CINCINNATI — A new convention headquarters hotel in downtown Cincinnati could be open by late 2025, but it's not a guarantee. 3CDC laid out a possible new timeline for the hotel and told county commissioners about the need for renovations to the existing convention center on Tuesday.

The hotel - recommended to be about 800 rooms with a national brand - is "critical" to Cincinnati's ongoing FIFA World Cup bid for matches in summer 2026, according to the bid committee.

"Are you saying the convention hotel will be guaranteed under your [plan], we can get it up? Or are we not guaranteed?" asked Hamilton County commissioner Alicia Reece.

"I can't guarantee anything. I don't control everything," said Steve Leeper, 3CDC president and CEO. "I can tell you that we have a track record of getting things done and we do so in a timely fashion and we're going to work very hard on it. But for me to sit here and tell you I can guarantee something, that would be intellectually dishonest on my part."

3CDC was appointed to manage the development of a new "convention center district" around the Duke Energy Convention Center earlier this year. That includes plans for a new convention headquarters hotel near the convention center.

Leeper told commissioners Tuesday the plan would place the new hotel on the site of a surface parking lot owned by The Port just to the south of the convention center, instead of on the site of the former MIllennium Hotel to the east across Elm Street. The Millennium Hotel was demolished earlier this year.

"I am confident that we are going to get interest in this," Leeper said.

He told commissioners the goal is to have a developer and agreement for the hotel by the end of the year, with construction starting in the first half of 2023. That would put the hotel on track to open in third quarter of 2025.

Convention Update 5/17/2022 by WCPO 9 News on Scribd

Leeper also told commissioners 3CDC has hired two firms to research and make recommendations for possible changes and improvements to the current Duke Energy Convention Center.

Moody Nolan and TVS Architects have been interviewing people and groups who use the center, Leeper said. The firms have worked together on some large projects, like New York City's Javits Center and Nashville's Music City Center.

"I can tell you that this one ranks pretty low down compared to our peer cities," he said. "I'm not gonna kid you, it's not gonna be cheap."

Leeper told commissioners he expects the recommended improvements to cost more than $100 million. Options to pay for those are limited, citing the current 10.5% lodging tax as being one of the highest in Ohio. But Leeper said 3CDC is looking at ways to use that revenue more efficiently.

"They both feed off each other," he said. "The hotel will do better with the convention center upgraded and the convention center will certainly do better with a convention center hotel. They're both important and we need to get them both done if we can."

Commissioners expressed concern over the new hotel timeline and paying improvements, especially on the heels of nearly $500 million in recommended improvements to Paul Brown Stadium.

"We have very limited taxpayer money and the taxpayers are saying 'Hold on, we can't keep funding all this,'" said commissioner Reece. "So to come in and say we need a new convention center, I'm just putting it out there, it's going to be very tough."

When it comes to the current convention center and the lodging tax, the City of Cincinnati has a stake and vested interest as well. Leeper said he will make a similar presentation to City Council soon.

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LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Russia remains barred from international soccer competitions including the Champions League after the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected appeals by the national soccer federation and four clubs.

CAS upheld decisions by UEFA and FIFA, which excluded Russian national teams and clubs following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Russia was already excluded from men's World Cup qualifying and the women's European Championship and its clubs now won't feature in competitions like the Champions League in 2022-23.

FIFA was initially criticized for not punishing the country enough after they invaded Ukraine, the New York Times reported.

Russia wasn't immediately expelled by the governing body of soccer from World Cup qualifying. FIFA initially was going to allow them to play without its flag and anthem before they reversed course amid the backlash.

The best soccer players in the world are set to take center stage when the FIFA World Cup begins Sunday in Qatar.

Taking place in the winter for the first time ever, 32 teams are vying to be crowned the winner of the world's biggest sporting event.

The hosting country is set to kick off the event when they take on Ecuador at 11 a.m. ET.

Team USA, which failed to qualify for the games in 2018, is playing in Group B and will face England, Iran, and Wales, which is a team the Americans have never faced.

The U.S. will open up its World Cup campaign on Monday when they take on Wales at 2 p.m. ET. They will face England the day after Thanksgiving on Nov. 25 at 2 p.m. and will play Iran on Nov. 29 at 2 p.m. ET.

The United States has had some mild success playing in the World Cup.

During its last two World Cup appearances, the team advanced to the Round of 16 before they were eliminated. In 2002, they advanced to the quarterfinals. They made it to the semifinals in 1930.

The U.S. has somewhat of a history with two of the teams in its group.

Against England, the U.S. tied them 1-1 in 2010 but defeated them 1-0 in 1950. Team USA lost to Iran in 1998.

Here is a complete schedule of games (All times U.S./Eastern):

Group stage

Sunday
Qatar vs. Ecuador, 11 a.m. on Fox and Telemundo

Monday
England vs. Iran, 8 a.m. on FS1 and Telemundo
Senegal vs. Netherlands, 11 a.m. on Fox and Telemundo
United States vs. Wales, 2 p.m. on Fox and Telemundo

Tuesday
Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia, 5 a.m. on FS1 and Telemundo
Denmark vs. Tunisia, 8 a.m. on FS1 and Telemundo
Mexico vs. Poland, 11 a.m. on Fox and Telemundo
France vs. Australia, 2 p.m. on Fox and Telemundo

Wednesday
Morocco vs. Croatia, 5 a.m. on FS1 and Telemundo
Germany vs. Japan, 8 a.m. on FS1 and Telemundo
Spain vs. Costa Rica, 11 a.m. on Fox and Telemundo
Belgium vs. Canada, 2 p.m. on Fox and Telemundo

Thursday
Switzerland vs. Cameroon, 5 a.m. on FS1 and Telemundo
Uruguay vs. South Korea, 8 a.m. on FS1 and Telemundo
Portugal vs. Ghana, 11 a.m. on Fox and Telemundo
Brazil vs. Serbia, 2 p.m. on Fox and Telemundo

Friday
Wales vs. Iran, 5 a.m. on FS1 and Telemundo
Qatar vs. Senegal, 8 a.m. on FS1 and Telemundo
Netherlands vs. Ecuador, 11 a.m. on Fox and Telemundo
England vs. United States, 2 p.m. on Fox and Telemundo

Saturday, Nov. 26
Tunisia vs. Australia, 5 a.m. on FS1 and Telemundo
Poland vs. Saudi Arabia, 8 a.m. on FS1 and Telemundo
France vs. Denmark, 11 a.m. on FS1 and Telemundo
Argentina vs. Mexico, 2 p.m. on FS1 and Telemundo

Sunday, Nov. 27
Japan vs. Costa Rica, 5 a.m. on FS1 and Telemundo
Belgium vs. Morocco, 8 a.m. on FS1 and Telemundo
Croatia vs. Canada, 11 a.m. on FS1 and Telemundo
Spain vs. Germany, 2 p.m. on FS1 and Telemundo

Monday, Nov. 28
Cameroon vs. Serbia, 5 a.m. on FS1 and Telemundo
South Korea vs. Ghana, 8 a.m on FS1 and Telemundo
Brazil vs. Switzerland, 11 a.m. on Fox and Telemundo
Portugal vs. Uruguay, 2 p.m. on Fox and Telemundo

Tuesday, Nov. 29
Netherlands vs. Qatar, 10 a.m. on FS1 and Telemundo
Ecuador vs. Senegal, 10 a.m. on Fox and Universo
Wales vs. England, 2 p.m. on FS1 and Universo
Iran vs. United States, 2 p.m. on Fox and Telemundo

Wednesday, Nov. 30
Tunisia vs. France, 10 a.m. on Fox and Universo
Australia vs. Denmark, 10 a.m. on FS1 and Telemundo
Poland vs. Argentina, 2 p.m. on Fox and Universo
Saudi Arabia vs. Mexico, 2 p.m. on FS1 and Telemundo

Thursday, Dec. 1
Croatia vs. Belgium, 10 a.m. on Fox and Universo
Canada vs. Morocco, 10 a.m. on FS1 and Telemundo
Japan vs. Spain, 2 p.m. on Fox and Telemundo
Costa Rica vs. Germany, 2 p.m. on FS1 and Universo

Friday, Dec. 2
South Korea vs. Portugal, 10 a.m. on Fox and Telemundo
Ghana vs. Uruguay, 10 a.m. on FS1 and Universo
Cameroon vs. Brazil, 2 p.m. on Fox and Telemundo
Serbia vs. Switzerland, 2 p.m. on FS1 and Universo

Round of 16

Saturday, Dec. 3
Winners of Group A vs. Runners-up of Group B, 10 a.m. on Fox and Telemundo
Winners of Group C vs. Runners-up of Group, 2 p.m. on Fox and Telemundo

Sunday, Dec. 4
Winners of Group D vs. Runners-up of Group C, 10 a.m. on FS1 and Telemundo
Winners of Group B vs. Runners-up of Group A, 2 p.m. on FS1 and Telemundo

Monday, Dec. 5
Winners of Group E vs. Runners-up of Group F, 10 a.m. on Fox and Telemundo
Winners of Group G vs. Runners-up of Group H, 2 p.m. on Fox and Telemundo

Tuesday, Dec. 6
Winners of Group F vs. Runners-up of Group E, 10 a.m. on Fox and Telemundo
Winners of Group H vs. Runners-up of Group G, 2 p.m. on Fox and Telemundo

Quarterfinals

Friday, Dec. 9
Winners of games played Monday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m. on Fox and Telemundo
Winners of games played Saturday, Dec. 3, 2 p.m. on Fox and Telemundo

Saturday, Dec. 10
Winners of games played Tuesday, Dec. 6, 10 a.m. on Fox and Telemundo
Winners of games played Sunday, Dec. 4, 2 p.m. on Fox and Telemundo

Semifinals

Tuesday, Dec. 13
Winners of games played Friday, Dec. 9, 2 p.m. on Fox and Telemundo

Wednesday, Dec. 14
Winners of games played Saturday, Dec. 10, 2 p.m. on Fox and Telemundo

Third Place

Saturday, Dec. 17
Losers of games played Dec. 13 and Dec. 14, 10 a.m. on Fox and Telemundo

Final

Sunday, Dec. 18
Winners of games played Dec. 13 and Dec. 14, 10 a.m. on Fox and Telemundo