Cincinnati officials said the initiative was launched by The Banks itself and the privately-owned businesses that call it home, but Mayor Aftab Pureval and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge are in support.
“The Banks is a critically important aspect of our local economy,” said Pureval. “It’s really the lifeblood, particularly for our sports and our entertainment economies and we want to do everything we can to maintain the safety of our patrons and our tourists.”
The Banks’ business association applied for special event permits to allow the 21-and-over restriction and has fully funded the initiative itself through private funds, according to Tracey Schwegmann with The Banks.
“It’s a conversation we’ve been having for about two years,” said Schwegmann.
She said overall it will likely cost the association around $250,000.
According to Schwegmann, at 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the coming summer months, bike racks will be positioned at either end of the pedestrian plaza where the DORA district is located.
From there, a private security firm hired by The Banks will check identification for everyone entering, and patrons who are under the age of 21 will be asked to leave. Schwegmann said businesses within The Banks will also still be doing their own ID checks at bar doors.
“The reality is, at a certain point in the evening, the offerings of these establishments are solely geared toward 21 and over, so we want to make certain that the folks that are coming down to patronize those businesses are of age and can do so in a safe, fun, vibrant area,” said Schwegmann.
This is just a next step in The Banks’ efforts to improve safety in the entertainment district that follows improvements already made to lighting, cameras and landscaping.
Right now, the initiative is set to run for at least the next six months, since that’s how long the permit The Banks obtained runs — but Schwegmann said once that time period is up, there will be a conversation about whether to keep the policy in place permanently depending on its success.
Theetge said the age restriction will likely free up Cincinnati police officers to patrol other, nearby areas more heavily instead. Since a private security firm will be handling IDs and security at The Banks’ DORA district, Theetge said she hopes that CPD officers can focus elsewhere.
Recently, CPD has deployed its SWAT team and its Civil Disturbance Response Team at The Banks to help handle issues tied to the large crowds the area draws.
“I’m excited to see how it goes tonight, tomorrow night and into the summer,” said Theetge.
Fear not — Reds games will likely not be impacted much.
Schwegmann said they are in communication with the Reds on when games may release a large crowd into The Banks in the evening.
Barricades may not go up right at 10 p.m. when there’s a late game, so families can still move through — but even if they are up, Schwegmann said families will be allowed through the plaza to head to the parking garages or make it back to their vehicles or homes in the evenings.
Officials said areas around Great American Ball Park and both sidewalks on Joe Nuxhall Way are not part of the public plaza, so they also won’t be restricted.
Is this the first step toward 21-and-over restrictions elsewhere in Cincinnati? According to Theetge, not yet.
Theetge said those involved at The Banks came up with a plan that specifically worked for them to improve the area.
Pureval called the move “proactive.”
But that doesn’t mean that similar initiatives won’t be looked at for other areas in the city, like Over-the-Rhine.
“We got this one across the finish line, we’re gonna evaluate it at the end of the summer and see how things went and then we’ll take conversations from there,” said Theetge.
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