Save Roberts Stadium is now on Facebook!

In an effort to get the word out, I have put Save Roberts Stadium on facebook. Please join the group! I would greatly appreciate it.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=12913772#!/group.php?gid=158943827457362&ref=mf

Roberts Stadium Proposal #6: A Merchants Outlet

Last week, I had the privilege of going into the newly opened Merchants Outlet inside Washington Square Mall. I've also been to the Giant Flea Market out on Kentucky Ave in the old Builders Square building. Without a doubt, I believe that Roberts Stadium needs to be considered for a Merchants Outlet as well. Why?

For 2 reasons.

1. The Merchants Outlet in Washington Square Mall isn't large enough. Roberts Stadium has hosted several trade shows such as the Boat Show in years past that prove it can host this time of venue successfully. It also has many more square feet that both the Merchants Outlet and the Giant Flea Market making it the perfect venue for dealers who want to sell bigger items than just things you can put in a bag. Due to the fact that Merchants Outlet is small, I believe there is plenty of room another Merchants Outlet in the marketplace.


2. The Giant Flea Market is only open one weekend a month. With no current tenant for Roberts Stadium past 2011, Roberts Stadium would be able to be open daily and year round.

To further increase foot traffic, concession stands could be gutten and upgraded to restaurants and the area in the middle could encompass a very small public ice rink open to the public (although Swonder is next door, travelers prefer to skate while they shop). Eventually, more stores could be built in the parking lot around Roberts Stadium to make the area a one stop shop for everything.


There is also a precedent for this type of development as well. Both Giants Stadium (now demolished and replaced though) and the Rose Bowl both have flea markets in their parking lots on non gamedays. While Roberts Stadium would be an inside market, this proves that sports facilities are perfect buildings for this type of business.

IMPORTANT! Be Vocal In Your Support For Roberts Stadium

In the next few months, key decisions will be made on the fate of Roberts Stadium. If we do not speak up and let everyone know that we stand fully behind Roberts Stadium, we could very well end up losing the venue and its great history. For this reason, I am asking each and every person who comes to this blog to be vocal. By vocal, I mean contact the city council, the mayor, and the Evansville Courier & Press ( Contact info for all these organizations is on the right hand side) and let them know that you believe Roberts Stadium is too valuable to just bulldoze over and that the ballfields belong next to Garvin Park not Wesselman Woods.

Writing a few letters/emails will just take a few minutes of your time but will do wonders for the Evansville community. If you need help please let me know @ JordanBaer1@gmail.com. I thank everyone for their efforts in saving Roberts Stadium!

Top Ten Roberts Stadium Memories from Ed Cole and the Evansville Courier & Press

http://m.courierpress.com/news/2010/jul/04/memorable-moments-at-roberts-stadium/

COMMUNITY COMMENT: Memorable moments at Roberts Stadium
ED COLE SPECIAL TO THE COURIER & PRESS
Published Sunday, July 4, 2010

Now that Roberts Stadium is entering its last year of existence, it is time to reflect on the many events that have happened there. There are so many wonderful memories for those of us who have been around since its beginning.

I was a senior at Central High School when the stadium opened in 1956. Since then, I have seen 10 to 15 events a year, mostly college and high school basketball. Here is my top 10 list of events attended.

1. The University of Evansville vs. Southern Illinois University, 1965. It was the championship game of the NCAA tournament and the Aces defeated the Salukis, 85-82 in overtime to complete a 29-0 season and its fourth NCAA championship.

The two teams played three times that year and only five points separated them. The Aces were led by Larry Humes and Jerry Sloan while Walt Frazier carried the Salukis. Both Sloan and Frazier went on to outstanding NBA careers.

2. Garth Brooks, 1998. Garth Mania hit Evansville as thousands of fans stood in lines for hours to buy tickets as Brooks sold out one concert, a second and finally a third.

3. UE's first NCAA championship, 1959. There is always something special about a first and this is the team that started the huge Aces fan base. The Aces were led by Ed Smallwood, Hugh Ahlering, Harold Cox, Larry Erwin, Mel Lurker and Dale Wise. They manhandled Missouri State 83-67 for the championship.


4. Lawrence Welk, 1957. OK. I am not really a Welk fan, but I was part of the record-breaking crowd of 13,000 plus to watch the sold out show.

Incidentally, I didn't know at the time, but it was the first time I saw my future wife as Welk introduced his local "Miss Champaign Lady" (Sharon Frohbieter). I married her five years later and now you know why I rank the story so highly.

5. Scott Haffner, 1989. The hot-shooting guard poured in 65 points in a win against Dayton in an incredible performance that still stands as the all-time scoring record at Roberts Stadium.

It was also the most points scored in any NCAA Division I game in the 1980s.

6. NCAA Midwest Basketball Regional, 1982. The stadium hosted Bobby Knight's Indiana Hoosiers, Denny Crum's Louisville Cardinals, Marquette, Tennessee, The University of Alabama-Birmingham and Oklahoma.

7. Pittsburgh Steelers exhibition basketball game, 1978. The city was still reeling from the tragic airplane crash that claimed the UE basketball team when the Pittsburgh Steelers football team volunteered to play an exhibition basketball game here. The game started the healing process the city so desperately needed.

8. UE vs. the University of Southern Indiana, 2004. It was only an exhibition basketball game, but you could not tell it from the sold out crowd that had been begging for the game to be played. The Aces won 88-75.

9. UE vs. Kentucky Wesleyan, 1960. The game drew a stadium record crowd of 13,913 as the Aces defeated a King Kelly Coleman Wesleyan team 93-87.

10. First stadium high school sectional, 1957. The Lincoln Lions led by Charlie Vance and Ted Landers won the first sectional played at the Stadium. It was the first time the sectional was played outside of the old Central Gym and tickets were available. Until that time, it was almost impossible to get a sectional ticket.

I have many other memories that didn't make this list, such as the many Shrine Circuses, President Ronald Reagan, Neil Diamond, Sonny and Cher, Frank Sinatra, the Gaithers and the three other Aces NCAA titles. (What, no rock concerts?) But these were my top 10. What are yours?

As Roberts Stadium enters its last year, I can fondly say in Bob Hope's words, "Thanks for the memories!"

Ed Cole is a resident of Evansville.

Ballfields Alternative Location

The main issue that I have (besides demolishing Roberts Stadium) with the current ballfields proposal is that it will face the same problem Roberts Stadium faces, it would be landlocked.

I believe that wherever the ballfields are placed it should be with plenty of room for business to grow around it. I would also like to see them improve a blighted area as well as enhance current attributes about Evansville. What one possible location could satisfy all three of these requirements?

After careful analysis, I support placing the ballfields on the land currently occupied by the warehouses next to Bosse Field and Garvin Park. Why do I support this land? For several reasons...

1. It would be keeping with the baseball theme of Bosse Field
2. It would be improve a current blighted area currently occupied with rundown warehouses.
3. It would bring more people down to see Pigeon Creek and the Greenway next to Garvin Park.
4. It would allow for businesses to build a Coney Island-like development project where rides, hotdogs, and a boardwalk would circle around the ballfields and Pigeon Creek.

I do not believe that Roberts Stadium lot would be as profitable as the Garvin Park lot for these 4 reasons. Garvin Park would seem to be the logical choice to me since it would accomplish these 4 things as well as keep Roberts Stadium intact and satisfy nearby neighbors of Roberts Stadium.

Roberts Stadium Proposal #5: An Indoor Nature Center

With an indoor nature center, Roberts Stadium would work in unison with Wesselman Woods. At the Greenburgh Nature Center in Scarsdale, New York, exhibits feature a live animal museum with more than 100 specimens, a greenhouse with a variety of plants from all over the world, and a large exhibit room with changing natural history and nature-related art exhibits. Their main building, which is historic, has been adapted to meet the needs of an environmental education center, while maintaining the building's historic and rustic character.

Most of the opponents to the ballfield proposal want some kind of nature on the lot. With this proposal, both nature lovers and those in favor of preserving Roberts Stadium would win.

The center would be instrumental in teaching those in the area about nature as well as giving the locals the opportunity to see exotic animals they ordinarily wouldn't see.

I also propose that the creek that naturally runs up to Roberts Stadium be opened up, and the back parking lot turned into more Wesselman Woods. This would help Roberts Stadium blend in with its environment as well as give it the opportunity to be the new entrance to Wesselman Park.

Roberts Stadium Proposal # 4: An Events Center

With the new downtown arena opening up next year, several groups that could afford to rent Roberts Stadium, but cannot afford the new arena are struggling at what to do. My proposal of making Roberts Stadium an Events Center would solve this problem.

My proposal would replicate what was proposed for Old Tiger Stadium in Detroit. Before the city decided to demolish Tiger Stadium, the Tiger Stadium Conservancy group proposed the perfect plan for the Stadium. They wanted to reuse Tiger Stadium as an Events Center that would have...

1. A Banquet Hall
2. Event Rooms
3. A Small Minor League Field
4. Museum & Store
5. Lofts and Condos

In the original plan, even a Wal-Mart was proposed for Tiger Stadium. If Wal-Mart was interested I would support that idea as well. However, given that that's not realistic, I propose the following...

1. Open up large banquet halls in the current luxury boxes
2. Build event rooms on the main level of the stadium
3. Open up a small museum and store if possible

With this plan, Evansville would have yet another great venue to compliment the new arena and Centre. Most importantly, it would keep historic Roberts Stadium intact.

Roberts Stadium Proposal #3: A Rock Climbing Center

During my college years in Lexington, Kentucky, I frequently visited a place called "The Stadium." Owned by former UK and Pittsburgh Steeler great Dermontti Dawson, The Stadium has a huge rock climbing center, a laser tag room, an arcade room, putt putt, a physical activities room with basketball courts and batting cages, and a cafe area with food such as pizza and pretzels.

If you haven't been to The Stadium, I highly recommend it. It's a great place with enough entertainment to last you for days. If you ever go, the first thing you will think is "Why can't this be Roberts Stadium."

With a high ceiling and plenty of space, Roberts Stadium would serve perfectly as a center for rock climbing, arcade games, laser tag, putt putt, basketball courts, and batting cages. It would be keeping with the sports theme that Wesselman Park has with it's basketball courts, handball courts, and tennis courts. Heck, you could even put a go-kart track outside of Roberts Stadium.

Roberts Stadium Proposal #2: A Jehovah Witness' Church

Before the ballfields proposal was unveiled, rumors were abound that the Jehovah Witness' had offered a good price for the stadium. If true, this would have been a good idea and one with a precedent.

Several years ago, the Houston Rockets left the Compaq Center to move downtown into the Toyota Center leaving the Compaq Center without a tenant. Instead of demolishing the venue where the Houston Rockets won 2 NBA Titles in the 1990's, the city instead sold the venue to Joel Osteen. Joel Osteen, who some say is a preacher some say is a motivational speaker, recarpeted the entire arena and converted it into a church which he still occupies today.

Could Evansville do the same thing with Roberts Stadium? I think so. The reason being is that when the Jehovah Witness' come to Evansville they bring a lot of guests with them and they almost always fill the place up. With Roberts Stadium, the Jehovah Witness would have an excellent venue to conduct most of their work as well as have a venue big enough to hold large sermons.

One benefit for the Jehovah Witness' is that they would already have a building intact, which would keep them from having to build an entirely new building. Plus, they would already have a big enough parking lot already intact.

Roberts Stadium Proposal #1: An Indoor Waterpark

One of the main venues that Evansville lacks is an indoor waterpark resort. The closest waterpark resort is Big Splash Adventure WaterPark Resort in French Lick, Indiana. With an indoor waterpark resort, part of Roberts Stadium would be a hotel, part would be an indoor pool(s), and part would be changing and dressing rooms.

In my opinion, Roberts Stadium is a perfect fit for an indoor waterpark. Why? Because it already has changing/dressing rooms, it already has an open middle for pools, slides, and a lazy river, and it already has plenty of room to build hotel rooms.

Plus, an indoor waterpark resort would fit in perfectly with Swonder Ice Rink, and Wesselman Park as an affordable, active, and natural form of entertainment. Its hotel would allow those who want to take a nature hike through Wesselman Park or go ice skating for the day to spend the night next door.

Funding could come from the hotel/motel tax because it would do what the goal of the tax is: Increase Tourism.

The Goal of This Blog

As you are probably aware, there currently is a movement to tear down historic Roberts Stadium and replace it with 8 little league baseball fields as well as batting cages and practice areas. While the plan to add little league fields to the Evansville area is a great idea, the location is simple a bad choice.

Saving historic Roberts Stadium is a decision this generation must make in order for future generations to enjoy the rich history of Roberts Stadium. While its days as an arena are over, there are several alternatives the city must explorer for the facility. This blog will address each of them one by one as well as propose an alternative location for the ballfields.

I encourage each and every fan of Roberts Stadium to call your legislators, write in to the Courier & Press, and be vocal with your opposition to the destruction of Roberts Stadium.