Cincinnati City Planning Commission meets Friday to assess whether to grant FC Cincinnati portions of city-owned streets needed for entrances to what will be the team's West End stadium site.

It should have been the easiest request yet. The areas in the request were already part of land sale between the city and team; the requests would ensure the team will maintain the land, since the land will be part of the entrances.

But, it's been anything but simple after it came to light that people living in buildings owned by the team, north of the stadium site, had been asked to move out. Those residents have publicly pleaded for a reprieve and some council members have expressed concern about the displacement, even though at this point those buildings have nothing to do with the zoning request.


The team is building s $250 million, privately-funded stadium, with roughly $35 million in incentive money from taxpayers to help with infrastructure needs.

That all has left people with a lot of questions. So here, an explainer about where everything stands:

What is the team requesting?

Three things: An extension of the stadium development to the southern portion of what's left of Fifteenth Street (the northern portion of the road has already been granted new zoning); to add the western portion of what remains of Central Avenue (The eastern portion has already been granted new zoning); and to include Nome Alley, which oddly is technically city land, but doesn't really exist. 


The new land will be used for entrances to the stadium site.

Are you sure that's it? It seemed like it needed a zoning change for a larger swath of land just north of the stadium site.

The team scaled back its original request which included rezoning for land north of the stadium site, which the team has purchased. The earlier request included the Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall on John Street and a small apartment building at 421 Wade Street. The team removed that land from the request after people who live in the Wade Street building and another building at 1559 Central Parkway – which the team owns, but was never included in the request – publicly complained about being displaced.

Didn't Berding promise he wouldn't displace anyone?

He did say that. But the promise was made when the West End was still under consideration as the stadium site and residents who live in City West expressed concern they would be displaced. Berding knew he was targeting a different part of the West End, where few residents live. The comment was made to reassure people who live in City West they would not have to move, he said last week. 

OK, but didn't the planning commission already approve the stadium?

Yes, planning commission and city council have approved the site, in what was a contentious battle that included a fight over what should happen to the Cincinnati Ballet, which, along with the ballet's parking lot, sits on land owned by the team. But the original request did not include the street entrances, hence the new request. Both are needed.

What does the Cincinnati Planning Commission have to do?

The planning commission is charged with making a recommendation about whether rezoning the land is the best use for it. This seems likely, as what would be a better use, since the site will be a stadium? And the vote means the property will be cared for by the team and not the city. Either way, it goes to Cincinnati City Council for approval.

How does the council process work?

No matter what the planning commission recommends, City Council can make an independent assessment about whether to approve the request.

What happens if Cincinnati City Council doesn't approve the request?

Without the zoning change, Berding told the Enquirer the project faces delays that could stop work altogether. "This process has certainly been more complicated and involved than I ever anticipated," he added.

So, are people being displaced?

Yes. At least 14 people must move out of the two buildings. The team is working to find them new homes in the West End or other places they agree to. That process is on-going. 

What else does the planning commission need to do?

It still hasn't signed off on the final stadium design, likely because it's not complete. The team hired a new architect in March, which is making changes to the original design.

Plus, once people move out of the buildings north of the stadium site, the team will certainly come back and request that land be rezoned to allow it to be used for the planned adjacent mixed-use development.


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