From the corner of Twelfth and Elm Streets, the new Bengals Stadium looks like a silver mountain of glass and concrete. It's astounding how much you notice it from this distant Over-the-Rhine corner. The powers-that-be at The Enquirer would probably insist that the best view of Mike Brown's football coliseum lies directly outside their front door. The gridiron action is literally a stone's throw away. This convenience is a welcome reward for countless put-the-stadiums-on-the-riverfront Enquirer editorials.
But my favorite vantage of the Bengals stadium is this downtrodden corner beside Washington Park. Here is concrete proof of the negligible impact the Bengals stadium will make on the city that it's supposed to rejuvenate. We can expect similar results from the new riverfront home of the Reds. It's time to push the spotlight away from the riverfront stadiums and give the arts their due.
Chances are you've already seen CityBeat's fourth annual State of the Arts issue: "Is an Avenue of the Arts in Cincinnati's Future?" (Issue of May 4-10). "The T," these intersecting downtown corridors of arts organizations, could spur economic growth from downtown into Over-the-Rhine. The problem ahead is with convincing local political leaders.
Local tourism was the focus of a recent Fountain Square celebration. Many arts organizations were there. Even though Mayor Charlie Luken ignored the participating arts groups and publicly gushed about the Cincinnati Zoo, Kings Island and the Reds, the status of the arts as a powerful economic engine for Greater Cincinnati continues to grow. Public support for further growth is essential. But public officials are preoccupied with out-of- control stadium costs.
What's even worse is the public distrust for any new taxes. If the riverfront sports stadiums continue their hold on the Cincinnati psyche, The T faces a slim chance of becoming a reality.
The sports stadiums are the Cincinnati arts community's stone cold villains. It's no surprise in CityBeat's annual ranking of the 25 arts "influentials," the sports stadiums represented the only non-human entry. Their negative influence makes for a bizarre situation.
I've always put a human face on arts antagonists. Local freedom-of-speech critics like Hamilton County Sheriff Simon Leis and Citizens for Community Values honcho Phil Burress are expected adversaries for the pro-arts community. The outcry against Congressman Steve Chabot's support for withdrawing National Endowment for the Arts funding continues to grow. It's easy to campaign against people. By comparison, the riverfront sports stadiums are complex villains. Fighting them is like tilting at windmills. The potential for victory is unclear.
The arts community never argued against the Hamilton County sales tax for stadium construction. Arts support for stadium construction even continued after grass-roots efforts failed to place the new Reds stadium at Broadway Commons. Local arts institutions were optimistic that a downtown rejuvenated by stadium construction would benefit everyone. The arts community was willing to wait a bit longer in line for their share of public funds. No one knew the public debate over the worthiness of this sales tax would turn sour. The chance for a fair share of funding looks more and more slim. City support seems unlikely for a renovated Emery Theatre, a new Arts Consor-tium or a new theater/gallery complex along Walnut Street. The arts community's patience in stepping aside for stadium funding will haunt them for years to come.
How can the arts community fight villains made of concrete, steel and glass? A public war against the riverfront sports stadiums begins with focusing on their price tags and the thankless attitude of the team owners. The timing is perfect for the arts to show just how much bang they give the people for their buck.
