Sharon Coolidge | Cincinnati Enquirer

Sam Greene & Carrie Cochran/The Enquirer

Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority

FC Cincinnati has been mum on what it's thinking for the exact stadium site if the soccer club is awarded an MLS soccer franchise, but two public meetings this week point to movement in the West End.

And that's worrying some residents, who say they don't want a deal cut without public engagement.

On Tuesday night, FC Cincinnati secured an option to buy land in the West End, saying it intends to use the land for single-family homes.

The Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority board unanimously voted to give FC Cincinnati the option to purchase 66 parcels of land it owns north of Ezzard Charles Drive near City West, a development that stalled before completion. The team is paying $100 for the one-year option.

A large plot of land south of Ezzard Charles Drive, shown on a map shared by CMHA last week along with other FC Cincinnati documents, remains under option by Drees Homes, which has said it plans to build a Citirama at the site.

That leaves the question of where exactly FC Cincinnati is contemplating putting a stadium unanswered.

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Then, Wednesday morning, the board of Cincinnati Public Schools held a meeting to discuss a letter Berding sent the board seeking a conversation.

All seven board members said publicly they had no details about what FC Cincinnati was planning, but the meeting did give the public a chance to speak publicly.

At the meetings, citizens raised concerns about gentrification and preserving Taft High School. Wednesday evening Berding said, while there are several configurations that could work, none of them touch the high school building itself. At the school board meeting, some also wanted to make sure if the stadium is in the West End no tax incentive package is given to the detriment of the schools.

"That's where our babies walk to school," said Contina Davis, vice president of the Liberty Street Resident Council, referring to children as young as 5 years old who attend Hays-Porter School. "We get that there will be jobs ... but what about residents who will be impacted?"

A spokeswoman for the team, at the CMHA meeting, wouldn't say what the club's exact plans were but read a statement from Berding:

"For the stadium to be a great addition to the neighborhood, this enormous sports facility investment should also bring with it increased density with more housing for new residents, more offices and workers, more retail and entertainment, and of course, more community facilities.... FCC will work with CMHA to develop a winning plan that includes a pro-active community engagement process with residents, stakeholders and those with historic ties to the West End. FC Cincinnati and Carl Lindner are fully committed to extensive community engagement, and those activities will be forthcoming soon."

The Cincinnati chapter of the NAACP is concerned about the secrecy and Wednesday issued its own statement seeking transparency.

"The West End is a historically African American neighborhood that over the years has seen the fabric of its community strategically and systematically torn apart and gentrified in the name of "progress" and unfulfilled promises," the statement said. "We are monitoring the developments with serious interest and until a definitive plan is presented, we will reserve comment and judgment. However, we demand full transparency and engagement of the community as the conversation develops."

All along, Berding has said the team is looking at Oakley, West End and Newport. The team is awaiting word from MLS on whether Cincinnati will get an expansion franchise, a decision that is expected by March.

The Enquirer/Meg Vogel

Oakley has city and county buy-in with agreements the governments will help pay for infrastructure there, but potential traffic issues are currently being studied. As for Newport, there has been no serious public discussion of that site, but Berding has not ruled it out.

"From our perspective, all activity is focused on keeping as many options on the table as possible," Berding told The Enquirer last week.

FC Cincinnati is one of three teams that remain under consideration by the MLS, along with Detroit and Sacramento. MLS says additional franchise announcements will come sometime before the beginning of the new season.