With nearly all the contracts awarded to build the Bengals' new stadium, it's clear Hamilton County officials won't meet their goal of awarding 15 percent of the work to companies owned by women and minorities.

Of the $272 million in contracts awarded, about $31 million worth have gone to minority- and women-owned firms. A total of about $284 million in contracts will be awarded for the project.

The amount awarded to minority- and women-owned firms represents 11 percent of the work awarded through Sept. 30, a rate of participation that has remained steady for several months.

"It's good because it hasn't gone down," said Stan Williams Jr., the county's director of small, minority and female business development. "There's always room for improvement."

The county figures also show 18 percent of the work on the project through Sept. 30 was done by minority workers, and 4 percent was done by women. Those figures are higher than the county's work force goals.

The Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce has been working to monitor the county's efforts. Chamber President Jim Clingman hopes his group can work even closer with the county to help Mr. Williams.

"To have one person doing this job without a staff is a little unrealistic," he said.

In a 1995 agreement with Cincinnati City Council, county officials committed to a goal of 15 percent participation by businesses owned by women and minorities on the new stadiums for the Bengals and Reds.

The county also agreed to a goal of having the same proportion of minority and women construction workers as were estimated in the 1990 Census, which listed the county's construction work force as being 12 percent minority and 4 percent female.

Hamilton County Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus said the fact that the county has reached 11 percent participation by minority- and women-owned firms without using set-asides or quotas should be celebrated.

"I'm comfortable that we gave this a good, honest effort without reaching back to the failed policies of the past of set-aside programs and quotas," he said.

Mr. Williams said he hopes outreach efforts - such as meeting one-on-one with business owners - and a heightened awareness will help the county reach its 15 percent goal on the new Reds ballpark, which will cost an estimated $299 million and be finished in 2003.

"I'm always looking to push as hard as I can the opportunities for small, minority- and female-owned businesses," Mr. Williams said. "I make working for the county as attractive as possible."

The total cost of the football complex is $404 million. That figure includes land costs and other infrastructure that aren't part of the stadium itself. The stadium is scheduled to be finished in August 2000.

Copyright 1999 The Cincinnati Enquirer