CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Bengals and local officials have reached a tentative deal to make $470 million in renovations to Paycor Stadium and keep the team there for at least the next 11 years.
The preliminary agreement announced Thursday still needs final approval from the team and Hamilton County commissioners.
Both sides had until June 30 to agree to a new lease or approve the first of five two-year extensions but they've agreed to extend the deadline. The Bengals' original lease expires at the end of next June.
"This is a significant day for the Bengals and Hamilton County as we secure the team's future in Cincinnati," Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn said in a statement. "We thank the Hamilton County Commissioners for supporting this agreement to ensure Paycor Stadium remains an excellent venue and a focal point for Cincinnati's riverfront. We are proud to call Paycor Stadium our home and to keep our future here in Cincinnati, where it belongs."
The $470 million plan to renovate the stadium is far less than the $830 million the Bengals originally proposed.
The county will contribute $350 million toward the renovations, and the Bengals will pay $120 million.
Details on what the improvements will include were not announced by the county Thursday. Both sides said they will work together to seek additional funding from the state.
The team has proposed improvements to the club lounges, stadium suites, concessions and scoreboards.
The Bengals have called Paycor Stadium home since 2000. It was originally named Paul Brown Stadium until the team sold the naming rights in August 2022.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
