Back in April, it was announced that the Cincinnati Benglas had reached an agreement with Hamilton County to waive height restrictions at The Banks in exchange for upgrades to be made to Paul Brown Stadium.
That’s key to clearing the way for a new General Electric building – and up to 2,000 new jobs – at The Banks. It would also allow for construction to start on a new apartment building there, presumably a 291-unit complex.
In exchange, there will be upgrades to PBS, including an upgraded weight room and locker room that's already begun:
- Furniture for the two club lounges, which would cost about $1 million. The furniture in the lounges - banquet rooms overlooking the stadium - is almost 15 years old. The county is hoping the Bengals will help with the cost.
- Wi-Fi, which the Bengals would pay a portion of. The total cost is anticipated at $3.5 million.
- An expanded weight room, which would move into space set aside should a professional soccer team ever come to Cincinnati. The Bengals would pay for the expansion, but they need county permission to make the changes.
In a news release, the Bengals said they will spend about $6 million on all stadium upgrades, including completely footing the $2 million bill for the locker room and weight room changes.