Bars and restaurants near West End pretty OK with a stadium, unsurprisingly. Where will fans go?

Every sporting event spills out beyond whatever stadium or ballpark it's in. Fans eat and drink before the game, celebrate or nurse disappointment in the company of others afterward. For FC Cincinnati fans, there's an actual march to the game at Nippert Stadium.

If FC Cincinnati plays their games in a stadium in the West End, where will those pre-and post-game activities happen?

Probably not in the West End itself. There's not much in the neighborhood as far as bars and restaurants, though Ollie's Trolley is a half a block away. Ollie's owner Marvin Smith loves the idea.

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"Anything that brings people and jobs to the neighborhood is good," he said. "I'm already looking into getting a liquor license. People could come here, get some ribs, have an Ollieburger before the game. I love it."

The West End seems quite separate from Downtown, divided by Central Parkway or I-75 and with a very different urban topography. Stretches of warehouses or businesses on large plots of lands and several roads that curve confusingly beneath overpasses make distinguish it from other parts of the urban landscape. That's interspersed with residential pockets, public housing and the Cincinnati Museum Center and the Dalton Street post office on its western end.

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But if you ignore Central Parkway and see the West End as a continuation of Over-the-Rhine, there are lots of possibilities. If the stadium were built where Stargel Stadium is now, behind Taft High School, it would be well within walking distance of some of the most popular restaurants and bars of Over-the-Rhine.

It's easy to see Taft's Ale House, at 1429 Race St., becoming a place for fans to gather. Dave Kassling, one of the owner's of Taft's, likes that idea. The brewery/restaurant already sponsors watch parties at their second location, Taft's Brewporium in Winton Place, which is closer to where FCC plays now. They have sponsored an FC fan group called the Queen City Mafia.

"If this happens, we'd see that group taken to a whole new level," he said. "We love seeing that enthusiasm. We want to be part of that group, part of the team."

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Other OTR restaurant owners love the idea of a West End stadium, not specifically to fill their seats, but to extend the development that has transformed Over-the-Rhine and bring a new group of people to the vicinity.

Daniel Wright, owner of Senate, Pontiac and Abigail Street on Vine, sees it as a boost to existing businesses, but especially as a spur for more development.

"I think it's brilliant. I think it would draw people Downtown and connect up areas with new development," he said.

Vik Silberberg, who owns Zula on Race St., said he likes the idea for bringing more people to Over-the-Rhine. He sees that many people from the suburbs have become more comfortable coming Downtown since he opened five years ago. "I think it would be a good addition. Any business that brings growth will have a positive impact."

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