2011 Mayoral Candidate Rick Davis Supports Saving Roberts Stadium

A few weeks ago 2011 Mayoral Candidate Rick Davis came out in support of saving Roberts Stadium. Here is the link...

http://video.wnin.org/video/1681067634/



Since I am the cameraman for Newsmakers, I had a sneak peek about this, and I have been excited ever since.

My favorite quote from this interview was when Rick said...

"If you have a house that's paid for but which has a leaky basement, you don't tear down the house."

It was so refreshing to hear this. When I told Mayor Weinzapfel this he said that he believed that Roberts Stadium is, " worth nothing." When I talked with Commissioner Lloyd Winnecke about Roberts Stadium he said, " I don't believe the city can, or should, "save" Roberts Stadium."

Truthfully, I am at a loss for words at why city leaders are hellbent on tearing down a venue that HNTB is on record as saying the exterior is good, the steel structure is good, and there are no immediate repairs needed. Furthermore, the city spent $282,563 to FIX the water pump problem. HNTB has no estimated time table for the water pumps to go out because they are only 5 years removed from being completely repaired and they have shown no signs of breakdown. There isn't even a water problem with Roberts Stadium!

With Rick Davis, I am confident we will finally get a city leader who understands that you don't sit on your hands and wait for someone to come to you with a fully funded plan, you go do it yourself.

That's what our current leaders don't understand. They think that they should just sit there in their office and evaluate only the proposals that are put together by someone else and brought to them. In fact, many council members and wesselman park officials have also said that, " the ball field proposal was the only proposal on the table."

We are never ever going to get anywhere with Roberts Stadium, or any project here for that matter, if we don't work aggressively to find a solution for every one of our problems. Also, if we are not proactive in finding solutions, we will find ourself a dying town ( we just lost another 5,000 or so residents in the latest census).

In my opinion, Rick Davis demonstrated that he understands this concept when he said he would be active in putting together a plan to turn Roberts Stadium into a natatorium. Under the current crop of city leaders, a plan like that would never stand a chance because it will never put itself together and present itself on their desk. Furthermore, no resident can give them an exact figure for a project like this because they do not have access to important financial data like city hall does.

With Rick Davis, I am confident we will save Roberts Stadium because we will have a city leader who is willing to work with us not against us. If we go to him with ideas, he will explore them and find out what we can and can't do, which is the whole point of this blog.

Rick Davis wants to SAVE ROBERTS STADIUM, and for this reason we must put Rick in the mayor's office!

The Letters Keep Rolling In

These past few weeks, local residents have been writing letter after letter into the Courier & Press expressing their desire to save Roberts Stadium and have listed multiple reuse options for the historic facility. I have chosen the following three letters to the editor to show you 1. the public wants to reuse Roberts Stadium 2. they have great ideas for reusing it that need to be explored & 3. You the reader of this blog should do the same. Enjoy....

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/dec/12/no-headline---127/

Turn Roberts Stadium into a disaster center

To the editor:

What looms in the future for Roberts Stadium?

None of us want to think in terms of a disaster, but it could happen in the event of earthquake, tornadoes or terrorist attack.

I see Roberts Stadium as a site for a designated place for an East Side disaster shelter. People know the location well. There is ample parking. The Red Cross is close by. St. Mary's Medical Center is not far away to treat injuries. For an added plus, Buehler's Buy Low grocery store is close as a source of food; Rural King is close by to furnish needed supplies.

There could be other uses for Roberts Stadium, along with being a designated disaster shelter. The parking lot has served as a collection site for Tox-Away Days.

In 1954, under Mayor H.O. Roberts, the city purchased from the state 56.88 acres at a cost of $88,086.50 with the expressed purpose of building a sports arena. Construction of the stadium was completed in 1956. It served us well and still has function.

There should be no competition with the new Downtown arena and Roberts Stadium. SMG could book events for both.

Berniece Tirmenstein

Evansville

********************************************************************

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/dec/16/no-headline---168/

Old stadium could be a conservatory

To the editor:

Was the conversion of Roberts Stadium into a conservatory with native plantings ever considered in the ball parks planning process? A three-dimensional conservatory and a reduced parking area surrounded by native grasses and wildflowers would complement Wesselman Woods.

The conversion could include skylights and vents in the roof, an overhead watering system that could help summer cooling by using it as a mist, retaining walls to hold earth fill where the seats are now located, and the removal of the under floor pumps with the addition of openings through the floor to connect earth fill with the water table.

A pond surrounded by taller trees could be at the lowest level with smaller trees at higher levels and plantings of grasses, wildflowers and agricultural crops in the "cheap seats" area.

Spiral paths would provide access to all levels. Suspended walkways could cross through tree tops at or above the scoreboard height.

Such a facility could be used as a living laboratory by biology students of all ages. When compared to events at the new arena, the conservatory would attract smaller groups of visitors on a daily basis. The conservatory would be a daytime facility with minimum impact on the surrounding wildlife.

Jim Lott

Newburgh

********************************************************************

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/dec/16/five-more-ideas-for-stadium-use/

COMMUNITY COMMENT: Five more ideas for stadium use

I have said since April that I am not against the ball fields that the Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau wants to build — just the location at Wesselman Park and Roberts Stadium. The CVB has stated there are other locations that they have looked at. Build these fields at one of those locations and leave our park and Roberts Stadium alone.

Roberts Stadium could have several uses:

n Continue to book shows. There should be no competition between the arena and Roberts Stadium. After all, we are all for the financial success of both and we must work together for the good of our city.

n Schedule charity basketball games. For example, USI vs. UE. All proceeds would go to the city for the parks maintenance and improvement. These basketball games would also include women's leagues.

n Rehire the park rangers. If the mayor can find $1.5 millon for razing Roberts Stadium, why can't he use these funds for this purpose. Rehiring the park rangers hopefully will stop any of our children getting stuck with a hypodermic needle which happened in October at Sunset Park.

n Book monster truck shows, home shows and other events that would bring in revenue for the city.

n Disaster control central location for the East Side. I strongly believe that there should be a disaster control location on the West Side, the East Side and Downtown. With the new arena we will have one for Downtown and one for the East Side, but we still need one for the West Side.

Our elected officials should give this serious consideration. A lack of preparation could cost lives.

When a tornado strikes, we normally do not have much time to react. Normally these tornadoes occur at night. Knowing where to go makes things easier in all the confusion that we face during a disaster.

I call for all the politicians to put aside their disagreements and do what is best for our city.

Sherman K. Stevens is a resident of Evansville.

********************************************************************

KEEP THE LETTERS COMING!!!!

33 Years Later: Remembering "The Night It Rained Tears"

33 years ago today (Dec 13, 1977), the Evansville Aces men's basketball team suffered a devastating and tragic plane crash killing all on board the plane.

The effects of this tragedy have lingered through the Evansville community for years. It is my belief that whatever we put inside Roberts Stadium, we must and should place a new inspiring monument with the existing plaques and pictures in the main level recognizing the 1977 Aces.

Sometime during the day, please take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to watch this great video made by Reitz High School and WNIN (both links go to the same place). It really does a great job putting into words and images how awful that day was...

http://www.feelthehistory.com/episodes/201/ue-video.html

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8928864611836543902#

As you can see from the video, Roberts Stadium played an important role in 1977. Roberts Stadium served as the main place of healing for those who had family and friends in the plane crash. For this reason, I am committed to fighting for this great venue. She was there for us, now it's time for us to be there for her!

Today, we remember the 1977 Evansville Aces men's basketball team.

Save Roberts Stadium in the Courier & Press

Today, this blog was featured in a news story about saving Roberts Stadium. I sat down with C&P reporter Dan Shaw last Thursday for this interview and I must say I am very impressed with his work. I am only going to give you a piece of the article, I would like for you to visit their website for the rest of it. Here's part of the article...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/dec/12/stadium-could-get-reprieve/

Roberts Stadium could get reprieve
Group hopes to save 54-year-old facility
By Dan Shaw

EVANSVILLE — When a crowd filled Roberts Stadium's seats last week to witness the University of Evansville Purple Aces' ill-fated attempt to beat the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, many in the audience no doubt believed it was a good time to bid a fond farewell to the 54-year-old venue.

With Evansville's new Downtown arena set to make the Aces its primary tenant soon after its opening in November 2011, and with a plan still under consideration to demolish the stadium to make room for baseball and softball fields, fans watching from the sides likely thought the chances slim that so many people would again gather under the stadium's roof.

Yet, in the midst of so much certainty about the impending demolition of Roberts Stadium, those who favor saving the old stadium have found new reason for encouragement.

The chief cause of their change in spirits is the news that members of the Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau — the driving force behind the campaign to build ball fields at Wesselman Park and the stadium site — are looking at undertaking the project elsewhere.

They say the Wesselman and stadium sites remain their preferences, but they can't continue with their previous plans without the support of local officials, which has been tepid.

Such nods to political realities have put new wind into the sails of Jordan Baer, a 25-year-old Evansville native who made his opposition to the demolition of Roberts Stadium public about five months ago by starting the website saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com.

Baer has used the blog to propose nine ways to reuse Roberts Stadium, including making it into a botanical garden, a natatorium complete with an Olympic-sized swimming pool or an indoor recreational center.

Baer said he recently pitched his ideas to Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel. During that brief meeting, the mayor posed the same question he has asked of anyone who has come forward with a proposed reuse of the stadium: How will we pay for it?

Baer acknowledges he has no precise answer. But he thinks one would become evident if city officials would only set their sights on saving Roberts Stadium rather than demolishing it. He said he thinks private entrepreneurs would be interested in pursuing one of his ideas if they could enter into a partnership with the city.

Or, he said, city officials could draw the money needed to convert the stadium from the local innkeepers tax, which can go only to projects that hold promise of attracting tourists to Vanderburgh County.

The same innkeepers tax was to be the primary revenue source used for the ball fields proposed by the visitors bureau. Baer said the choice of a different site for that project — such as Kleymeyer Park — would make some of that money available for other proposals. A change in location, for one, would prevent the visitors bureau from having to go to lengths to protect the Wesselman Nature Preserve from pollution.

Wherever the money comes from, Baer says much less of it is needed than is commonly assumed. He noted that the figures usually bandied about as an estimated renovation cost for the stadium are, in fact, the estimated cost of making the stadium meet the standards of a modern arena.

In May 2008, The Gateway Group, a consulting firm hired by the city to study Evansville's need for a new arena, concluded that Roberts Stadium would never be a venue for ice hockey, certain concerts or other large events without an expenditure totaling between $38.2 million and $89.9 million. Given the price tag, Baer said he supports city officials' decision to build an arena Downtown.

But the same consultant's report, Baer notes, puts the price of keeping Roberts Stadium in its current condition at $12.8 million to $17.3 million. And of those costs, Baer thinks many can be avoided if the stadium is preserved for a modest use, although $3 million to $5 million likely will be needed to bring the building's restrooms into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Baer noted that the city found nearly $19.4 million to put toward a renovation of Roberts Stadium in 1990 and has since spent more than $1 million making further improvements to the building. With so much invested, he asked, why the rush to knock it down?

HNTB: "The existing Roberts Stadium building appears to have little or no observed or reported structural damage."

While we've been enjoying a bit of a reprieve from the ball fields project, I have been burning the midnight oil researching and analyzing documents pertaining to Roberts Stadium and its condition. Ever since city officials have began proclaiming that Roberts Stadium is unsavable and must be demolished, I have begun researching it just to prove what I've long suspected- that Roberts Stadium is perfectly fine.

First of all, I have already researched the consultant's study performed on Roberts Stadium once before. What I found was that Roberts Stadium has fallen victim to a lot of political spin which, in turn, has caused many local residents to give up on saving it.

Here is the post that talks about what I found the first time...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2010/11/rumors-of-roberts-stadiums-demise-has.html

Because I found so much information that pointed towards Roberts Stadium being inaccurately portrayed as unusable, I decided to start with this study once more in my next round of research.

To recap, the city of Evansville hired Gateway Consultants Group to study the idea of renovating Roberts Stadium or building a new arena downtown. As part of the report, they hired sports architects HNTB to research Roberts Stadium. Here it is again...

http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/downloads/consultant_report.pdf

The study indicated that it would be a bad idea to renovate Roberts Stadium because you would have to raze the entire roof and the costs would be almost identical to the costs of building a new one downtown. I agree with this decision because, if Roberts Stadium would have been renovated, just about anything historical left on the structure would have been demolished. Thus, you would basically be demolishing Roberts Stadium and building a new arena there in a creative way. Plus downtown needs the stimulus from this project.

The problem with the report is that it has been twisted so that many people believe that Roberts Stadium isn't reusable when in reality it just isn't reusable as a state-of-the-art modern arena.

So let's go back to the study again and see what it said about the condition of Roberts Stadium. This can be found on pages 119-133 of the report.

Page 124

"Overall, the exterior condition of Roberts Stadium appears good."

In other words, Roberts Stadium is not an eyesore. Every time I've ever gone to an Aces game, I've always been amazed by how clean the main level is. It isn't rundown in the least bit. For this reason, some leaders have resulted to scare tactics that talk about what Roberts Stadium would look like in the FUTURE if it's mothballed and unattended. If this stadium is mothballed, it will be their own fault. We clearly have a clean and presentable building to reuse as well as many reuse options.

Pages 125 & 126

In regards to the Central Plant

Water Cooled Chiller

"There were no reports of any structural operational or maintenance issues with this equipment."

Cooling Tower Cells

"There were no reports of any structural operational or maintenance issues with this equipment."

Flexible Water Tube Boilers

"There were no reports of any structural operational or maintenance issues with this equipment."

Gas-fired Laars MightyMax Domestic Water Boiler With A Single Insulated Hot Water Storage Tank

"There were no reports of any structural operational or maintenance issues with this equipment."

Single Dedicated PVI Gas-fired Tank Type Water Heater

"There were no reports of any structural operational or maintenance issues with this equipment."

It was noted that...

"Facility personnel reported that the central plant equipment was installed in 1990. Therefore, the equipment is nearing the end of their anticipated service life."

Unfortunately, I also believe this part to be true as well. Although it is not known what we will need and what we won't need to reuse Roberts Stadium yet, we will probably need the central plant in some capacity. The good thing though is this...

"Based on ASHRAE-established equipment service life, the central plant equipment would have the following remaining years of service: pumps would have approximately 3 years of life remaining; boilers would have approximately 8 years of life remaining; and chiller would have approximately 6 years of life remaining."

(Note: This study was performed in 2008)

This means that, although we will probably have to replace this system, we still have a few years left in the system and the part(s) maintenance is spaced out all the way to 2016 so we won't have to come up with a huge chunk of cash all at once.

In regards to the Arena Bowl

"The arena bowl is served by (2) large, built-up style air-handling units (AHU's) that are located on the (2) quadrant corners on the south end of the arena. These units provide heating, air-conditioning, and ventilation to the arena bowl.

Heating water and chilled water coils in each unit provide the heating and cooling for the arena.

The AHU's are in good condition overall. The insulation on the piping internal to the units is molded on the jacketing and should be replaced. The coils appear to be in good condition but should be cleaned."

The report also goes on to talk on page 126 about the water table pumps on the Arena Bowl but mentions nothing wrong with them.

In regards to the Loading Dock/ Marshalling Area

"There are limited mechanical systems serving this area. Two ducted suspended fan coil units provide space heating and cooling.

The HVAC equipment appeared to be in good working condition.

There were no operational or maintenance issues reported by facilities personnel."

So after evaluating all of the systems in the stadium what problems have we compiled? Piping insulation and a system that may need some parts replaced within the next 6 years? Not too daunting if you ask me. Let's move along...

Page 131

"The structural system for the roof is the original system built in 1956."

It's kind of ironic that preservation officer Dennis Au declared Roberts Stadium to no longer be historic ( http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/oct/01/preservation-officer-roberts-no-longer-historical/ ) yet the main reason why Roberts Stadium cannot be renovated into a modern arena is because the original main steel structure is still there and it was not designed to hold enough weight for modern concerts or an extra level that would sit above modern luxury boxes and suites.

So in other words, Roberts Stadium cannot be renovated as an arena because it is too historic, yet it is not historic according to city officials. Go figure on that one!

Page 133

" The existing Roberts Stadium building appears to have little or no observed or reported structural damage."

This is the most important sentence in this entire report. The report admits that both the steel structure is the original structure from 1956 AND it is in great condition. Why would you demolish a steel structure that is both historic and in great condition? Makes no sense to me.

So now that we have looked at this study let's summarize what we have. We have...

- A clean and healthy exterior
- A historic and healthy steel structure
- A central plant system with only minimal repairs needed immediately and the rest is spaced out all the way to 2016 (the report suggests the total amount will only reach a maximum of $3-$4 million which is less than 1/4th of the ball field's projected price)

With all of those systems functioning just fine, what could be the problem? The only problem that anyone has ever suggested has been the water pumps. So now let's take a look at all the money that has been spent on repairing Roberts Stadium in the past to see if this problem has been addressed before...

http://www.indianaeconomicdigest.net/main.asp?SectionID=31&subsectionID=276&articleID=39599

"In 2005, rising water beneath the stadium damaged the floor and electrical equipment. Engineers hired to investigate the cause determined that bacteria caused a sludge buildup that clogged the sump pipes. The city spent $282,563 to fix the flooding problem.

The stadium was reroofed in 2002 for $629,559. The repair came after a leak in the roof caused a rain delay at a University of Evansville basketball game.

In 2002, the stadium's parking lot, which has 3,590 spaces, was repaved for $363,648. That same year, the city paid $128,000 for a new sound system.

The city also spent $134,127 in 2003 for a stage upgrade. "We got new staging, and it's really good staging, one of the best brands out there," Moore said. "Our old stage was pretty beat up.""

So in case you're keeping tabs at home, the total amount of money spent on renovating Roberts Stadium and its parking lot since 2002 is $1,537,897. Why would you demolish something that you just stuck over $1.5 million into over the past 8 years?

Furthermore, $282,563 was spent to specifically fix the water pump problem (Peyronnin Construction did this I believe). If you go back to page 40 & 41 of the Gateway Consultant study, you will notice that only $300,000 is projected to fix the drainage problem at Roberts Stadium with nothing projected for new water pumps. After all, why would you turn around and fix something after you just fixed it 5 years ago? There is no need to fix the water pumps at this current time.

Overall, we have an arena that has been given a clean bill of health, for the most part, by HNTB largely because we just stuck over $1.5 million into the arena and its parking lot. There is no reason whatsoever to consider Roberts Stadium a rundown arena, a condemmned arena, or an arena of its last leg.

It's time to get serious and recognize that we can do something special with our historic arena. Let's Save Roberts Stadium!

Speak Up! Tell Us Your Opinion!

Today, I received the following email from my good friend Martha Crosley, director of the Wesselman Park Support Group...

TO ALL CITIZENS OF THE EVANSVILLE AREA WHO HAVE FELT THAT THEIR VIEWS ARE NOT HEARD –NOW IS YOUR CHANCE!

The Wesselman Park/Roberts Stadium baseball complex issue won’t die.
The CVB is still actively pushing it.

But there are those who are not standing still. Wesselman Park Support Group is establishing a committee of the public, business people, and office holders in the Evansville area who will meet to consider the possible uses for Roberts Stadium, its land, and funding for considered projects. These individuals are creative, informed, innovative, and most importantly want to listen to your ideas.

To express your opinions to this committee, please answer the following questions and email or send to the address below:
1. What is your best idea for the use of Roberts Stadium?
2. How would you propose to fund this idea?
3. If Roberts Stadium proves to have engineering or structural problems too big to overcome, how best would you like to see the land used?

Please be specific and email to: wesselmanroberts@gmail.com or send to Wesselman/Roberts, c/o Huppert, 2424 Stringtown Rd., Evansville, IN 47711

You MUST provide your name, address, and contact information for your views to reach the committee. We value your ideas and want you to be a part of the democratic process. Thanks in advance for your help. Tell
your friends and family so that everyone who wishes may take the opportunity to participate.

Here’s to slowing down the train! It is time to think and plan carefully. No further consideration should be given to the CVB until more data is gathered, more ideas reviewed, and more comparative plans are brought to the table. How do we know we have the best plan if we only have one?

Martha Crosley

This is our chance to voice our opinion on what we should do with Roberts Stadium! In the coming weeks, I will be working with the Wesselman Park Support Group to make sure everyone's voice is heard and we do the right thing to ensure that Roberts Stadium has an adequate reuse purpose and it buffers Wesselman Park from the city perfectly.

We have a lot of great things going for us in Evansville including the new downtown arena. Now is the time to step up with a successful plan to save Roberts Stadium, improve Wesselman Park, and build another asset for the city.

Please tell us what you think should be done along with your funding ideas. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!

Location,Location,Location... For Dunn Hospitality

Since the announcement came out this week from David Dunn, Joe Vezzoso, and the ECVB that they are now considering three to four new locations for the ball field's project that are ALL outside of the Evansville city limits ( http://www.14wfie.com/story/13583591/sports-complex-will-not-be-built-on-wesselman-parkroberts-stadium-property ), I have sat here in shock and awe (like I did when I first heard they wanted to demolish Roberts Stadium) at why they would consider doing that.

It just blows my mind why Dunn and Co. think building this complex outside of the Evansville city limits is a good idea. It brings up so many questions...

- Didn't Dunn just say that tourists want to be next to hotels, restaurants, malls, an urban setting, the community, etc, etc?
Slide 10: ( http://www.theparkevansville.com/downloads/files/09-15-2010_Evansville_Parks_and_Recreation_Board_Presentation.pdf )

- Why would Evansville residents be behind this project if it's not in their city limits?

- How could a location outside of the city limits bring in significant revenue to the city to justify the costs?

- Why would baseball and softball tournaments choose Evansville over any other city if it's fields don't have any urban proximity advantages over the other ball field complexes?

- Why would you consider these locations and not Kleymeyer Park for which I have provided an enormous amount of reasons for it to be considered?

I could go on and on about why it's a bad idea to put these fields outside the Evansville city limits just like I did when I first said it was a terrible idea to demolish Roberts Stadium and build these ball fields at Wesselman Park. However, the main thing I really want to know is: Why does Dunn and Co. keep picking bad location after bad location when there is a GREAT location at Kleymeyer Park?

To get this answer, we need to dig a little bit under the surface to find the true reason.

First, although we don't know all the exact locations of the new areas under consideration, we do know that EVCB Board Member Joe Vezzoso said this in the Channel 14 WFIE article...

Vezzoso would not identify what those other locations are, but he says they were sites his group looked at in the past, before setting on the Wesselman Park and Roberts Stadium site.

Given that piece of information, we do know that Hamilton Golf Course and the Goebel Soccer Complex were both under consideration.

Hamilton Golf Course
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/jun/04/hamilton-tees-off-course-open-again-but-still/

A consultant hired by the county recommended last year that about 43 acres of the Hamilton Golf Course be converted into recreational facilities and soccer fields.

Don Schumacher & Associates Inc., a Cincinnati-based sports marketing, management and consulting company, recommended converting the nine-hole Red Course along both sides of Pigeon Creek into a recreational area. Others have said nine holes at the golf course could be leased to the Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau for development of the softball and baseball complex that the bureau tried unsuccessfully to build at Wesselman Park.

Note: It was Schumacher who recommended the Roberts Stadium site to the ECVB

http://www.continentalcapitalcorp.com/business-news/evansville-visitors-bureau-board-rebuts-directors-statement

Vezzoso said the bureau’s board has long wanted to put the fields near Wesselman Park and Roberts Stadium. But members had to hold off from giving weight to that option until they knew where the new arena would be, he said.

The location was suggested by Don Schumacher & Associates, a consultant hired to study the county’s sports venues.

Goebel Soccer Complex

http://www.continentalcapitalcorp.com/business-news/evansville-visitors-bureau-board-rebuts-directors-statement

The company’s (Don Schumacher & Associates) other recommendations called for doubling the number of soccer fields at Goebel Soccer Complex from 10 to 20 and adding to the number of tennis courts at Wesselman Park.

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:VsmpT-WsbZYJ:www.evansvillegov.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx%3Fdocumentid%3D8275+kleymeyer+park+dump&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESigokCOXOpRgIpRcgeYQjVHyV0fSn_o_ckk5aSxAWN2GiETQsf5oOzxAlfQjYzzjyJAkmY0crzAbHhnZVxM-bI1MRWauHgWuPpP0hjyyddyaBu533joy3QKIm3L-ApuVKdo7wW6&sig=AHIEtbQqaWJ8KQq7J_jH7oQxS3R84aZt8A

Pages 12

Ms. Crosley asked Mr. Dunn what would be the second choice of location.

He stated that they would have to go out into the county and would begin probably looking around the Goebel Complex. There were a couple of sites that they had explored.

Ms. Crosley asked if being by the Goebel Complex would mean that they could coordinate with Goebel for parking and concessions and that type of thing.

Mr. Dunn stated that he assumed that would be possible. In their design, the concessions were in the center of each of the pods. The guests at their complex would have to walk over to the Goebel complex.

If you read on to page 13 of that document, you will notice that Dunn said he considered eight total locations. He also said he only considered Kleymeyer Park briefly because of the conditions from the dump ( which I talk about these conditions being an asset not a liability in this post: http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2010/11/red-rover-red-rover-please-send-epa-on.html

So of all the eight locations under consideration as well as others nominated and/or recommended, why was Roberts Stadium his first choice, Goebel Soccer Complex his second choice, and the Hamilton Golf Course being presumably in his 3-4 new locations outside of Evansville?

For those of you who don't know, David Dunn is a part owner in his family owned business Dunn Hospitality which manages and operates several Evansville hotels as well as others across the region. The main reason that he is involved in this project is to make sure the hotel industry gets the greatest benefit from any project that uses the innkeepers tax that is taken from guests who stay at their hotels.

http://www.dunnhospitality.com/index.php

If you take a look at the hotel locations in their business (http://www.dunnhospitality.com/ourproperties.php), you will notice that there are three hotels out by I-164/Lloyd Expressway and one on South Green River Road. Furthermore, Dunn Hospitality recently took over a hotel on U.S 41 ( http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/oct/06/dun-hospitailty-announces-plans-airport-hotel/ ).

Surprise, Surprise, all three locations for the ball fields are either on the eastside or on U.S 41. No location on the westside or on the northside by Kleymeyer Park made Dunn's final cut down to two despite the fact that both of these areas have restaurants, shopping centers, hotels, parks, recreational activities, and desperately need the project as a stimulus program more than the east side.

It seems pretty obvious to me, the Roberts Stadium lot is the closest to Dunn's Green River hotel and I-64/Lloyd Expressway hotels. Thus, it was chosen as the first location going forward. After that, the Goebel Soccer Complex is the closest to these four hotels on the eastside. Yes, it is out in the rural northeast side of Vanderburgh County, but if a tourist from the complex is going to stay the night here the quickest and/or simplest routes to take are to go Green River Road to I-164 via Lynch Road to the Lloyd Expressway, go straight down Green River Road to Dunn's hotel, or take Green River Road to the Lloyd Expressway east bound.

Then, if those two destinations don't work out, there's always Hamilton Golf Course. Hamilton Golf Course, which is run by the Evansville Airport ( the same group that owns the land Dunn's U.S 41 hotel sits on), is literally right across the road from Dunn's U.S 41 hotel. Not to mention, it's not that much farther from Goebel Soccer Complex.

To pile on all of this, there was a study conducted for an indoor water park resort to go inside of Roberts Stadium yet the plan is all but dead currently. There was nothing in the study that said it wouldn't work here. Here is the study if you want to take a look yourself...

Go to page 134: http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/downloads/consultant_report.pdf

So, what was the final recommendation (which wasn't inside this particular report) and why wasn't it investigated?

I don't believe David Dunn is a bad guy, I just think his plan is bad and I want to fix it by saving Roberts Stadium and building eight vintage MLB fields at Kleymeyer Park. While I'm glad that he has stepped forward to attempt to put together a plan (we need more people like that), I believe it is important that we get a second opinion from someone who wouldn't be biased towards placing the project within a road or two of their own hotels and doesn't have a hotel that would be a competitor of the proposed indoor water park resort.

If we are going to spend several million dollars on this project, we HAVE TO HAVE an unbiased director who is willing to give a good faith effort to study possible reuse options for Roberts Stadium first and foremost before considering demolition. The director MUST also consider other alternative locations for the ball fields that are around Evansville and inside the city limits and are best for the project itself, not just a particular hotel company.

There needs to be a public comment period where EVERYONE'S ideas are given fair consideration for REUSING Roberts Stadium, not just those who want to demolish it and build the ball fields at Wesselman Park simply because it's the best location next to their business. In my opinion, that would garner much more support than the way the current plan is being handled.

ROBERTS STADIUM IS SAFE!...... For Now

It is with GREAT pleasure to report that WFIE Channel 14 is reporting that the Roberts Stadium lot is FINALLY not going to be considered for the ball field's project. Here's the link...

http://www.14wfie.com/story/13583591/sports-complex-will-not-be-built-on-wesselman-parkroberts-stadium-property

Today is yet another great day for the Save Roberts Stadium movement. I'm extremely thrilled to see Roberts Stadium's future turn a little bit more to the bright side. I first want to thank you the reader of this blog for coming here and being active with this issue. The amount of people who have visited this site since its inception has been nothing short of amazing. I've thoroughly enjoyed the emails I have been getting with all kinds of ideas for Roberts Stadium. There's no doubt in my mind that the readers of this blog are the most passionate, creative, and active residents in Evansville. I ask that you continue with these efforts as we still have a long way to go.

These past 24 hours have been great just knowing that 8 basic and dull ball fields will not occupy the current ground that historic Roberts Stadium sits on. Too many great moments have occurred at Roberts Stadium to compromise its history for these dull and short sighted fields. We have many many great and viable ideas for Roberts Stadium and I thank you the viewer for shoving them in the face of city officials who would love nothing more than to make these ideas vanish.

In regards to the ball fields themselves, I want the record to show just how disappointed I am with David Dunn and the ECVB. I posted numerous times on this blog my openness and willingness to want to work with Dunn to build the 8 best ball fields money could buy.

I still insist that these fields MUST be built at Kleymeyer Park where they could take full advantage of the methane gas to produce electricity, they MUST be built to replicate 8 vintage MLB fields, and they MUST work hand-in-hand with Bosse Field and the Evansville Otters to schedule championship women's (and men's too) softball tournaments to commemorate the movie " A League of Their Own."

I have presented this plan in front of Dunn and the EVCB at a County Council meeting and I have emailed them countless times with my plan. Unfortunately, they do not want to take me up on my offer, despite the fact that I am willing to work day and night at no taxpayer expense to get this project done. I am very disappointed that Mr. Dunn and the ECVB have chosen to ignore me and the ideas that I bring to the table. I ask that they reconsider this decision.

I'm also extremely disappointed to hear ECVB Executive Director Joe Vezzoso say that the 3-4 current sites they are looking at putting the ball fields on are outside the city limits. This is a TERRIBLE idea and I will be speaking out against each of these sites in future posts on this blog. We MUST put these fields inside the city limits and at Kleymeyer Park where they will have a competitive advantage and stimulate the area around them.

With all of that being said, we still have a terribly long way to go with saving Roberts Stadium as well. Roberts Stadium's future is still very much in doubt given that it has become quite apparent that city officials will do anything they can to find a way to demolish it.

I also found the statements by the ECVB in this recent article from the City-County Observer to be extremely disturbing...

http://city-countyobserver.com/2010/11/30/evansville-convention-and-visitors-bureau-disappointed-that-ball-fields-project-did-not-garner-support/

"Joe Vezzoso (Executive Director of the ECVB) said that the money in the budget could be used to reduce the Inn Keepers tax. If nothing is done it will cost the City $400,000 per year to maintain Roberts Stadium..."

Ah, so the costs of maintaining Roberts Stadium have gone from under $300,000, to $300,000, then to $390,000, and now up to $400,000? I find it very interesting that these costs keep magically rising when the stadium is still in operation today. Where are these estimated costs on a balance sheet (I sure hope there aren't any more half-truths going on here again!)? Does anybody really know how much it would cost to mothball Roberts Stadium? And why does the ECVB and other city officials insist on mothballing it after the new arena opens? You're telling me that there are no events like the Home Show or the Boat Show that you could stick in there a few days of the year to offset its costs? This is purely ridiculous.

"... he (Vezzoso) would like to see a strip mall go in there."

This has got to be the most absurd thing I have ever heard. Everyone who has ever taken a position on Roberts Stadium, whether it be the mayor, a council member, or a nearby resident, has said the worst thing they fear is the placement of a strip mall on this location. This is a TERRIBLE idea and it would never get any support. I'm shocked beyond shocked that Vezzoso thinks a strip mall is the best option for the land. These are the same people who are put in charge of designing the ball field complex!

I firmly believe that my plan, which consists of making Roberts Stadium an indoor swimming pool, an indoor water park resort, or a botanical garden along with replanting the back parking lot, would be fully supported by the Evansville community. I challenge the ECVB and city officials to consider this plan!

"Bob Whitehouse reported that the hotels have had an extremely good year. He said he has met with the Jehovah Witnesses and that they are coming to town to talk about their convention, and they have some concerns."

I would imagine that they have several concerns with the shift to the new arena. Rumors have been abound from day 1 that they want to stay at Roberts Stadium. Why not sell them the stadium and preserve history?

"Joe Vezzoso warned the Tennis Association that they will face the same resistance that the ECVB did with the ball fields, from the neighbors, the community, and the County Council. Currently there is a tender situation at Wesselman Park. The Bureau needs to bring tourism and they have the Inn Keepers support to put heads in beds."

Sour grapes? This tells me right here that you the reader of this blog did your job. You took it upon yourself to make sure city officials heard your support for saving Roberts Stadium, and I am truly grateful to you for that. They thought they would just ram this through the council and commissions without anyone noticing until Roberts Stadium disappeared. We took a stand and now they must do the right thing and SAVE ROBERTS STADIUM!

As you can see, we still have a long way to go to make sure the ball fields are built at the correct site and that Roberts Stadium has a suitable purpose for it once the Aces and Co. vacate the historic grounds for the new downtown arena. I truly believe that with your support we can get this done. We must and we will SAVE ROBERTS STADIUM!

However, for the time being, let's celebrate this great victory!

Another Resident Comes Out In Support Of Roberts Stadium & Replanting The Back Lot

In the Opinion section in the Evansville Courier & Press today, local resident Martha Crosley came out in support of studying possible reuse options for Roberts Stadium and returning the back lot to forest. She also suggested that Roberts Stadium could possibly be a swimming center for the EVSC and other indoor swimming clubs. I thank her greatly for her article. Here it is...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/nov/28/options-still-abound-for-old-stadium-property/

My thanks to Evansville City Council members Dan McGinn and Dan Adams for co-sponsoring a resolution that essentially states that everyone needs to put the brakes on regarding Roberts Stadium and the Convention & Visitors Bureau's proposed baseball/softball complex.

This stand by some members of the council opens the possibility of a win-win for the CVB and citizens of Evansville.

Those who want to have the new ball fields are welcome to have them using land that is adjacent to Goebel Soccer Fields. It is still available for sale and the last figure I heard for the property was $1.2 million, a lesser figure than the cost of razing Roberts Stadium.

Those who want Wesselman Park to remain a peaceful family park and those neighbors who value a quiet neighborhood may have that also.

This concept leaves the Roberts Stadium issue open to lots of possibilities. For example, Dan Adams of the City Council stated that Roberts Stadium could be used for a natatorium for swim meets for all the schools since high schools in the area need such a facility. This would be something that Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. Superintendent Vincent Bertram could back for his whole school system and not just one school (for example, a ball field for Bosse High School).

This and many other ideas are possibilities if Roberts Stadium remains standing and if a new engineering study is done — not to find out if high-rigging concerts can be performed there as was done before, but to judge the building on structural soundness for other uses.

For any future use a large portion of the back parking lot should be removed and planted with native trees to buffer the preserve. The floor should also be filled in to the level that would end the constant pumping of water.

I believe that Martha said what everyone is thinking: Reuse Roberts Stadium & Replant The Back Lot.

Martha had a great point when she brought up the fact that we need to perform a study that actually focuses on reusing the stadium as something other than a modern arena. The great thing about it, is that I've already gotten a quote from Ripken Design of $32,500 for the reuse study. This is very affordable and wouldn't break the budget.

I know EVSC Superintendent Vincent Bertram has expressed his reluctance in replanting the back lot because he feels that this would inconvenience those who use the EVSC fields directly east of it, but if you look on Google Maps, you will notice that there is another access point to the fields from Division Street as well as a parking lot for the Indiana National Guard.

Yes, there will probably need to be a deal worked out with the National Guard for access to the National Guard's parking lot or another parking lot constructed next to it, but I don't think it's too far out of the realm of possibilities due to the fact that those fields don't draw thousands of people at a time. If worse came to worst, we could always leave a handful of parking spots intact on the back lot with a fence separating them from the forest (which will hopefully be a botanical garden).

While I disagree on the alternative location for the ball fields (it's got to be Kleymeyer Park), I think Martha hit the nail on the head with this article. We must do two things on that lot...

1. Reuse Roberts Stadium

2. Replant the back lot

How Low Can The EVCB Go?

Today, the EVCB announced they had cut $4.5 million from the proposed ball field project that they want to occupy the land that Roberts Stadium currently sits on. Although $4.5 million has been cut, the plan still calls for Roberts Stadium to be demolished.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/nov/23/evansville-visitors-bureau-reduces-ball-fields-bud/
I honestly didn't think this plan could get any worse until today. The amazing thing about the cuts is that only the good parts of this project are being cut and some of the cuts aren't really cuts. This project has hit an all-time low!

One of the main parts that actually will be cut is the removal of the back parking lot east of Roberts Stadium. This, quite frankly, is the only part of land on the lot that needs to go. It needs to be returned to nature with Roberts Stadium (which would be a botanical garden, an indoor rec center, or indoor water park) serving as the buffer between Wesselman Woods and the city. Earlier this week, the Courier & Press said one of the reasons they like this project is because it has a great buffer zone. Well, now the parking lot is still going to go all the way up the woods on the eastern side. Do they still support this project?

According to the C&P...

Dunn also said Convention & Visitors Bureau is looking at postponing the construction of shelter houses, picnic tables and other structures that were proposed under the original ball-fields plan. Dunn said the delay will let the bureau concentrate on building the eight fields themselves.

At this point, why does anyone believe building 8 basic fields with few amenities is a good idea anymore? The thing that amazes me about this project is that I have shown the mayor in person and emailed the EVCB's website a copy of this link (http://www.bigleaguedreams.com/corporate/park-development) which states clear as day that this organization builds their ball fields with no taxpayer money, not even for maintenance. Not only that, they build replica fields of vintage MLB ballparks that would give us a competitive advantage. All they need to do is make a simple phone call to Big League Dreams Sports Parks. That is what we need to do, not build a dull and bland sports complex that has nothing special about it except its price tag.

Dunn then said...

“We cannot sacrifice the quality of the playing surface,” he said. “We refuse to do that.”

What quality playing surface? Dunn said at the last County Council presentation that they decided to pass on the specialized turf because it cost several million dollars which was out of their budget. These fields are bland and dull and they will give visitors few reasons to visit them. If Dunn's fields looked like these http://www.bigleaguedreams.com/replica-fields I would understand why he didn't want to cut costs but they don't.

Even worse, this project really doesn't cut the full $4.5 million from the budget, it just does some accounting tricks with the $1.5 million Roberts Stadium demolition cost...

Dunn said the visitors bureau’s new budget assumes that the city will pay for the demolition of Roberts Stadium, which is estimated to cost $1.5 million. Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel said last week that the city would look to pay for that expense out of its 2012 budget, possibly by using Casino Aztar as the revenue source.

To me, this is absolutely, positively unbelievable. The mayor and the EVCB will stop at nothing to knock Roberts Stadium down. If the mayor worked on saving Roberts Stadium as much as he worked on finding funding for its demise, we'd probably have a Taj Mahal out there. The purpose of the Casino Aztar revenue is to improve the city, not destroy it. We need to treat that money with extreme caution. It's the only money we have that will make a significant dent on our tourism and quality of life problem.

The Casino Aztar money should be used for projects like a new downtown ballpark, redigging the Wabash & Erie Canal, and building on the riverfront; not demolishing Roberts Stadium. Oklahoma City turned their city around with their development money (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Area_Projects) , Evansville needs to do the same.

If the Vanderburgh County Council is genuinely concerned about the amount of funds this project would take from the Innkeepers Tax, than shouldn't they be concerned that voting yes for this project will mean $13 million PLUS $1.5 million from another tax base?

Lastly, the mayor reiterated why he wants Roberts Stadium demolished...

Weinzapfel reasoned that the cost of keeping Roberts standing but unused — which is estimated to top $300,000 a year — would exceed the cost of demolition after the passage of six years.

Again, why just mothball it and not put the Home Show there where it would have plenty of room to put booths outside (not to mention other small events)? Why not conduct the study for $32,500 to see what possibilities there are for Roberts Stadium? Why not host a forum to discuss Roberts Stadium reuse options (there are 9 on this blog alone) instead of just proclaiming Roberts Stadium useless without any basis for that assertion? Is this really enough reasoning to waste $1.5 million from the Casino Aztar funds?

Just when you think this project has hit rock bottom, a new detail comes out that makes it even worse. How Low Can The EVCB Go?

Save Roberts Stadium Is Forever Etched In The New Arena

As a diehard fan of stadiums, ballparks, and arenas of the past, present, and future, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to sign the final beam that will be placed in the new arena downtown. Although it rained quite hard that day, I made sure I got off work in time to sign it. However, I didn't just sign my name on the beam, I left a special message on it.

With the permanent ink sharpie in my hand, I wrote, "Jordan Baer Save Roberts Stadium." Yes, I believe that the arena situation downtown is a completely different situation than what we're facing out at Roberts Stadium. So why would I write "Save Roberts Stadium," on the beam?

Unfortunately, there will come a time when the new arena is facing the same fate that Roberts Stadium is facing right now. I fear it will be sooner than later due to the new arena not being built for the future. It will only hold 10,000-11,000 seats and it is being built on what is believed to be only a 12 foot water table. Expanding it down the road will be quite expensive. I hope the city makes the right decision to consider expanding it instead of demolishing it. I also hope the city considers expansion of it within the next 5-10 years so that the city has an arena big enough to attract the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament.

Nonetheless, I hope that when the city faces this dilemma, they will look to this beam and be reminded of how the situation played out with Roberts Stadium. If the arena is demolished, I hope they will save this beam to see that history had sadly repeated itself. Lastly, I hope it will show them to build sports venues and buildings correctly so that demolition of historic buildings isn't needed as often.

To my surprise, between the time that I signed the beam on Tuesday and the time I returned on Wednesday, somebody decided to take a sharpie and black out my message. Truth be told, I really don't want to know who did that. I think it would amaze us all if we really knew. Luckily, that person never guessed I would return the next day to rewrite it on there. Not only did I rewrite it back on the beam, I wrote it twice!

Whether it's demolished or preserved, Roberts Stadium will now be remembered on the new arena!

Another Disappointing Article From The Courier & Press

First they came out with a disappointing article against high speed rail, then another in support of demolishing Roberts Stadium, and now they have come out with yet another article calling for the Wesselman Park ball fields to be brought back up in front of the County Council.

Here's the article released today by the C&P:

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/nov/21/the-ball-fields-the-issue-officials-look-at-cost/

Just like when they quoted an I-69 Chamber of Commerce yes man on high speed rail, the Courier & Press has decided to base their opinion off people who have no use for Roberts Stadium, thus they have no plans for it despite the many options there are for reusing the facility and maintaining 54 years worth of valuable history.

First the article says...

Despite the concerns of some residents that this is not a good location for such a facility, sitting so close to Wesselman Woods, it strikes us as a more than suitable location, so near multiple other recreation facilities and with a large piece of property that could be turned into ball fields.

Really? Does the C&P honestly believe that this a much better location than Kleymeyer Park? How can the C&P justify that? With Kleymeyer Park, we would be able to...

- Capture methane gas from the landfill underneath it to reduce emissions and produce AN ADDITIONAL REVENUE SOURCE for the ball fields
- Work with the EPA to clean up Pigeon Creek (See: http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2010/11/red-rover-red-rover-please-send-epa-on.html )
- Build Vintage MLB Ball fields like these http://www.bigleaguedreams.com/replica-fields ( which by the way, that organization does it at no taxpayer expense http://www.bigleaguedreams.com/corporate/park-development )in an area that already has a baseball image
- Evansville would be to girl's softball what Omaha is to the College World Series
- Revitalize a dilapidated park that hasn't gotten its fair share of funding ( Kleymeyer is in worse shape than Wesselman Park)
- Revitalize the First Ave, North Main St., and Diamond Ave areas.
- It's one road and the Lloyd Expressway to the eastside (same as Wesselman Park)
- It will bring more visitors to the future downtown hotel
- It is next to basketball courts, a swimming pool, and the greenway while also being in the same complex as Walter's Golf-N-Fun which fits perfectly with this project
- It stood a better chance of getting Recovery Zone Bonds ( Although that doesn't matter anymore)
- It is far away from resident homes

The C&P then makes their editorial worse by stating...

Wesselman Woods would still be buffered from the Roberts Stadium site by the Wesselman Par 3 golf course. That will not change. What would change would be the elimination of acres of paved parking lot and a large, unneeded public building.

An unneeded building? What reason does the C&P have for this belief? I have given 9 uses for this historic (yes I said historic) building on this blog. A study has already shown Evansville could support an indoor water park resort inside Roberts Stadium. City Councilman Dr. Dan Adams has stated that Evansville is also in dire need of a new indoor swimming pool and wants it to be at Roberts Stadium. I agree. Furthermore, we currently have no indoor center for biking, jogging, and walking on our greenway. What good is the greenway when it rains and snows if there's no indoor section attached to it?

The perfect buffer between the woods and the city is Roberts Stadium itself. Replant the back lot with trees, place a botanical garden or indoor waterpark with an indoor greenway inside Roberts Stadium and put a fence between the golf course and Roberts Stadium. The perfect buffer!

In an article last Friday the C&P asked Mayor Weinzapfel, and Mayor Weinzapfel only, about reusing Roberts Stadium (This article is cited in the C&P opinion as well).

Here's the article: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/nov/19/city-council-members-call-halt-ball-fields-project/

Weinzapfel said he has listened to many suggestions for the reuse of Roberts, but only will take them seriously if they come with financing plans. So far, no one he knows of has devised a practical means of paying for the continued operation of the stadium, he said.

In the circumstances, demolition is the best option, he said.

The mayor is the ONLY person the C&P interviewed for that article. The only studies this city administration has done on Roberts Stadium (besides the indoor water park study that appears to have been discarded) are studies that focus solely on using Roberts Stadium as a renovated arena which I address here: http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2010/11/rumors-of-roberts-stadiums-demise-has.html.

I have a group willing to study proper reuses for Roberts Stadium for a mere $32,500 ( in contrast Roberts' demolition cost has gone from $1.25 million to $1.5 million). I have presented this group as well as my ideas to the mayor upon which he has not gotten back to me on. Why does the C&P think ignoring this study and not researching these ideas before supporting demolition is the proper way to go?

This begs the question: How can the C&P and the mayor state that Roberts Stadium is an unneeded building and must be demolished when they have studied, researched, or tried to implement ZERO reuse alternatives other than a renovated arena and ignored a water park resort study?

I have great respect for the C&P. I have started a group Tri-State Tomorrow in an effort to "lift the pal," from Evansville. This group was put together after being inspired by a C&P article.

However, I really believe they need to change their editorial opinion process. They need to interview and consider both sides, and I believe they should use the power they have to put together a citizen's panel and host a town hall meeting(s) to gather ideas on what to do with Roberts Stadium. That would be an editorial opinion I could get behind!

Making The Case For The NBDL

Although saving Roberts Stadium is my main concern, I believe the Roberts Stadium situation is a three pronged battle. The three prongs are...

1. Saving Roberts Stadium & finding a proper use for it that will keep it intact and satisfy everyone involved.

2. Finding the perfect location and design for the ball fields to make sure they are the best fields in the U.S. I believe Kleymeyer Park is the best location and these are the best fields: http://www.bigleaguedreams.com/replica-fields

3. Making sure the new arena has the proper amount of dates filled to make it profitable. I also want to bring the best teams and events possible to the new arena. If Roberts Stadium is kept as an events center where it would host events like the Tri-State Home Show, the Circus, and other events that need more parking lot space or more staging space than the new arena, I pledge to find enough teams and events to fill the empty dates in the new arena vacated by the events that would be staying at Roberts Stadium. (at no taxpayer expense).

I've talked and talked and talked about the first two prongs of this battle on this blog, but I haven't dove into just what I'd like to accomplish at the new arena.

When I made the post "An Open Invitation to the Mayor and City Officials," I said I would like to get...

1. The Bluecats back
2. USI to play some games downtown
3. NCAA tournament games
4. A NBDL team

It should seem pretty cut and dry why I'd like to get the Bluecats back, bring the NCAA tournaments to town, and bring USI downtown for some games, but what is the NBDL and why am I so passionate about bringing it here?

For those of you that don't know, the NBDL, which stands for National Basketball Developmental League, is the newly formed league that is the farm league for the NBA (National Basketball Association). It is basketball's version of what AAA,AA, & A baseball is to MLB, and what leagues such as the CHL (Icemen's league) are to the NHL. The league consists of drafted and undrafted players who are trying to work their way up to the NBA.

We are fortunate to have a Purple Ace in the league as well.


http://gopurpleaces.com/news/2010/3/16/MBB_0316105816.aspx

Shy Ely was the runner-up in voting for Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year in 2009, and the University of Evansville's first NABC All-District selection since Andy Elkins in 1995. His outstanding senior year (18.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg) caught the attention of pro scouts, landed him a try-out with the Chicago Bulls, and eventually earned him a earn a place in the NBA Development League.

Not only does the NBDL have former UE standout Shy Ely to bring fans out to NBDL games, but the NBDL also has several players from schools around Evansville that I believe would bring fans into town for a game.

The following are players that I believe will draw fans from around the region...

http://www.nba.com/dleague/players/school.html

Ball State - Kent, Anthony
Evansville - Ely, Shy
Indiana - Smith, Jamar
Indiana - Wilmont, Roderick
Kentucky - Patterson, Patrick
Kentucky - Stevenson, Perry
Louisville - Gaines, Reece
Louisville - Smith, Jerry
Notre Dame - Zeller, Luke
Purdue - Grant, Keaton
Purdue - Kramer, Chris

Unfortunately, the NBDL season overlaps with the Evansville Icemen's season so we will have to be creative with scheduling. This conflict has caused a few city officials to tell me that there aren't enough open dates for the NBDL. I disagree with this notion because if you look at the NBDL schedule ( http://www.nba.com/dleague/gameline/20101119/ ) you will notice that most teams only play 3 to 6 home games a month. In fact, if you look at most of the arenas in the NBDL you will see that most of them have both a NBDL team and a hockey team ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:NBA_Development_League_arenas ).

Although I am thrilled to death to have the Evansville Icemen and minor league hockey here, Evansville is a natural fit for basketball and must have the NBDL here as well. We are in the perfect market for the NBDL being that we are in the middle of Louisville, Indiana, and Kentucky which are basketball crazed areas.

There are three business models in the NBDL for us to choose from. A. A local investor would own the team B. A lot of NBA teams are starting to buy their NBDL teams or C. NBA team runs a few teams jointly with a local owner.

We are lucky that the NBDL already has Fort Wayne, Indiana which would create a great rivalry. Also, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants are affiliated with the Bulls, Pistons, and Pacers so the NBDL would be able to take one of those affiliates and give it to us. Obviously, I think we would be a natural fit with the Indiana Pacers and I think it would be best that Fort Wayne sticks with the Pistons because before they were the Detroit Pistons they were the Fort Wayne Pistons.

As I said in my open invitation to city officials, I am willing to personally go with the mayor and/or any city official who wants to go to the NBA World Headquarters in Secaucus, NJ to let them know that Evansville is open for business for an expansion team.

We need to bring the NBDL to Evansville!

Red Rover Red Rover Please Send The EPA On Over

Since I have yet to hear anything from David Dunn since starting this site, I began surfing the internet to see if he has ever considered Kleymeyer Park in the 6 years he has been working on this project. Surprisingly, he was approached about the location at the Parks Dept Board meeting ( the one that went from 6 pm to 12:30 am). When he was asked by Mrs. Martha Crosley about Kleymeyer Park, his answer was rather interesting.

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:VsmpT-WsbZYJ:www.evansvillegov.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx%3Fdocumentid%3D8275+KleyMeyer+Park+Dump&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESigokCOXOpRgIpRcgeYQjVHyV0fSn_o_ckk5aSxAWN2GiETQsf5oOzxAlfQjYzzjyJAkmY0crzAbHhnZVxM-bI1MRWauHgWuPpP0hjyyddyaBu533joy3QKIm3L-ApuVKdo7wW6&sig=AHIEtbT1LHlso0gotDj9Bbo-2dCnTkRq-w
This is from pages 12 and 13...

Ms. Crosley asked if being by the Goebel Complex would mean that they could coordinate with Goebel for parking and concessions and that type of thing.

Mr. (Dunn) stated he assmned that would be possible. In their design, the concessions were m the center of each of the pods. The guests at their complex would have to walkover to the Goebel complex.

She asked if the design could be applied to other areas.

Dunn stated they looked at eight different areas around the community and the design worked anywhere that had roughly 60 — 75 acres.She asked if they had looked at Kleymeyer Park. Dunn explained briefly, but due to the conditions there, they didn’t study that park verylong.

Ms. Crosley asked what conditions.

Dunn responded the current conditions fi'om the old dump site.

Crosley stated there was a ball field there now and it was working fine. She suggested they could bridge the Greenway and Pigeon Creek and connect that to Garvin Park to allow some amenities that were already there to be utilized.

Dunn stated he would defer the question of whether it was working fine and whether it was a quality facility to Chris Rehn, who handled the City leagues.

Kleymeyer Park is brought back up by David Nicholson, former President of the Evansville Soccer Club on page 18...

One comment in regards to Kleymeyer Park. It was a dump and with all respect, it is a dump. The City Council looked at Kleymeyer Park for the soccer complex to be built and in the process,the Parks Department was installing a new scoreboard at Kleymeyer Park and the welder was welding it and it started on fire and bumed to the ground because of the methane gas.

Is this the reason why Dunn has refused to listen to me on Kleymeyer Park?

First of all, for those who don't know, Kleymeyer Park use to be an old landfill back when it was the First Ave Brick and Tile Co. Although I have no idea when the landfill was closed, I know it's been many years ago. Today, there is no signs whatsoever of the landfill. Currently on the land is a Pop Warner football field, 3 baseball fields, Bob Walter's Golf-N-Fun, and Bob Walter's driving range. There are no visible signs of garbage and there is no smell of garbage. In my opinion, the land has recovered quite nicely.

While I have never heard of the story about the welder burning the scoreboard down to the ground, I'm not sold on the methane gas (which is produced from decomposing landfill) being the reason for that. Aside from being non toxic, it would take a lot of methane gas to ignite like that. Furthermore, welding itself causes many more fires than methane gas.

It is nothing new for a baseball complex to be located on an old landfill. They have been sprouting up all over the country for many years now. Here is just one example...

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/07/11/575185/you-can-have-fun-with-a-landfill.html

Now, in case you're thinking, " Well I like the fields at Kleymeyer Park but I just think all that methane gas is going to be a burden," I would like for you to know that not only is the methane gas there an asset instead of a liability, but this project can also be an environmentally friendly green project as well.



Since methane gas from landfills emit an enormous amount of polluting greenhouse gases into the air each year, the EPA has decided to focus on reducing these gases by converting them into energy.

This link from the EPA will tell you EVERYTHING you need to know about landfill gases and the benefits of this project.

http://www.epa.gov/lmop/basic-info/index.html#a02

Note: LFG= LandFill Gas

The U.S. EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) is a voluntary assistance program that helps to reduce methane emissions from landfills by encouraging the recovery and use of landfill gas (LFG) as an energy resource. LMOP forms partnerships with communities, landfill owners, utilities, power marketers, states, project developers, tribes, and nonprofit organizations to overcome barriers to project development by helping them assess project feasibility, find financing, and market the benefits of project development to the community. EPA launched LMOP to encourage productive use of this resource as part of the United States' commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills are the second-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States, accounting for approximately 22 percent of these emissions in 2008. At the same time, methane emissions from landfills represent a lost opportunity to capture and use a significant energy resource. LFG is created as solid waste decomposes in a landfill. This gas consists of about 50 percent methane (the primary component of natural gas), about 50 percent carbon dioxide (CO2), and a small amount of non–methane organic compounds.

Instead of escaping into the air, LFG can be captured, converted, and used as an energy source. Using LFG helps to reduce odors and other hazards associated with LFG emissions, and it helps prevent methane from migrating into the atmosphere and contributing to local smog and global climate change.

LFG is extracted from landfills using a series of wells and a blower/flare (or vacuum) system. This system directs the collected gas to a central point where it can be processed and treated depending upon the ultimate use for the gas. From this point, the gas can be flared, used to generate electricity, replace fossil fuels in industrial and manufacturing operations, or upgraded to pipeline–quality gas where the gas may be used directly or processed into an alternative vehicle fuel.

EPA is interested in developing LFG energy for many reasons:

•Projects help destroy methane, a potent heat-trapping gas.
•Projects generate renewable energy and offset the use of non-renewable resources such as coal, natural gas, and oil.
•There are many cost–effective options for reducing methane emissions while generating energy.
•Projects help reduce local air pollution.
•Projects create jobs, revenues, and cost savings

By linking communities with innovative ways to deal with their LFG, LMOP helps communities enjoy increased environmental protection, better waste management, and responsible community planning. For example, the Ecology Club at Pattonville High School in Maryland Heights, Missouri, came up with the idea to use gas from the nearby landfill to heat their school. The school paid $175,000 to run a 3,600–foot pipeline between the landfill and the school's two basement boilers. In turn, the landfill owner donated the methane to the school as a way of “giving back to the community.” The school anticipates that it will save $40,000 a year and recapture its investment within five years.

Clearly, the methane gas on the land is an ASSET NOT A LIABILITY. We have the opportunity to build a green project where we cut down on gases and find a source of electricity for our project. While we would have to invest some up front costs on the underground pipes and system (this won't disturb the ballfields) we should be able to recoup this invest within 5-10 years. Then, we would be making money, not losing money on this project!

Lastly, it has been mentioned that the hotel/motel tax should be spread around to all the parks such as Burdette and the 4-H Center. While this sounds good on paper, it is a completely bad idea. Why?

Because Kleymeyer Park hasn't been receiving its fair share of funds and neither has Pigeon Creek itself. As a result of years of neglect, Pigeon Creek itself needs to be cleaned up from toxins. Take a look at the different contaminents found in Pigeon Creek by the Indiana Dept of Health...

http://welbornfdn.org/2006%20Community%20Indicators%20Report%20-%20Natural%20Environment.pdf ( It's in a better graph form on their website than on my blog)

Selected Contaminants Found in Southwest Indiana
Waterways
Water Body-County-Potential Causes of Impairment

Hovey Lake Posey PCB’s

Ohio River Perry, Warrick, Vanderburgh, Posey PCB’s, dioxins, metals, mercury, bacteria
Patoka
Reservoir
Dubois Metals, mercury
Patoka River Dubois PCB’s, metals, mercury, lead,
bacteria
Patoka River Pike PCB’s, metals, mercury, sulfates
Patoka River Gibson PCB’s, metals, mercury, sulfates,
salts/TDS/chlorides
Pigeon Creek Vanderburgh PCB’s, metals, mercury,
pesticides, priority organics
Pigeon Creek-
Harper Ditch
Vanderburgh PCB’s, metals, mercury,
pesticides, priority organics,
salinity/TDS/chlorides
Pigeon Creek-
Kleymeyer Park
Vanderburgh PCB’s, metals, mercury,
pesticides, priority organics,
sulfates, salinity/TDS/chlorides,
bacteria
Wabash River Posey PCB’s, metals, mercury
Wabash River Gibson PCB’s, metals, mercury
White River, East Fork Dubois PCB’s, metals, lead

Indiana State Department of
Health. 2005 Fish Consumption Advisory.

Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation
Commission (ORSANCO).

Vanderburgh County Health

The amount of contaminents found in Pigeon Creek next to Kleymeyer Park by the Indiana Dept of Health is very disturbing to me, especially given the fact that I canoe through there all the time.

Before we worry about Burdette Park and the 4-H Center, we need to clean up Pigeon Creek first. And since we will already be working with the EPA on the landfill gas why don't we work with them on cleaning up Pigeon Creek? Kill two birds with one stone.

If we don't clean up this area now, it will only get worse and I believe it will get to the point where the EPA forces us to clean it up like they are with the sewers. We have the opportunity to avoid this by turning the ballfields project into a green project that will clean up the area, reduce gas emissions, and find another source of future revenue for the ballfields.

All we have to do is take a few lemons and make lemonade!

A Vision From A Save Roberts Stadium Fan

From time to time, I would like to publish ideas from you the viewer of this blog. Since starting my two blogs, I have gotten a bunch of ideas for the city that has made me say " Why didn't I think of that?" I believe that these emails just goes to show you, that if the city were to host a brainstorming session where residents could come up with ideas for Roberts Stadium and the ballfields at Kleymeyer Park, there is no telling what kind of great ideas we would find.

For this reason, I will now show you an email I received from a fan of this blog. It has a lot of great things in it!...

"I agree with the Recovery Bonds for Garvin Park area. Why not put 4 ball fields in that location and a walking bridge to Kleymeyer Park where 4 ball fields could be located (3 are already there but would need upgraded). I think there already is a dog park there too. This might be a win-win for the Vanderburgh Humane Society located near this area by walking to the park instead of driving (people and pet exercise). Why not develop along that stretch of Pigeon Creek into a Whitewater area with recycling pumps with kayak put-ins located in Garvin Park (this would be costly, but not found in to many cities. I would prefer an entire Whitewater Park in Vanderburgh or Warrick County). We already have the Greenway. Promote a Bike rental area along with the ballfields for parents to rent or bring their own while their kids, husband, wives, or friends play ball. Work with Vertical Escape to design and build climbing walls/boulders along the Greenway Paths for more physical exercise. Include a rope course for even more physical activity avenues. Create the Garvin-Kleymeyer park area into The Place to go to spend the day outdoors! All Year Long! Develop wildlife information sites where visitors can learn about the Pigeon Creek and it's animal inhabitants. Maybe incorporate Solar power for the Park lighting. It would be costly, but with rebates and "green" thinking we might get a lot of funds.

I would like to see a more park like situation at the Stadium site to continue the Wesselman theme, but not as elitist. Plant native hardwood trees and floral trees, and plants. Add 4 pavilions for visitors or citizens to rent for family gatherings and receptions. Add geothermal heating and a/c (how eco~friendly is that! It would also be an income maker for Wesselman or the Parks! What a novel idea.

I know a local restaurateur who would jump at the chance to have an event facility there and also run a restaurant daily on site). Place simple playgrounds and splash areas for visitors. Include green areas for visitors to play games. Improve the Shelters in Wesselman. Connect park paths with the State Hospital grounds. Improve Hartke park with an olympic size lap pool.

I believe visitors will go to the mall no matter where the ball parks are located. If your a shopper, 15-20 minutes drives are nothing! Straight south on First Ave to East on the Expressway to Eastland Mall.

Just a thought: Could we convert Roberts stadium to a swim/aquatic center? remove the collapsable seats and that would be a huge pool! Maybe 2 pools or a Diving pool and 1 large lap pool. Not sure of olympic pool sizing as we may get 2 in there or even 2 pools and a diving well. Rent it to the EVSC for more physical education for students! During School hours it could be used for citizens daily as a lap pool. The parking lot would not need to be as large so we could add some trees or green areas. I would imagine the humidity of a pool would never work with the existing stadium. But what an idea! Check out this video for a similar site:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBXDQyYGmTE&feature=related

I would be willing to bet there are sites on the South Side or even near Downtown Evansville that would be ideal for the ball park plan.

The opportunities for park development is endless.

Features desired in a park:

1. Rope course
2. Wildlife information stops
3. Bike rental and paths
4. Modern Restrooms
5. Rentable buildings for events- Private and public with heat and A/C
6. Climbing walls
7. exercise stations
8. Green areas - place to play lawn games: corn hole, hillbilly golf, whiffle ball, Bocce, croquet, pitch and catch, frisbee, sack-races, misc fun.
9. Sand volleyball courts
10. Playgrounds - assorted small groupings close to each shelter so parents can watch their kids without leaving their family event.
11. Horseshoe pits (one per shelter)
12. Drinking fountains
13. Splash/water spot 12x12 is big enough for each shelter.
14. picnic tables
15. Charcoal grills and fire pits
16. Electricity access at open shelters.

More information and some videos and pictures of other ideas and examples:

2 olympic size pools, 1 diving pool, splash park area that would also be utilized year round, with retractible roofs for year round usage: ( http://www.libart.com/products/freestanding/ )

Outdoor workout area - (created in cooperation with the National Gaurd and Reserve Units)
http://www.outdoorfunstore.com/commercial-fitness-healthtrek.asp
http://www.davidwilliamsassociates.com/fitness/triactive
http://www.outdoor-fitness.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3FRUPFHClg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEc1R1MFC6o&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68Yv2NPAJ_w&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQj_C7JS0_Q&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrxpH6_viMU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGfRDeqLCu8&feature=related

Artificial kayak/rafting course running around the stadium property? It could run nearly year round if not year round (water flowing). (exercise, and not beer drinking exercise a~la softball)

The following is a link to the U.S. National Whitewater Center that seems like a great idea for this property:

http://usnwc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=207&Itemid=524

Imagine Kayaking, zip-lining, a Mega Jump, rock climbing, rafting, adventure course, and biking (Ieisure biking would be nice with the number of bikers we have in this area(ever been to the Great Pumpkin Bike Race at the 4-H?)

Note the only noise I can foresee is laughter and an occasional blood curdling scream of joy, terror, and excitement!

There would still be lighting, but I must agree the Musco lighting is about the only way to illuminate a facility.

Do something for all of us, not a few of us. I know many softball players, and most are driving to a site and driving home to play in tournaments. Yeah, they spend some money, but most don't spend the night. Parents with kids who are in the events might. Most probably do not.

Enough about that. Below I have included some random thought on the Evansville Future.

I foresee a pattern of movement in the planning. The Jail has moved, the EVSC has moved from SE 9th, an aging Civic/Judicial facility. It won't be long until the Civic/Judicial building will need an update. The battle will be to update or build new. We will build new after much debate. Main Street will open up with a direct line to North Main Street. That could very well be the next boom of new businesses and housing upgrades. With wider sidewalks, upgraded storefronts this could really blossom into something nice. A real tourist area along with downtown. This would tie Bosse Field with the downtown area and create another quick entrance and exit for the new arena. (yes, I am for it, just would rather had it ran better, seems a waste of money with the Executive debacle, Every citizen saw that coming ten miles away).

I would also like to see the dam by the river downtown widened on top from the 4 Freedom's monument to Waterworks Road so it would be more conducive to events that would not require a closing of Riverside. Wide enough for vendors and tents to sit on top with people traffic. Check out Owensboro's plan, They got it right by creating an event plaza without stopping traffic flow during the work day.


Put that Softball/ Baseball park in the downtown area, the city probably owns enough lots to create a new park for such a facility. Why put just a whiffle ball field in Tepee Park? Imagine what parents could do with their children if they had access to "the park" if it was in the downtown area? You might see more people playing baseball/softball. I can almost smell a cook off contest already nearby! Take two blocks and create a softball/baseball park with surrounding businesses that support the health of individuals. Picture these facilities with grant driven funding on each adjoining side:

Spinning classes
Weight room
Dance - Gymnastics
Art exploring room ~ paint, draw, carving, crafting
Martial arts
Book-exchange room
Treadmill area
along with small businesses that would encourage health and well being.

We cannot build a nicer Aquarium or Anything like an Indianapolis, St. Louis, Louisville, or Cincinnati. We don't have the population or money. Be unique! Think Big, Think Outside The Box! Don't be like every other town and city, If you try and plan you can succeed with the people's approval."