A parking garage that was supposed to serve FC Cincinnati's Major League Soccer Stadium in the West End might not be built as planned after Cincinnati City Council members balked at a taxpayer-subsidized deal to move a company out of the stadium's way.

Without the deal, Jason Welch, the general manager of Tri-State Wholesale, told Cincinnati City Council's Budget and Finance Committee it won't move away from Liberty Street and Central Avenue, where they've been operating for 42 years.

That's where FC Cincinnati officials have said they want to build a parking garage, which would serve the stadium and surrounding businesses.

The deals are tied together. One can't happen without the other, Community and Economic Development Director Phil Denning told council members.

The sticking point: The city negotiated a deal for Tri-State Wholesale to buy part of the former city-owned Queen City Barrel site in Lower Price Hill for $1, along with a property tax break worth $1.4 million.

But four members of council said the company needs to pay the land's full value, $178,000.

And that meant the vote came down to 4-4, with Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman recusing himself because his brother's construction company, Jostin Construction, is helping build the stadium.

The matter will come before full council Wednesday and Smitherman said he may vote then, depending on a pending ethics opinion on the matter. He's for helping Tri-State move to Lower Price Hill.

Councilmembers Chris Seelbach, Tamaya Dennard, Greg Landsman and Wendell Young want to see the city get the full land value.

"They can afford to pay fair market value," Seelbach said. "Why does the city get the raw end of the deal. "

Added Dennard, "Am I in a parallel universe? Whose idea was this? I didn't know about the dollar deal until now."

Seelbach said on the council floor he was told FC Cincinnati would pay Tri-State $25 million for the property, which includes the Cincinnati Ballet's headquarters. The ballet will remain on the site. He suggested the company pay the full asking price and then the city could use the money to help West End residents remain in the community.

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FC Cincinnati does not yet have a deal with Tri-State, Welsh said. He could not talk details, citing a non-disclosure agreement with the soccer club.

Councilman David Mann countered opponents: "We're trying to save jobs. Are they going to benefit a low-income community that is struggling or not?"

A deal is on the table for the company to move south into Lower Price Hill, where it will buy nearly seven acres of undeveloped land on Evans Street from the city for $1, instead of its estimated $178,000 value. And then the business will build a $6.2 million, 100,000-square-foot office, storage and manufacturing facility.

On that property, over 12 years, $1.4 million in property taxes would be forgiven,

In return, the company would remediate the land, bringing it into compliance with the EPA, which is expected to cost more than $600,000. And it would remain in the city with its 29 employees and add six more employees over three years.

The property has sat vacant since Queen City Barrel caught fire in August 2004, destroying the building. The city spent nine years and $9 million on an extensive cleanup with hopes of marketing the property for light industrial redevelopment. But with more cleanup to do, that's been tough, Denning said.

Tri-State Wholesale is owned by Kenkel Family Investment II.

Local governments are spending $33.9 million for infrastructure around the stadium, plus spending on a new 1,000 space county-financed garage, according to an Enquirer analysis. The team is paying for the stadium, so a larger venue means more cost to the team.