Architects issued renderings for a proposed $1.3 billion renovation of the Cincinnati Bengals’ Paycor Stadium that includes new outdoor spaces for fans to gather before and after games but lacks some of the commercial development at other new NFL stadium projects.
MSA Design submitted the plan this week to the Hamilton County Commission as the team nears the end of its lease at the downtown stadium in 2026. Although the Bengals have options to extend the lease, team and county officials have discussed major stadium upgrades as a lure for a long-term lease.
The Bengals are considering a renovation as two other NFL franchises, the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans, are building new facilities from scratch. The Chicago Bears have also explored a new stadium, although the team has not finalized plans.
The Titans’ stadium in downtown Nashville would be surrounded by extensive commercial development including apartments, retail, restaurants and hotels. That model emerged when the Atlanta Braves built a baseball stadium in 2017 and has been a way for the team to generate revenue in addition to ticket sales by attracting fans to the complex year-round.
The initial proposal for the Bengals' stadium renovation does not include an accompanying commercial development project.
The project for Paycor Stadium, which opened in 2000 as Paul Brown Stadium, would move a surface street away from the stadium and closer to the Ohio River to create green space. The plan would also add pedestrian plazas for fans to gather. The stadium would add seats to an area where a gap exists between the existing stands. It would also add a new office complex for the Bengals’ staff and new indoor and outdoor practice facilities.
Financing agreements have not been approved. In earlier discussions, the Bengals said they would contribute about $50 million, but some county officials have said the team’s contribution should be much higher.
For the record
MSA Design, based in Cincinnati, is the lead architect. Michael McInturf Architects is the associate architecture firm.