CINCINNATI — The multi-million upgrades at Paycor Stadium are well underway.
Hamilton County Commissioners say crews removed about 12,500 seats this past week as part of the multi-year, $39 million stadium renovation. The club level seats are now gone, and the county says they will be replaced with more comfortable seats. The Bengals paid for $32 million worth of renovations inside the stadium which includes upgrading concessions stands, adding LED ribbon boards.
Driehaus likened Paycor Stadium to a house saying "it's twenty-something years old" when talking about the renovations. Whether it's work on the concrete or the pipes, Driehaus said crews are always at Paycor Stadium working.
She said the deadline to get this done is not only before the NFL season begins, but before the next big event happening at Paycor Stadium, which includes Cincinnati Music Festival on July 25, 2025.
Other than construction happening inside the stadium, crews will begin working at the stadium entrance near Elm Street and Freedom Way in March. Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus said it's about upgrading the fan experience but also improving access in and out of Paycor Stadium. This part of the construction phase is being paid for by Hamilton County residents.
"To eliminate bottleneck when you either go in or especially come out of that stadium it gets really crowded and congested," Driehaus said. "Hey we need to get going, and there's also this window where the Bengals aren't playing."
Also outside the stadium, the Bengals also paid for the indoor practice facility. In April 2023, county commissioners met to talk about the terms of the current lease agreement and a new one with the Bengals, there was some discussion about building a brand new stadium. At that time, it wasn't out of the question.
Now, Driehaus is saying that it's not a possibility.
"I mean the good news here is we don't need to build a new stadium," Driehaus said.
The Bengals lease does expire with Paycor Stadium on June 30, 2026, but Driehaus isn't worried about that either when it'll come to negotiating a new lease.
"I think the tone of this is important to note, because this is a collaborative effort between the county and the Bengals, and so my hope is, when we talk about the lease, that collaboration continues," Driehaus said.
