Cincy Council Eyes $8M Assist For New Farmer Music Center At Old Coney Site

"The resolution would route $8,000,000 from city accounts into the build and cites an overall project price tag of about $160,000,000. The sponsors framed the move as a public show of confidence meant to keep pace with major private funders and developers who are already driving the project."

"Renderings released this winter show off a vertical, three-level amphitheater with 8,000 reserved seats wrapped around a 12,000-capacity synthetic lawn, for a total of about 20,000 people on a packed night. The venue is slated to open in spring 2027 and sit next door to Riverbend Music Center along Kellogg Avenue."

"The Farmer Music Center is planned for the land MEMI bought after Coney Island and Sunlite Pool permanently closed at the end of 2023. Backers of the new venue argue it will deliver jobs and fresh tourism dollars, while critics contend the city and developers should have done more to preserve the historic site."

Cincinnati City Council members are backing an $8 million public investment in the Farmer Music Center, a new amphitheater planned for the former Coney Island site. The resolution, sponsored by Councilmember Anna Albi and co-sponsored by four other council members, aims to secure funding for construction costs as the privately-led project progresses. The venue will feature a three-level amphitheater with 8,000 reserved seats surrounding a 12,000-capacity synthetic lawn, accommodating approximately 20,000 people total. The $160 million project is scheduled to open in spring 2027 adjacent to Riverbend Music Center. The funding represents public confidence in the project alongside major private investments, including a $60 million gift that led to naming the venue after the Farmer family.

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