Springfield News-Sun

Fans will see over a dozen upgrades at Paycor Stadium

- Madeline Ottilie and Paula Christian

CINCINNATI — Renovation­s are moving forward at Paycor Stadium to replace club seats, the stadium’s turf field and various technology and concession equipment.

The projects are part of 18 high-priority infrastruc­ture and capital repair projects identified by the county and the Bengals in December 2023.

They are slated to be complete for the upcoming football season and ultimately integrated into a larger, more comprehens­ive renovation slated to start at the stadium in 2025.

“We’re making the improvemen­ts in the stadium that need to be made to keep the stadium relevant structural­ly,” Hamilton County Administra­tor Jeff Aluotto said.

The county committed to investing $39 million for the renovation­s, and the Bengals have invested the same amount since 2022.

Other projects include updating lighting and improving access to the stadium from the plaza. The county is working to triple the size of that access point.

More renovation­s are around the corner.

The county and the Bengals hired Los Angeles-based architectu­re and design firm Gensler

Sports to evaluate the stadium. The firm released a capital assessment report in April 2022, recommendi­ng $493.7 million in basic repairs to the aging structure such as fixing steel rails and ramps, replacing seats and upgrading electric and plumbing systems.

That number does not include the potential $200 million to $300 million more for future upgrades like luxury lounges, high-end food or drink and new signs and scoreboard­s.

How the county and team will divide those costs is likely to be a major point of negotiatio­n as the two parties prepare to negotiate a new lease. The team’s current lease expires in 2026.

 ?? NICK GRAHAM / STAFF ?? Hamilton County Commission President Alicia Reece is pushing for the NFL to take on some of the burden of the cost of renovating Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.
NICK GRAHAM / STAFF Hamilton County Commission President Alicia Reece is pushing for the NFL to take on some of the burden of the cost of renovating Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.

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