Bowdeya Tweh, Sharon Coolidge, and Carol Motsinger

Cincinnati

PromoWest Productions – the operator of the Bunbury and Buckle Up music festivals – has interest in building an indoor and outdoor concert pavilion on The Banks.

The problem: There's mounting opposition from prominent arts supporters fearing the competition will siphon away money from existing venues and institutions, such as Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley said on Tuesday. The CSO owns Riverbend Music Center in Anderson Township and manages concerts and events there through a subsidiary.

“It was making progress, but now it’s stalled,” said Cranley, after visiting The Enquirer for an editorial board meeting. “The leadership at CSO came to see me and asked to stop it. They are actively trying to stop it. My advice was to put in a competitive proposal.”

Cranley is bringing up the proposal now because he wants a public conversation about the project before it's killed behind closed doors.

“This is on public land, with enormous public resources in it,” he said. “A decision like this should be publicly vetted.”

The CSO, in a statement sent to The Enquirer, doesn't want to be seen as standing in the way of development.

“The CSO supports development in our community and we are aware of early discussions around a proposed music venue at The Banks," spokesman Christopher Pinelo said in a statement.

"The CSO is actively considering how we might leverage our considerable expertise around facility development projects, presenting concerts of all types and event management to support a sustainable, successful new venue to serve our community. We have been involved in some very preliminary conversations and are eager to be part of any further discussions around the development of this proposed venue."

If it landed approvals from The Banks' development team, the city and Hamilton County, the Columbus-based concert promoter PromoWest would develop the music center on land near Paul Brown Stadium. Banks planners are now going through the process of determining what could be built on undeveloped land and this is among the proposals that could help complete the site.

The concept PromoWest would bring to Cincinnati has already been developed in Columbus and Pittsburgh. In Pittsburgh, Stage AE is next to Heinz Field near the Allegheny River. PromoWest's prototype venue in Columbus, the LC Pavilion, is near Nationwide Arena and less than a half-mile walk from the Scioto River.

Both facilities have an 2,400-seat indoor capacity and 5,000-person outdoor capacity.

"We are working through details, but no comment," Scott Stienecker, CEO and president of PromoWest Productions.

Cranley said the venue would be developed without taxpayer subsidy. But he added that if Cincinnati stands idle, PromoWest could walk the concept across the river to Northern Kentucky.

The idea for a near-riverfront music venue came from Willie Carden, director of Cincinnati Parks, more than a year ago, Cranley said. With that plan, the venue would have been at Sawyer Point.

Cranley said he liked the concept, but preferred it be built at The Banks. He said the venue would lure crowds to the mixed-use riverfront destination on days when the Cincinnati Bengals and Cincinnati Reds aren't playing.

Jon Reischel, a spokesman for The Banks' development team, declined comment Tuesday on the PromoWest proposal.

It's difficult to say what impact a new place to host concerts will have on other Greater Cincinnati operations.

U.S. Bank Arena officials say a smaller music venue so close to the arena poses no problems. Last July, arena officials revealed drawings and tentative plans detailing how it could pursue a full-scale renovation. County officials said it would take at least $200 million to renovate one of the region's largest entertainment venues to make it more attractive for concerts and other events.

“If there is going to be a venue of that size on the Banks, it’s not going to affect our business because it’s a different level of performer,” said Arena spokesman Sean Lynn.

Founded in 1984, PromoWest is known for hip and up-and-coming bands. The first PromoWest-produced Bunbury in June featured 50 acts, including The Black Keys, The Avett Brothers and Snoop Dogg. PromoWest also bought Bunbury's sister music festival, the country-themed Buckle Up, in 2014. Buckle Up is set to return August 2016 in Blue Ash.