MEMI Advances $160M Farmer Music Center Construction Toward 2027 Opening

Construction is underway on the Farmer Music Center, a $160 million music venue being developed on the site of the former Coney Island in Cincinnati. The project, led by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Music & Event Management, Inc. (MEMI), is designed with 8,000 reserved seats and a synthetic lawn capacity for 12,000 guests. The 300,000-square-foot facility will include extensive concourse space, 25 full-service bars, and concession stands across three levels. Designers emphasize improved sightlines and acoustics, with lawn seating positioned 25 feet closer to the stage than at the adjacent Riverbend venue.

Project officials project the venue will generate over $100 million in annual economic impact, with $15 million in city tax revenue expected over the next decade. While the development has secured private and state funding, financing discussions with the city remain ongoing. Mayor Aftab Pureval recently proposed reducing the city's contribution to $2 million, down from a previous $8 million proposal, pending performance guarantees. Despite these funding uncertainties, the team behind the project remains optimistic about closing the remaining budget gap through donations and expects to open the venue in spring 2027.