PX: 'Santa' Berding has bag full of goodies. West End shouldn't turn down FC Cincy stadium

West End residents have mostly raised quality-of-life questions about the idea of a pro soccer palace coming to their backyard.

There have been a handful of folks – perhaps mostly non-residents – who have raised concerns in recent public meetings about an FC Cincinnati stadium gentrifying the neighborhood. This question caught our attention from one of this week's meetings:

Why should we take the first thing that comes along?

Easy answer: It's probably not going to get any better than this.

Anyone who thinks gentrification isn't coming to the West End, well, it's time to wake up and look across the street at Over-the-Rhine. It's happening, like it or not. Citirama was planning to come to the neighborhood this year until FC Cincinnati stepped in. Nothing says gentrification like a bunch of $400,000 Citirama mini-mansions.

In fact, redevelopment already has been slowly creeping into the West End ever since I-75 came barreling through in the late 1950s. They're running out of room in OTR for all those cool new condos and bars.

So, West End, who would you prefer come in and build?

Multimillionaire local philanthropists who've invested portions of their family fortunes in Cincinnati schools, churches, rec centers, parks and social service agencies? You know, the hometown guys who have a long history of looking out for their hometown.

Or a developer from, say, New York or Chicago who doesn't know or care about you or your homes?

This seems to be another easy answer. Option 1: Carl H. Lindner III, Scott Farmer and the rest of the FC Cincinnati owners. Their front man, Jeff Berding, might as well change his first name to Santa and ditch the navy blue suit for a red one. The club wants this stadium site – behind Taft High – and its owners are willing to do a whole lot for the neighborhood.

MORE: FC Cincinnati wants to move Stargel for MLS stadium

MORE: Club's West End stadium plan sounds pretty good, but ... 

It's Politics Extra's strong belief that Major League Soccer will pick Cincinnati, hopefully soon. Hopefully. Goodness, it needs to end for everyone's sanity. Is it too risky for the West End not to embrace the stadium?

"This is a real opportunity for the West End – a $200 million project that could bring new assets," former Mayor Mark Mallory told The Enquirer's Mark Curnutte last week. "It's up to the community to say what it wants."

Yes, Mallory is a hired gun, contracted to perform community engagement for the team. But he has credibility. He grew up in the West End and says he still lives there. He understands the neighborhood's challenges. He knows its history. Most important, he cares about the residents.

Gentrification is a sensitive issue. We're not saying roll over and let FC Cincinnati come through, carte blanche, with their bulldozer. We're not saying don't be skeptical. Keep asking questions. FC Cincinnati has a lot of work to do to earn the community's trust after a secretive and sloppy process.

But pulling a Cincinnati and fighting this 'til the bitter end might not be in anyone's best interest, most importantly West End residents. The neighborhood could come together on the community's needs and present a wish-list to Santa Berding, who's Cincinnati born and raised.

Berding has repeatedly said the team's plan doesn't call for tearing down any houses. Get that in writing, a legally binding neighborhood agreement. Team owners plan to build a new football stadium for Taft. Santa Berding has talked about the possibility of building new affordable housing. Get it all in writing.

Want on-street parking permits? Go tell Santa Berding. Don't forget to get it in writing.

Want jobs for residents? You know what to do. There will be new jobs inside and probably outside the stadium. If it works out, new restaurants and shops will pop up around the stadium. Get it in writing that West End residents be considered for jobs. 

Want to keep inebriated fans off your front lawn on game day? Get it in writing that the team pay for neighborhood security.

Don't want the stadium noise and bright lights interrupting a June evening? Ask Santa Berding to build a wall. Well, OK, maybe that wouldn't work, but you get the idea. Don't be afraid to ask, get it in writing and then hold the team accountable for its promises.

"The club has offered to sign agreements, make promises, contract with neighborhoods to get community buy-in. The next development might not," local attorney and soccer fan Matt Broo said on Twitter.

"For West End," Broo added, "it might mean slow creep of new craft cocktail bars, buildings rehabbed one at a time by speculators and gentrification by 1,000 paper cuts – with no promises to the residents."

Politics Extra is a column looking inside Greater Cincinnati and Ohio politics. Follow Enquirer political columnist Jason Williams on Twitter @jwilliamscincy.