CINCINNATI — A leader with The Banks said the decision to reimplement its 21 and older policy on weekends had nothing to do with Opening Day chaos a few short weeks ago.
We spoke with Tracy Schwegmann, a representative for the Banks, Thursday morning and asked her if what happened on Opening Day played a role in the rule change.
"Really, really not. Again, there's elements that go into that: you have to have a permit to do it. The city has to issue that permit," Schwegmann said. "You have to have the funding to do it. You have to have the security teams in place to do it. And again, it's very weather dependent."
Schwegmann said the same private security detail hired by The Banks last year will work ID checkpoints this year at both ends of the public plaza on Freedom Way between Joe Nuxhall Way and Marian Spencer Way/Walnut Street.
WATCH: The Banks is bringing back its 21+ policy. Here's why leaders say now is the right time
"This is a 100% privately funded initiative by Banks businesses and Banks stakeholders," she said. "It will cost these businesses in excess of $300,000 this year to put this program in place."
The policy, which will run through Oct. 30, will be in effect on upcoming Fridays and Saturdays between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. At that time, anyone who wants to enter the plaza must be 21 or older or be accompanied by a parent who is at least 21 years old.
As for Reds games that let out around 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, Schwegmann said families will still be allowed through the plaza to head to the parking garages or make it back to their vehicles.
"Running 40,000 people out of a stadium straight into a wall of barricades isn't really workable," she said. "So there will be some instances where it won't start exactly at 10 o'clock."
Schwegmann said this is how security handled the policy with game crowds last week on Friday, post-Reds fireworks.
"We had to wait for some of those fans to clear, and then the barricades popped up," said Schwegmann.
