Enquirer editorial board

Not a single dime of taxpayers’ money should be spent to make upgrades to U.S. Bank Arena or build Futbol Club Cincinnati a new soccer stadium.

Nederlander Entertainment Group, owner of U.S. Bank Arena, wants the public to chip in on a $200 million renovation of the 40-year-old facility to secure its bid to host the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in 2022.

Meanwhile, rumors are circulating that FC Cincinnati’s ownership might be working on a proposal for a new soccer stadium that would also involve taxpayer dollars. A new soccer stadium would go a long way in helping FC Cincinnati persuade Major League Soccer that it’s ready for the big leagues.

To be clear, U.S. Bank Arena is in desperate need of a makeover, but Cincinnati and Hamilton County taxpayers should not pay for it.

Plus, the funding requests could not come at a worse time. The city is facing a $25 million budget deficit next year, and it would be tough to justify a stadium project or arena renovation at the same time elected officials are considering whether to close pools and recreation centers.

The county, meanwhile, is projecting a $1 million revenue shortfall this year. And the county could lose up to $10 million in revenue next year when the federal government changes the way sales tax is collected on Medicaid.

Add to that the fact that many people are still smarting from the stadium deal Hamilton County struck with the Bengals. Taxpayers remain on the hook for the next decade for millions of dollars in upkeep and maintenance to Paul Brown Stadium. And rest assured, it won’t be long before Mike Brown and the Bengals are back to renegotiate a new deal with the county.

Bottom line: The city and the county have bigger fish to fry. Attacking child poverty; heroin and opioid overdoses; infrastructure improvements; and crime and gun violence ought to take priority in spending.

This editorial board has been outspoken about the lost opportunities, both economically and in quality of life, that Cincinnati has experienced due to the subpar conditions of U.S. Bank Arena. The 2016 Republican Convention, the University of Cincinnati men’s basketball team, and other concerts and events have bypassed the venue because it wasn’t up to snuff.

An upgraded arena is one of the missing pieces from a revitalization of downtown Cincinnati. Something needs to be done about an arena that has become a persistent symbol of blight and neglect in the middle of an urban renaissance. But it should be done by Nederlander and members of the business community who have the biggest stake in the outcome. Given that U.S. Bank Arena has been open for 40 years, one can assume Nederlander has been turning a profit. Therefore, the group should use those profits to reinvest in their own business.

We won’t support a sales tax, but increasing the local hotel tax might be a viable funding option. Increasing the hotel tax wouldn’t make Cincinnati any less attractive to travelers or conventions as the Queen City’s rate is on par with other similar-sized U.S. cities.

Competition for people’s entertainment dollars is steep, which makes running an arena in current times tough and risky. It’s not prudent for taxpayers to take part in that risk.

While FC Cincinnati may be the darlings of the Queen City and professional soccer right now, the team should exercise patience before asking for public dollars to build a stadium.

Soccer will very likely continue to grow in popularity and FC Cincinnati will grow, too. But for now, the team should focus on the new renovations at Nippert Stadium and being the best they can be on the field of play.

Perhaps FC Cincinnati and the Bengals could reach an agreement to share Paul Brown Stadium and pitch the renovations as a part of the Brown family’s future negotiations with the county.

Taxpayers have grown weary of arena and stadium handouts and aren’t eager to take on another boondoggle like with the Bengals.

For that reason more than any other, these funding requests should be dead on arrival.