Roughly 16 acres in Oakley once held Cast-Fab, a company that made pipe fittings and other items until 2016. The factory has been demolished and the rubble is being hauled out, so the land can potentially be reused as a new stadium for FC Cincinnati. The city is proposing to widen a few blocks of street to lure the team to the site. Mark Wert/The Enquirer
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Reconfiguring four intersections and adjusting traffic signals would alleviate traffic headaches in Oakley, paving the way for a Major League Soccer stadium in that neighborhood, a traffic study of the area shows.
What was missing from the presentation: the Edwards Connector. That expensive project remains under review by the city and may still be needed, but it isn't necessary for the stadium, according to a draft of the study shared with the Oakley Community Council board and an audience of more than 100 on Monday evening.
The study, paid for by FC Cincinnati, indicated that it's possible to build a soccer stadium on the former Cast Fab site north of Madison Road near the Oakley Station apartment and retail development.
The No. 1 concern about the site – one of three being considered by the soccer club if Cincinnati wins an MLS expansion team – is traffic around Oakley Station and in and out of Crossroads Church, which is already snarled at peak times.
FC Cincinnati President and General Manager Jeff Berding unveiled portions of the traffic study Monday night at Oakley Community Council's board meeting, which due to overwhelming public interest was moved to MadTree Brewery, a larger venue. FC Cincinnati has not asked the board for an official vote of approval.
"This is an enormously big deal," Berding said. "We need to make sure we get it right. We need to get it right for our fans and for our community."
He said he's paying attention to traffic issues, parking, noise, litter and even the time of games. Neighborhood concerns are important, he said.
FC Cincinnati continues to wait on expansion news. In the meantime, the team is considering Oakley, the West End and Newport as potential stadium sites.
Oakley is a focus this week, with further discussion expected at Community Council on Tuesday, but the West End remains a contender.
Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley weighed in this weekend, telling The Enquirer it would be a "tragic mistake" if FC Cincinnati's West End proposal is rejected.
But West End residents and the NAACP have expressed concerns about pricing existing residents out of the neighborhood and about moving Cincinnati Public Schools' Stargel Stadium.
In November, Oakley seemed like the frontrunner for the stadium, raising concerns among some residents there that the site hadn't been properly vetted. And traffic was at the top of many residents' worries. Still, Cincinnati and Hamilton County approved a combined $51 million in infrastructure support for a 21,000-seat stadium, which FC Cincinnati said it would build at a cost of $250 million.
A majority of those at Monday's meeting indicated by a show of hands that they supported having the stadium in Oakley.
FC Cincinnati hired Cincinnati-based engineering firm Bayer Becker to do the initial traffic analysis. No cost was given for the changes.
The study recommended changes at:
- Madison Road and Vandercar Way
- Vandercar Way and Marburg Avenue
- Madison and Ridge roads
- Marburg and Ibsen avenues
Etta Reed, an engineer with Bayer Becker, didn't offer specifics, saying only that it involves an additional left turn lane and right turn lane. "At this point we're not prepared to announce what the improvements would be," she said.
Bayer Becker made its recommendations with the assumption the stadium would seat 28,000 people, with 28 to 30 events a year.
One of the questions centered on walkability, prompting Berding to talk about Oakley Station, home to several big box stores.
"We want it to be the original vision," he said. "More walkable, more urban, not all big-box retail. We will absolutely work with the city and developer. Maybe we become a developer ourselves to make that happen."
The traffic report is in the final stages and a parking assessment is under way. FC Cincinnati intends to share it with the city's transportation department.
Have your say
What: Oakley Community Council meeting
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Oakley Community Center
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