In 1996, Hamilton County voters passed a ½% sales tax increase to fund the construction of new venues for both the Reds and the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). According to the lease agreement, The Reds owed $2.5 Million in rent annually for years 1–9 to Hamilton County, and owe $1 annually for years 10-35 of the contract. The Reds and the Bengals had previously shared occupancy of Cinergy Field, but by the mid-1990s, they complained that the multi-purpose stadium lacked amenities necessary for small-market professional sports teams to compete and each lobbied for venues of their own. Nearby Paul Brown Stadium broke ground in 1998 and was opened on August 19, 2000.
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