Proposed site for Bengals indoor practice facility outlined in city docs

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - The proposed location for the Cincinnati Bengals’ future indoor practice facility will be discussed in an upcoming public hearing.

A little more than a week ago, Cincinnati Bengals Executive Vice President Katie Blackburn said the organization was eyeing an indoor practice facility.

Documents from the City Planning Commission’s agenda and the public hearing notice from the Office of the Clerk note the possible location as 621 W. Mehring Way.

The commission’s agenda says they will meet at 9 a.m. April 15 to discuss.

The Equitable Growth & Housing Committee scheduled a public hearing for 1 p.m. on April 26 to talk about the authorization for the property to be developed, the document reads.

The Mehring Way property outlined in the document could only be authorized for development if it meets certain regulations.

Getting an indoor practice facility would bring the Bengals’ amenities up to speed with much of the NFL. The Bengals are one of four teams (Chargers, 49ers, Rams) that remain without an indoor practice area.

The first public mention of the Bengals looking into building the facility came on March 30 during the NFL’s Annual Meetings.

Team Executive VP Katie Blackburn told reported the Bengals are “definitely” and “actively” looking at adding an indoor practice facility.

The cost to build the facility would be on the Bengals, according to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) the team has with Hamilton County.

However, the MOU only mentions the indoor facility being built “on a portion of the Hilltop Site and/or within the existing practice fields.”

So, if the facility were built at a location not part of the Hilltop Site, it is unclear if the Bengals would be solely responsible for the cost.

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