CINCINNATI, Ohio (CelebrityAccess) — County Commissioners selected the Cincinnati Symphony over concert promoter PromoWest to develop a new live music venue located in The Banks, a mixed-use entertainment district located on Cincinnati’s riverfront.
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, three Hamilton County Commissioners voted unanimously on Monday, followed by a similarly unanimous vote Cincinnati City Council’s budget and finance committee to approve the plan.
Mayor John Cranley must still refer the matter for consideration by the full city council, the Enquirer reported.
Many locals hope the new performance venue will help to drive foot traffic to the district, which business owners say has not attracted the volume of foot traffic they had hoped for, the Journal reported.
“We need to bring a new demographic to The Banks,” said Todd Portune, president of the county board told the newspaper. “That is what really excites me the most. We need a more eclectic mix of venues at The Banks. This is a dramatic step in that direction.”
Issues that played against PromoWest’s bid to develop the venue included the company’s reluctance to employ union labor.
“We’re not adverse to using union stagehands,” PromoWest Chief Executive Officer Scott Stienecker said during the hearing, the Journal said. “It doesn’t make fiscal sense at the rates they’re at right now.”
Other organizations that expressed an interest in developing the property included Live Nation, who withdrew their bid before Monday’s hearing.
