PX column: Mayor Cranley believes FC Cincinnati's MLS bid, stadium deal done by mid-April

John Cranley slammed those who oppose building a new soccer stadium in the West End, saying it'd be a "tragic mistake" if FC Cincinnati's proposal is rejected.

Speaking publicly for the first time about the potential West End stadium, the mayor told Politics Extra last week those who are fighting the $200 million private investment are "political actors operating in bad faith."

"The same people who were pushing to stop the Children's expansion are pushing to stop FC Cincinnati, which seems to be about maintaining disinvestment, maintaining the status quo and not closing racial and economic gaps but keeping them divided," Cranley said. "I think that's wrong."

During a half-hour interview in his City Hall office, Cranley said he believes the MLS expansion bid and stadium deal will be wrapped up by no later than mid-April. The expansion bid is not contingent on the West End stadium deal, said Cranley, who has worked closely with FC Cincinnati officials.

The mayor declined comment when asked why the expansion bid has been delayed.

Here's a look at what else Cranley had to say about the West End stadium proposal:

Gauging City Council's support

First, the plan to build a soccer stadium on the grounds of Taft High is contingent on approval from the board that oversees the Cincinnati Public Schools.

If the school board gives the thumbs up, Cranley expects City Council will vote on the deal at the end of March. He would not say whether the West End stadium proposal has enough support on Council yet, but PX's early prediction is it'll pass.

"This is a decision about the future of Cincinnati," Cranley said. "It should end up in the West End because that's where (team officials) want it. The question is are we going to be a city that embraces the future or are we going to protect the status quo?"

More: West End may not want stadium. That may not matter

How much city money FC Cincinnati will seek

In November, Council approved giving FC Cincinnati $36 million to use for stadium-related infrastructure. The deal was for building a stadium in Oakley, which now appears to be the back-up option. Will the club ask for more money to support building a West End stadium?

"Doubt it," Cranley said. "I've had no indication that they're asking for more than they did with Oakley."

Cranley reiterated that $29 million from the Oakley deal can essentially transfer over into a new West End deal. The $7 million from the Oakley tax-increment financing district couldn't be used, but Cranley might have tipped his hand on how that money could be made up in a new deal.

"I think the Downtown-Over-the-Rhine TIF can actually do that, although I haven't run the numbers so I don't want to get ahead of myself on that," Cranley said.

Politics Extra: West End should embrace 'Santa' Berding, stadium

Whether this is gentrification

"No, I see this as reversing a historic wrong of disinvestment in the West End by bringing in new investment, jobs and opportunity," Cranley said. "This is the type of thing that progressives should embrace, urbanists should embrace and anyone who cares about reversing the plight of low-income neighborhoods should embrace."

FC Cincinnati President Jeff Berding has said the club will not tear down any houses; will build Taft a new football stadium; and enter an agreement requiring the soccer team to fulfill obligations to the neighborhood.

Cranley supports the idea of a Community Benefits Agreement.

"There are real issues with traffic, infrastructure, parking," Cranley said. "But the good far outweighs the bad. You just want to make sure that you're dealing with the details of the investment in a way that is sensitive to neighborhood concerns."

More: MLS delay has nothing to do with FC Cincinnati's bid, Berding says

The Children's comparison

It seems clear Cranley sees the stadium pushback is partly aimed at him.

He didn't name names. But many of Cranley's most outspoken political enemies oppose the West End stadium idea – ex-Mayor Dwight Tillery and City Councilmen Wendell Young and Chris Seelbach.

Those are some of the same people who fought fellow Democrat Cranley last year over Children's Hospital's $500 million expansion project.

The mayor sees the West End stadium proposal "just like the Children's expansion," Cranley said. "It's good for the neighborhood. It's good for jobs, construction with minority inclusion. And you have certain political forces trying to make it bad."

Cranley added: "This is what Democrats have been screaming for for 50 years – investment in the urban core. You can't bemoan the disinvestment and then oppose the investment."

Politics Extra is a column looking inside Greater Cincinnati and Ohio politics. Follow Enquirer political columnist Jason Williams on Twitter @jwilliamscincy.