Hamilton County still hopes to convince Major League Soccer to use Paul Brown Stadium

Hamilton County commissioners haven’t given up hope that Paul Brown Stadium could host a Major League Soccer team.

“Our first priority remains making Paul Brown work,” Hamilton County Board of Commissioners President Todd Portune said at a meeting on Monday.

Portune said he will talk with MLS officials Monday afternoon and plead the case for using Paul Brown Stadium as FC Cincinnati's next home should the club move to MLS.

MLS will announce the next expansion franchise Dec. 14.

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“They have not said anything since we offered our proposal last week,” Portune said.

MLS requires new teams to have a soccer-only stadium. FC Cincinnati General Manager Jeff Berding has said that MLS won't allow use of Paul Brown Stadium.

The negotiations between FC Cincinnati and the governments of Hamilton County and Cincinnati continue. Both the city and county have not offered the $75 million FC Cincinnati wants in public infrastructure for a soccer stadium in Oakley.

The county has offered to build a 1,000-space parking garage for $15 million. The City of Cincinnati has offered $37 million in proceeds from the Blue Ash Airport and its portion of the hotel tax.

FC Cincinnati ownership wanted the county government to use $2.8 million leftover annually from the hotel tax to pay for the stadium infrastructure.

County commissioners have opposed using the hotel tax, saying it should go to other needs, such as the convention center. On Monday, Portune said the county would let the city use its portion of leftover hotel tax money toward the stadium.

Portune said the city could use the revenue to borrow against $20 million in bonds to pay for infrastructure.

Not everyone at the commission meeting on Monday was sold on building a stadium in Oakley. Oakley resident Jim Tenundfeld urged commissioners to study how a soccer stadium would affect traffic.

“My problem with this process is that it’s been rushed through,” Tenundfeld said.

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