Here we go again

Hamilton County Commissioner Phil Heimlich has announced he and Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory will meet -- with any interested commission or council members also invited -- to discuss The Banks.

Mark your calendars for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 21 at Great American Ball Park’s 4,192 Club.

That meeting was the same thing Commissioner Todd Portune suggested Friday. Portune, in California today to give a speech on airport noise, called Friday to say he and Cincinnati Council Member Chris Bortz had agreed to convene their own meeting to discuss The Banks. The two governments have fought for years -- and very heavily over the past few weeks -- over how much control the city should have in selecting the developer for and other issues on the project.

Portune called The Enquirer late Friday to say he had reserved the 4,192 Club Room at Hamilton County-owned Great American Ball Park to convene the meeting he and Bortz wanted.

"We are picking up the pieces of a botched effort on The Banks so far," Portune said Friday.

He was referring to attempts by Heimlich and Mallory as well as attempts by Commissioner Pat DeWine and Council Member John Cranley to get the two governments to reach an agreement on the project so it can proceed.

"Phil and Mark have been meeting since December and the only thing we have to show for it is strained relationships between the city and the county and the barbs that have been slung," Portune said.

"I’m not trying to circumvent anybody on this, but the reality is the approach they have taken has failed."

Portune called later Friday to say that Heimlich liked the idea of a joint meeting and was interested in chairing it.

Heimlich's aide, Rob Seddon, announced late this morning that Heimlich and Mallory would chair such a meeting but a date had not yet been set. It most likely will happen next week, though, because of difficulties in schedules for the politicians wanting to attend.

The Banks is a planned $600 million residential, retail and commercial project to be located between the two sports stadiums.