A new arena without a main tenant to fill the seats is a billion-dollar gamble

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26-03-2025

I read Cincinnati City Councilman Seth Walsh's op-ed on the urgent need for an expanded arena, and I support the urgency and the economic benefits. That being said, he missed an opportunity as an elected official to clarify where it should be and how the cost should be justified, including who will be the host team that will generate the revenue to build the arena.
Simply hosting March Madness a couple of times a decade, or a similar high-profile event in between, like a national convention for the President of the United States, along with Cincinnati Cyclones, will not be sufficient. We need to start exploring the host because a plan of "build it and they will come" would be foolish.
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This is a billion-dollar-plus question. Given the recently built Intuit Dome Arena in Los Angeles, which hosts the NBA's L.A. Clippers, cost $2 billion, we need to understand a competitive arena will be at least a billion dollars.
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If we want to move forward on this new arena, we first need to find a host team or a consistent draw that will fill the seats. The location is also key. The Banks is at risk of being a complete failure as a "neighborhood" if we don't maintain a year-round draw of visitors who will also be customers to the local businesses at The Banks.
Before we get the proverbial cart before the horse, we need to have a serious discussion of what team or alternative business model will keep the lights on year-round.
Brian Frank, Mt. Adams
(Editor's note: Brian Frank is running for Cincinnati mayor in 2025)
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: A new Cincinnati arena without a committed team is a mistake | Letters