Greg Harris: Build the Banks

Do you consider the Banks deal to be the city’s number one development priority and do you expect to support the deal the Banks Working Group has been negotiating? Does it matter to you if the deal is finished before or after Election Day?

Yes, we need to build the Banks and empower the Banks Working Group to do the job they were appointed to do. I also happen to think getting the deal completed before election day is important. My fear is that if it is put off until after election day, certain politicians will feel it buys them more time and may even be inclined to go back to the drawing board (as some have been pushing to do). We must stop making the perfect the enemy of the good. Let’s get this deal done and go with a master developer who will develop the riverfront with an emphasis on green space and architectural continuity, with significant new residential development and entertainment offerings.

The Banks will help Cincinnati entice a much larger slice of the region's 2 million population to make Cincinnati an entertainment destination. And its residential base will grow the critical mass needed to reinforce the momentum of our downtown. Cincinnati cannot tax itself into prosperity, and needs to grow its wealth as a city if we are to generate the revenue to proactively address other major urban issues (safety, home ownership, transit, etc.).