The Hamilton County commissioners have reached an agreement with the Bengals and a concrete company that will allow a music venue to be built on the riverfront at The Banks, despite parts of the deal remaining in flux.

The three commissioners unanimously approved an agreement today with concrete company Hilltop Basic Resources to purchase half of the 17-acre site riverfront site where the company operates.

Hilltop will operate on the remaining part of the property until it can relocate.

What it means:

The music venue can be built on a lot across Elm Street from Paul Brown Stadium;

Part of what's now Hilltop Basic Concrete will become a tailgating lot for Bengals fans.

The Bengals agreed to delay some county-financed stadium enhancements

What's not clear yet is where Hilltop will ultimately go. This new deal doesn't need City of Cincinnati approval, meaning it will have a smoother path to approval than the last proposed deal to move the concrete company to the West Side.

“This a good deal for the taxpayers,” said Denise Driehaus, President of the Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners. “The music venue moves forward without delay."

'The Bengals have stepped up'

Under the newly-approved deal, the county would have to purchase the entire 17-acres from Hilltop by 2021 for just under $30 million total.

In the meantime, the Bengals will allow the music venue construction to move forward. The venue is still slated for a fall 2020 opening, said Tom Gabelman, an attorney who represents Hamilton County at The Banks.

In a statement, Bengals officials wrote, "Since the very first images were drawn 25 years ago showing what the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County hoped to accomplish by embarking upon a joint plan to rebuild this community’s riverfront, a key part of the plan has been acquiring the western edge of the riverfront to be held in public trust. The Bengals believed in that vision then and we believe in that vision now, and that is the reason we are investing $30 million to make that vision a reality."

The county hashed out the agreement after months of bickering with the city over the complex deal.

The Bengals want the Hilltop property for additional parking and tailgating in exchange for allowing the music venue to be built next to Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals' lease with the county gives the team veto rights in the vicinity of the stadium.

The county will purchase the first parcel from Hilltop by January 1. That property is seven acres where Hilltop stores its gravel and bulk materials. It will be turned into a green space and grass parking lot.

The county will pay for the land purchase out of the money from the 0.5 percent sales tax that pays for the two riverfront stadiums and riverfront development.

The Bengals have agreed to forgo $30 million in payments the original lease required the county to make in the final seven years before it expires in 2026.

"The Bengals have stepped up and come through on this," said Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune. "If their success on the playing field would match the success in the business world, that would be the best of all worlds. I'm not pointing fingers at that effort. That will turn around."

In Newport, a rival venue rises

Hilltop had originally proposed moving to Queensgate. The met with opposition from residents in the neighborhood and Mayor John Cranley and Cincinnati City Council.

The deal approved Tuesday won't require city approval, Gabelman said.

"I would hope our partners at the city that have been involved with this whole redevelopment effort since 1998 will join with the county, with the Bengals, MEMI and CSO, with all members of the Banks community that want this to happen," Gabelman said. "It's time to look forward."

Gabelman wouldn't say where Hilltop would move. The company employs 70 people on the riverfront. CEO Kevin Sheehan has said he's looked at sites in Northern Kentucky.

Whether the company will relocate outside the city, county or state isn't known, Gabelman said.

"You've got to keep all your options open when you're doing something like this," Gabelman said.

Meanwhile across the Ohio River, construction crews are building the music venue that's part of the Ovation development in Newport. That venue is similar to Cincinnati's with indoor, outdoor options and a general admission seating where concert goers will stand.

Construction of that venue, run by AEG, is set for completion by November 2020. AEG hasn't said yet when acts will start performing.

The Enquirer will update this story.