In a new vision for the Banks, a modern arena sits on the current site of the Heritage Bank Center.
Yes, it was included on purpose.
The Banks Urban Design Plan Update, released mid-April, featured recommendations for new buildings on the five remaining undeveloped parcels near Paycor Stadium. The plan also included a new civic plaza, a marina and art-filled pedestrian zones that would connect the Banks with Smale Riverfront Park.
A redesigned arena was listed in a section about major conceptual projects that would increase the quality of the district overall. The master planning team wrote:
“The project addresses a critical gap in the district’s year-round activation…The facility (arena) positions The Banks as a complete entertainment destination − sports, culture, conventions, and riverfront experience in one walkable district.”
They also called the potential arena a “signature architectural statement that anchors the district’s eastern edge.”
Heritage Bank Center, built in 1975, has long been considered outdated. A 2024 study released by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber outlined the top Downtown locations for a modern arena and what it might cost to build one. The existing site was evaluated as too tight at 4.17 acres.
Since then, conversations about the future arena have stalled, but the new plan for the Banks raises questions about who supports keeping it on the riverfront. And who doesn’t.
Heritage Bank Center, Banks businesses weigh in
A slew of influential groups were behind the Banks Urban Design Plan Update − from city and Hamilton County leaders to Phil Castellini, President and CEO of the Reds, and Phil Beck, executive of the Banks Public Partnership. Other Banks businesses and landowners also participated as advisors.
“There are cities that would give a kidney for a true arena stadium district and we have one at the Banks,” said Kristin Ropp, vice president and general manager of the Cincinnati Cyclones and Heritage Bank Center. “If we move the arena, the city is turning its back on the Banks in general and everything they’ve done there.”
Nederlander Entertainment, owner and operator of the Heritage Bank Center, has spent the last few decades advocating for help building a new arena on its current site.
So far, Mayor Aftab Pureval hasn’t taken a formal stance on where it should be located. In a 2025 interview on The Enquirer’s “That’s So Cincinnati” podcast, he cited a potential Downtown site and one in the West End as making the most sense, but he didn’t comment on the riverfront site.
The bars and restaurants that make up the Banks Business Community say it should stay put.
“The recently unveiled development plan underscores the importance of activating the remaining undeveloped parcels, and that momentum depends on consistent foot traffic, strong visitor demand, and a defined entertainment identity,” they wrote in a statement to The Enquirer. “A modern arena in its existing location delivers all three, creating the energy and frequency of visits needed to support surrounding development.”
Berding: ‘A rushed Banks is not worth the investment’
Not everyone feels the same way.
FC Cincinnati’s co-CEO Jeff Berding doubled down on following the results of the 2024 arena study − which included recommendations on how to pay for it. “While there are differences of opinion on the best location…now is not the time to be divided by that debate,” he said via email. “What we can all agree on is that we owe it to the taxpayers to build the best arena for the best price.”
One of the options from the study, a 6-acre property in the West End − the current home of the decrepit Towne Center Garage − is just a few blocks south of FC Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium.
Most people who responded to a city-commissioned survey obtained by The Enquirer don’t consider an arena there as a top priority for the neighborhood.
Outside of the arena debate, Berding said issues like public safety at the Banks need to be addressed before development work of any kind begins.
He thinks “a rushed Banks is not worth the investment,” but called the Banks plan thoughtful, and that the authors “deserve(s) credit for honestly naming the challenges the district faces today.” He cited quality and the lack of a cohesive design, as well a weak connection to the riverfront, among those challenges.
“But naming the problems is not the same as solving them,” he continued. “The plan’s authors have not explained why and how the next 2.5 million square feet will succeed where the previous development failed.”
It’s all about parking for the county
Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus told The Enquirer she’s interested in building the new arena in a spot where there’s already built infrastructure such as parking. (The Banks’ Central Riverfront Garage sits underneath the entire district.)
The other commissioners, Stephanie Summerow Dumas and Alicia Reece, said they are waiting to review the updated plan.
Additional reporting by Erin Glynn.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: New plan for The Banks included a modern arena. Here’s who supports it
Reporting by Sydney Franklin, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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