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
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