ARE EXPECTED TO KEEP EXPLORING LEASE OPTIONS THAT WOULD BENEFIT BOTH SIDES IF THERE’S NO DEAL. THE BENGALS HAVE UNTIL JUNE 30TH TO EXERCISE A TWO YEAR EXTENSION, MEANING THE TEAM WOULD KEEP PLAYING AT PAYCOR WHILE NEGOTIATIONS ON A LONG TERM DEAL CONTINUE. WE’RE HOPING THAT WE DON’T GET TO THAT, THAT WE’RE ABLE TO GO ON AND SIGN A LEASE THAT WILL BE A LONG TERM LEASE. AT THIS WEEK’S NFL OWNERS MEETING, IT’S BEEN WIDELY REPORTED THAT BENGALS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT KATIE BLACKBURN SAID THE TEAM COULD GO WHEREVER THEY WANTED AFTER THIS COMING SEASON IF A NEW DEAL ISN’T REACHED, AND IF THE BENGALS DECIDE NOT TO GO WITH A TWO YEAR EXTENSION. I KNOW THEY HAD MENTIONED THE POSSIBILITY OF GOING OTHER PLACES IF THEY HAD TO, BUT WE’RE NOT LOOKING AT THAT RIGHT NOW. WE’RE LOOKING AT TRYING TO WORK WITH THEM WITH A MARKET RATE CONTRACT THAT WILL BE BETTER FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND BETTER FOR THEM. I WANT A WIN WIN. AND SO THAT’S WHERE WE ARE. THAT’S WHERE THE BOARD IS RIGHT NOW. NOW, COMMISSIONER DUMAS THINKS KATIE BLACKBURN SPOKE STRATEGICALLY TO TRY TO MOVE THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS ALONG MORE QUICKLY. DUMAS SAYS SHE’S CONFIDENT IN THE SPEED THE COUNTY IS TAKING. I DID CALL THE BENGALS FOR COMMENT, A SPOKESPERSON SAID. THE TEAM HAS NOTHING TO ADD TO WHAT BLACKBURN SAID DURING THE

Hamilton Co. commissioner feels stadium lease talks with Bengals proceeding at good pace

Comment by team official during NFL owners meeting raising eyebrows among fans

The last Monday in June, June 30, marks a big deadline for the Cincinnati Bengals and Hamilton Co. commissioners, including board Vice President Stephanie Summerow Dumas."We're doing what we need to do to be good partners with the Bengals," Summerow Dumas said.Summerow Dumas said county officials are working to hammer out a new lease deal that would keep the Bengals playing football at Paycor Stadium for years to come.The team's current, 30 year lease — which many local taxpayers have criticized as being too 'team-friendly' — expires in the summer of 2026.For now, negotiators with the Bengals and Hamilton Co. are expected to keep exploring lease options that would benefit both sides.If there's no deal, the Bengals have until June 30 to exercise a two year extension, meaning the team would keep playing at Paycor while negotiations on a long-term deal continue."We're hoping that we don't get to that — that we're able to go on and sign a lease that will be a long-term lease," Summerow Dumas said.It's been widely reported that during this week's NFL owners meeting Bengals Executive Vice President Katie Blackburn said the team could go wherever they wanted after this coming season if a new deal isn't reached and if the Bengals decide not to go with a two year extension."I know they had mentioned the possibility of going other places, if they had to. But we're not looking at that right now. We're looking at trying to work with them with a market rate contract that would be better for our residents and better for them. I want a win-win. And so that's where we are. That's where the board is right now," Summerow Dumas said.Summerow Dumas thinks Blackburn's comments were designed to move the negotiating process along more quickly."I think it's really strategically to try to move us a little faster, but I'm very confident in the speed that we're taking," Summerow Dumas said. "We're doing what we need to do to be good partners with the Bengals."WLWT's Todd Dykes called the Bengals for comment. A spokesperson said the team has nothing to add to what Blackburn said during the owners meeting.

CINCINNATI —

The last Monday in June, June 30, marks a big deadline for the Cincinnati Bengals and Hamilton Co. commissioners, including board Vice President Stephanie Summerow Dumas.

"We're doing what we need to do to be good partners with the Bengals," Summerow Dumas said.

Summerow Dumas said county officials are working to hammer out a new lease deal that would keep the Bengals playing football at Paycor Stadium for years to come.

The team's current, 30 year lease — which many local taxpayers have criticized as being too 'team-friendly' — expires in the summer of 2026.

For now, negotiators with the Bengals and Hamilton Co. are expected to keep exploring lease options that would benefit both sides.

If there's no deal, the Bengals have until June 30 to exercise a two year extension, meaning the team would keep playing at Paycor while negotiations on a long-term deal continue.

"We're hoping that we don't get to that — that we're able to go on and sign a lease that will be a long-term lease," Summerow Dumas said.

It's been widely reported that during this week's NFL owners meeting Bengals Executive Vice President Katie Blackburn said the team could go wherever they wanted after this coming season if a new deal isn't reached and if the Bengals decide not to go with a two year extension.

"I know they had mentioned the possibility of going other places, if they had to. But we're not looking at that right now. We're looking at trying to work with them with a market rate contract that would be better for our residents and better for them. I want a win-win. And so that's where we are. That's where the board is right now," Summerow Dumas said.

Summerow Dumas thinks Blackburn's comments were designed to move the negotiating process along more quickly.

"I think it's really strategically to try to move us a little faster, but I'm very confident in the speed that we're taking," Summerow Dumas said. "We're doing what we need to do to be good partners with the Bengals."

WLWT's Todd Dykes called the Bengals for comment. A spokesperson said the team has nothing to add to what Blackburn said during the owners meeting.

Hamilton Co. commissioner feels stadium lease talks with Bengals proceeding at good pace

Comment by team official during NFL owners meeting raising eyebrows among fans

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