Please send all questions and comments to JordanBaer1@gmail.com

Please send all questions and comments to JordanBaer1@gmail.com

Monday, October 18, 2010

An Open Invitation to the Mayor and City Officials


As the founder of Tri-State Tomorrow and the creator of EvansvilleMovingForward.blogspot.com and SaveRobertsStadium.blogspot.com, most of you all know by now that I have a vision. I have a vision that sometime during my lifetime Evansville will pass other cities and become the city it’s suppose to be. I also have a plan. A plan to not only save Roberts Stadium but to keep it profitable as well, a plan to build the best ball field complex in the U.S next to Bosse Field and Garvin Park, and a plan to take the new arena to even greater heights.
Since I started the group and my blogs, the support from local citizens has been nothing short of tremendous. Unfortunately, that enthusiasm has not been shared by city officials. That’s why I am sending an open invitation to the mayor and any city official who is interested.

Roberts Stadium has been an Evansville icon for over 50 years. It has served Evansville well and I will fight for it until the last brick is removed. Mayor Weinzapfel, I believe we can keep Roberts Stadium profitable by keeping the Home Show there and adding indoor recreational activities. Would you be interested in sitting down with me to make Roberts Stadium work financially?

The ball field complex is a good idea but we need to put it next to Bosse Field where each field pays tribute to a historic ball field and the complex pays tribute to baseball’s golden age. Mayor Weinzapfel, I’m willing to volunteer all my time at no taxpayer expense to help you put this plan together and make it work. Would you be willing to help me?

Mayor Weinzapfel, in an effort to take the new arena to even greater heights, I am willing to personally go with you and city officials all the way to the NBA World Headquarters in Secaucus, NJ to let them know that Evansville is open for business for a NBDL expansion team. Furthermore, I’m willing to volunteer all my time to try to get the Bluecats back and to get USI and the NCAA to play games and tournaments here.

I graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2009 with a degree in marketing and management in sports. I can think of no better time to make my degree work. I worked for this education so that I could be in this position to help Evansville and its rich sports history thrive. I also fully believe that Evansville will be behind us in this plan. I only have one more question for you: Are you in?

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Something They DON'T Want You To Know


Since this whole debate of what to do with Roberts Stadium has begun, all we've heard is " O the costs of maintaining it are going to be too high to preserve it." This has been proclaimed by the Mayor's office, by the EVCB, and last week by the Evansville Parks department. They claim that it costs $390,000 to maintain Roberts Stadium (A figure I'm still waiting to see on a balance sheet).

To seek out the truth on this issue, I began researching some of Roberts Stadium's events that I believe would still be better at Roberts Stadium instead of the new arena. For example, the Tri-State Home Show, the Hadi Shrine Circus, and the Boat Show all need more staging space and/or parking lot display space, so they would not be in competition with the new arena.

I could not find any financials on the Hadi Shrine Circus but I did find this link that shows that 40,943 people attended the circus. In comparison, nearby softball/baseball complexes are only drawing 40,000 people a year.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/nov/22/circus-tradition/

This then took me to my next event: The Tri-State Home Show. This is where all the drama has begun. I visited their website which was both a stand alone website as well as a link on the Courier Press's website since they co-sponsor it. On their website, Carolyn Franklin was listed as the event manager. There was also a diagram of Roberts Stadium with all the booth layouts as well as pricing figures for both indoor and outdoor tents and booths. It seemed to me that the revenue from this one event would be enough to either offset the $390,000 maintenance costs or at least knock a significant chunk of it off so that the facility wouldn't need to generate as much the rest of the 362 days of the year.

In an effort to make sure that my research was spot on, I emailed Carolyn Franklin asking to sit down with her for just a brief meeting where we could talk about the Home Show and I could figure whether it would indeed put a huge dent in the maintenance costs.

As of right now, I have received ZERO emails back from her. But it gets even more interesting. Suddenly, within the 24-48 hours after I sent the email, their website vanishes. The website, which promises 12 month advertising and had been on there since the event back in April had its plug pulled. As of this post, when you visit the site http://web.courierpress.com/static/tristatehomeshow/event/ you get a 404 message.



So why would they pull this website after my request? I believe it's for several reasons. First of all, Carolyn Franklin is an employee of the Evansville Courier & Press who has come out not only in support of the new arena ( I do too) but also in favor of demolishing Roberts Stadium (ironically it came out the day after my article calling for Roberts Stadium to be saved). They don't want anything showing that Roberts Stadium should be saved.


Secondly, this website showed a good chunk of financial data on the Home Show. Apparently, they do not know that you can simple Cache a page to bring it back up. Take a look yourself...

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:OBM6gulNxS0J:web.courierpress.com/static/tristatehomeshow/event/booths.html+tristate+home+show+page+booths&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

As you can see, there are four different price ranges for booths and tents.

Stadium A
8' X 10' booth
Includes 31 1/2" of advertising to run between March 29 - April 5, 2009
12 month Enhanced Listing on tristatehomeshow.com
$2,150

Stadium B
10' X 10' booth
Includes 42" of b/w advertising space to run between March 29 - April 5, 2009
12 month Enhanced Listing on tristatehomeshow.com
$2,507

Tent A
15' X 35' booth
Includes 18" of b/w advertising to run between March 29 - April 5, 2009
12 month Enhanced Listing on tristatehomeshow.com
$1,715

Tent B
30' X 35' booth Includes 30" of b/w advertising to run between March 29 - April 5, 2009
12 month Enhanced Listing on tristatehomeshow.com
$2,507

Also, outside displays are available too.

Outdoor Display: $400 (no electricity available). Prime outside display areas are available surrounding the stadium and the massive tent. Areas include sidewalk and grass areas around stadium and parking lot areas close to the tent. Sizes of display area can be 20' x 20', 40' x 30', 10' x 100' and much more depending on location and needs.

The diagram of Roberts Stadium had 88 booths on the main floor and I'm not sure on the bottom floor but I want to say 70 (don't quote me on that part). The lower level has more room to expand out than the set 88 booths on the main level so there really isn't a set amount of booths for the lower level. So, we'll say all in all, there are 160 booths, 88 on the main level, 72 on the lower level.

To equal $390,000, we would need to get $2437.50 a booth, which is below the $2,507 fee for large booths but a little higher than the $2,150 for the smaller booths. We would need to set a figure that would contain the proper amount of 10' x 14' booths and 10' x 10' booths.

Now, this does NOT calculate the $2,507 tents and $1,715 tents on the outside, it does not calculate the $400 no electricity tents on the outside, and it does not calculate the revenue from sponsors either. Nor does it calculate the revenue from ticket sales or concession stand revenue. The reasons why I left these figures out is because there are no exact diagrams showing how many tents you can put outside and there are no figures for ticket sales, thus, I did not want to blindly speculate. I also want to leave a cushion to cover the expenses from the three days this event takes place which may or may not be calculated into the $390,000 costs for keeping Roberts up.

What I want this to show you is this: The Mayor, the EVCB, and the Parks Department could have very easily looked at these figures I'm showing you and would have came to the conclusion that an event that takes up a mere 3 days would cover the majority of Roberts Stadiums expenses alone. They have chosen to ignore this inconvenient truth and instead have gone on the record time and time again claiming that there is no saving Roberts Stadium. They have claimed that it will cost $90 million to fix Roberts Stadium but it will not, those are costs to convert it to a new arena. To keep the Home Show, Circus, and other events we do not need a new roof, do not need more bathrooms, and we do not need to add luxury suites. We simple need to leave it as is.

Another important thing I want to stress is that keeping the Home Show at Roberts Stadium would not compete with the new arena. The Home Show needs tents outside to make money. There is no parking lots outside the new arena. Furthermore, I am willing to personally volunteer my time to help the city get the Bluecats back, get a NBDL team here, and work on getting USI & the NCAA Div II to play basketball there. It does not have to be "Roberts Stadium vs New Arena," and it certainly doesn't have to be "Tear down Roberts Stadium or lose money."

The next time a city official tells you there is no hope for Roberts Stadium, ask them to show you how much money the Home Show makes!

Friday, October 15, 2010

Pittsburgh is Doing the Right Thing With Their Arena Situation

From Arenadigest.com

http://arenadigest.com/201007133047/endangered-arenas/articles/preservation-pittsburgh-seeks-ideas-for-continuing-use-of-mellon-arena

Preservation Pittsburgh seeks ideas for continuing use of Civic Arena

Have some ideas on the future of the former Civic Arena? Preservation Pittsburgh announces a call for entries for "Civic Minded: Minding the Future of the Civic Arena," a design competition intended to generate adaptive reuse ideas for the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh.

Mellon Arena is now without a tenant or a use after the move of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins to Consol Energy Center. A growing number of concerned citizens and preservation groups, including Preservation Pittsburgh, believe that demolition is not the answer, and that Civic Arena could be successfully repurposed.

"Through the power of imagination, we hope to engage the community and demonstrate to the local and state political leadership that the Arena should remain," said Preservation Pittsburgh board member Peter Margittai. "This design competition will provide a forum for those ideas and generate a dialogue about the adaptive reuse of the Civic Arena."

Completed in 1961, Civic Arena is sited on 28 acres of the Lower Hill District, a neighborhood adjacent to downtown Pittsburgh. Its retractable dome pushed the limits of engineering and was originally built to house the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera. It remains unique in the world as a distinct Pittsburgh icon for its technical achievements and innovation. It is also eligible to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

But there is mixed public opinion about the history, significance, and symbolism of the Civic Arena. The Arena was among the first projects to introduce the national planning approach of urban renewal. Its development demolished the Lower Hill District, displaced 8,000 residents, separated the historic Hill community from downtown, and contributed to the economic collapse of the Hill District.

Three years ago, the Sports and Exhibition Authority (SEA) announced its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Pittsburgh Penguins regarding the construction of a new arena. Among other things, one of the terms listed in the MOU states, "Upon the opening of the new arena, the SEA, at its expense, shall promptly demolish Mellon Arena and pave, stripe and in all respects prepare the land under Mellon Arena for use as a parking lot. This use shall continue until the land under the Mellon Arena is developed. Upon completion of this work, the Penguins shall pay an additional $200,000/year over the life of the lease."

The SEA made its agreement to demolish Civic Arena without any public input. Scott Leib, president of Preservation Pittsburgh, states, "We are doing what the SEA should have done years ago. We are hosting a design competition as a way to generate fresh ideas for how the Civic Arena can be reused. Preservation is a resource, not a roadblock, for great economic development. With necessary input from diverse communities, we believe a unique, stunning, economically viable destination can be created that will serve our region well into the future."

Preservation Pittsburgh is seeking creative ideas for an adaptive reuse of Civic Arena. Complete registration information and submission requirements are available at www.PreservationPittsburgh.org.

Preservation Pittsburgh is a non-profit advocacy group dedicated to preserving our region's historic, architectural, cultural, and environmental heritage. Its purpose is to assist individuals and organizations in preserving the integrity of the architecture and physical surroundings they value.


Wouldn't it be nice if Evansville followed this process for repurposing Roberts Stadium!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

More Questions Than Answers



Although the EVCB has declared several times that they believe they have addressed issues pertaining to the ball field complex, I'm left with more questions than there have been answers to. Here are some of my questions that I would like to have answered by the Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Mayor's office, as well as the Evansville Parks Board...

In regards to Roberts Stadium

- Why has there been no time period set aside to listen to offers and proposals for Roberts Stadium?

- Did the Jehovah Witness' ever offer to purchase Roberts Stadium? If so, why wasn't it sold there on the spot?

- Why did the city decide not to build an indoor water park inside Roberts Stadium after conducting a study that concluded it could work?

- It is estimated that mothballing Roberts Stadium would cost $390,000 a year. Where is a balance sheet breaking down these maintenance costs?

- Do you honestly believe that there are no proposals that offset $390,000 a year?

- Have all of the Tri-State Home Show, Hadi Shrine Circus, and Monster Truck rallies, as well as all other Roberts Stadium events committed to moving into the new downtown arena?

In regards to financing

- Why is this project dependent on qualifying for "Recovery Zone" interest rates when there is nothing in the Wesselman Woods area that is dilapidated?

- If this project is going to pull $18 million away from the hotel/motel tax, where is the extra funding for the Executive Inn's replacement going to come from?

- Will there be any more tourist funds left over to re-dig the Wabash & Erie Canal ( OKC invested $20 million and got back $110 million), build a downtown ballpark, and/or implement any other projects on the riverfront?

In regards to the ballfields themselves

- Do you honestly believe that the Roberts Stadium lot is a better location than the Bosse Field/Garvin Park lot where "Recovery Zone" funds would stand a better chance, the historic baseball image is already embedded, and the greenway is nearby?

- Do you think recruiting businesses to build Coney Island-like developments next to a Garvin Park/ Bosse Field area ballfield complex will make more money and draw in more leagues than placing them on a lot that is completely landlocked?

- Do you agree that the Garvin Park, north Main Street, and First Avenue districts need the stimulus project more than the Wesselman Woods area?

- Why are the fields designed like 8 basic fields instead of incorporating vintage baseball ballparks architecture such as the Polo Grounds, Ebbets Field, Old Yankee Stadium, Tiger Stadium, Fenway Park, Memorial Stadium, Wrigley Field, and Camden Yards? ( This one replicates Camden Yards http://www.ripkendesign.com/portfolio/youthsportscomplex/academy/ )


I'm sure you have many other questions as well, which leads me to my final question...

Why the rush?

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Top 5 Sports Venues That Should Have Never Been Demolished

Unfortunately, for every sports venue that has been saved, there have been at least one or more sports venues that were demolished. While some demolished venues were beyond repair, most have been in excellent condition on their demolition day. To make matters worse, a lot development projects that were promised to fulfill their space have never materialized.

While the city of Evansville claims to be on better footing for Roberts Stadium's replacement, it's important to remember the risks involved here. Part of the funding for the ballfields is to come from "Recovery Zone" funds. Is anyone else a little nervous that the Wesselman Woods area may not qualify as a "Recovery Zone?" And what if the 100,000 projected people never show up ( Other nearby baseball complexs are only drawing 40,000). Roberts Stadium is already built and can always be modified later if the city believes it is beyond repair down the road. However, once it's gone, there's no looking back.

There are several cities in the U.S that are regretting their decision to demolish their venue(s). Here are my top 5 sports venues that I believe should have never been demolished...

5. Market Square Arena- Indianapolis, Indiana:
http://www.lostindiana.net/Lost_Indiana/Lost_Indiana__Market_Square_Arena.html

Market Square Arena was best known as the home of the Indiana Pacers of the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association from 1974–1999. The arena was also the site of the final concert held by Elvis Presley on June 26, 1977. The arena, completed in 1974 at a cost of $23 million, seated 16,530 for basketball and 15,993 for ice hockey.

The original student design included a four-story office building covering two city blocks. The Market Square Arena as constructed consisted of a unique space frame design spanning Market Street. The playing floor was elevated over Market Street by parking garages on either side of Market Street. Market Street terminated at Market Square Arena to the east and to the west by the capitol building. The final design eventually took up one city block spanning Market Street.

Market Square Arena was demolished on July 8, 2001, and today two gravel, yes gravel, parking lots occupy its space, which is illegal because all parking lots must be paved within 1 year of demolition in Indianapolis.

"Originally, several large projects were proposed, including a high-rise condominium and retail space planned a few years ago, but that plan fell through as the economy tanked.

Now that the gravel variance has expired, the CIB plans to pave the lots at a cost of $800,000 tax dollars, with parking fees used to eventually cover the cost. Even that plan is temporary." http://www.theindychannel.com/news/25037501/detail.html

Instead of converting it to office space and condos, the city is left with two gravel parking lots. Talk about a debacle!

4. Orange Bowl- Miami, Florida:

The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team. It also hosted the professional Miami Dolphins for their first 21 seasons.

Besides being home to the NFL's only unbeaten team (1972 Dolphins), The Orange Bowl was also the site of the NCAA's longest college football home field winning streak. Between 1985 and 1994, the Miami Hurricanes won 58 straight home games at the Bowl, until ended by the Washington Huskies. The stadium's home field advantage used to include a steel structure that fans would set to rumbling by stomping their feet. Concrete reinforcement had silenced the rumble. There was still the advantage of the West End Zone, which has a relatively narrow radius that amplifies fan noise. The West End Zone was a factor in the Wide Right curse, in which the Florida State Seminoles lost a series of close games due to missed field goals. This section was so raucous that some football announcers often confused it with the student section. In fact, the fans in this section were the working and lower middle class citizens of Miami.

The City of Miami embarked on a plan to extensively renovate the stadium. However, those plans fell by the wayside as Miami focused on keeping the Florida Marlins in town, forcing the Hurricanes to threaten a move to Dolphin Stadium in suburban Miami Gardens if a plan to renovate the stadium were not in place within 45 days. Some feared that Miami would permit the college to leave, only to tear down the Orange Bowl and replace it with the new stadium for the Marlins.

That fear became reality as Paul Dee, Athletic Director for the University of Miami, announced that the Hurricanes would be moving to Dolphin Stadium for the 2008 season. Dee and university president Donna Shalala made the announcement during a press conference at the Hecht Athletic Center on August 21, 2007. The University agreed to a 25-year contract to play at then Dolphin Stadium. According to Miami City Manager Pete Hernandez, this put the Orange Bowl back in the forefront as a possible site for a new Marlins stadium. The hope that talks would resume soon on that possibility vanished after only a short while.

Many Hurricane fans vocally opposed the decision to move stadium locations and preferred maintaining the Orange Bowl as the Hurricanes' home field, out of concern of Dolphin Stadium's extra distance from campus, the severing of an icon of the Hurricanes' historical successes on the field, and potentially more expensive parking costs.

Many fans have even stated to various broadcast, print and internet-based media outlets that they will no longer attend the games of Hurricanes football, once the team abandoned the Orange Bowl. Some speculate that the decision to leave the Orange Bowl might have cursed the Miami Hurricanes and would cite the Miami Dolphins as a precedent. Indeed a common explanation for the Miami Hurricanes' poor performance during the 2007 season is that "they've never been the same since they left the Orange Bowl."

The Orange Bowl was demolished in May 2008. What a shame!

3. Texas Stadium- Irving, Texas

Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, Texas Stadium was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys from 1971 to 2008, and had a seating capacity of 65,675.

Texas Stadium was to have originally been a stadium with a retractable roof, but the stadium could not support the weight of the entire roof. This resulted in most of the stands being enclosed but not the playing field itself. This unusual arrangement — more commonly seen in European soccer stadiums — prompted Cowboys linebacker D. D. Lewis to make his now-famous quip "Texas Stadium has a hole in its roof so God can watch His favorite team play."

Despite developers willing to turn the stadium into an indoor ski resort (http://dallasdirt.dmagazine.com/2010/04/14/texas-stadium-implosion-what-would-be-there-if-they-had-not-brought-the-stadium-down/) or a soccer stadium for a new MLS team, the city of Irving decided to implode the stadium on April 11, 2009.

Currently the city leases the land to the Texas Department of Transportation for a highway construction staging area. What a waste of valuable NFL history!



2. Old Yankee Stadium- Bronx, New York

Nicknamed " The House That Ruth Built," Yankee Stadium was best known for its frieze that hung around the parks upper facade.

The venue was constructed for $2.4 million between 1922–1923 specifically for the Yankees, who had been sharing the Polo Grounds with the New York Giants baseball team for 10 years. Yankee Stadium opened in 1923, and at the time, it was hailed as a one-of-a-kind facility in the country for its size. Over the course of its history, it became one of the most famous venues in the United States, having hosted a variety of events and historic moments during its existence. While many of these moments were baseball-related—including World Series games, no-hitters, perfect games, and historic home runs—the stadium also hosted boxing matches, concerts, and three Papal Masses.

During the Yankees 85 years at the Stadium, 26 World Series titles were won by the franchise.

Despite proposals to convert Yankee Stadium into a high school, museum, hall of fame, train station, and even a mall, the city went ahead with demolition on November 4, 2009. History had repeated itself. The same city that demolished Ebbets Field and the Polo Grounds had once again demolished a historic ballapark. Only a small park named Heritage Field will be left on the site. A true disgrace to "Baseball's Cathedral!"

1. Tiger Stadium- Detroit, Michigan

Tiger Stadium (formerly known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium) was a stadium located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan. It hosted the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball team from 1912 to 1999, as well as the National Football League's Detroit Lions from 1938 to 1974. It was declared a State of Michigan Historic Site in 1975 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1989. The stadium was nicknamed "The Corner" for its location on Michigan Avenue and Trumbull Avenue.

Many private parties, non-profit organizations and financiers expressed interest in saving the ballpark after its closure. These included multiple proposals to convert the stadium into mixed-use condominiums and residential lofts overlooking the existing playing field. One of the more ambitious plans involved recruiting and housing a minor league baseball team in a reconfigured, Navin Field-era park (with its original size and layout). This redevelopment would also encompass a museum, shops, and conference space.

Unfortunately, by 2006 demolition appeared inevitable when then-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick announced the stadium would be razed the following year.

Partial demolition was completed in September 2008, at which time a March 1, 2009 deadline was set for the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy to raise $15.5 million for preservation and construction of the museum, educational space and working ballfield. The conservancy raised $150,000 the following month (the first of two proposed payments to the city towards purchase), but faced a deadline three days later to provide another $69,000, as well as an additional payment in December to offset costs for site and architectural plans. Over the ensuing months, the conservancy asked for extensions in order to secure funding and delay demolition of the remaining structure. A $3.8 million earmark was included in a proposed spending bill sent to Congress by U.S. Senator Carl Levin[MI], which would help aid the process. This bill was passed by the House.

Citing the numerous delays brought about by the conservancy's requests, and alleging the conservancy ultimately could not raise the remainder of the money, the Detroit Economic Development Corp., led by chairman George Jackson, voted to demolish the remainder of the ballpark on June 7, 2009. The conservancy subsequently requested a restraining order barring demolition; however, when the court reconvened on June 8, the order was not extended, with the judge citing that the conservancy had not met the DEGC's demands. The razing of the park's remains was to commence almost immediately after the higher court's ruling.

The last remaining part of the structure fell at approximately 9:24 am, Monday, September 21, 2009.

There are currently no plans for redevelopment at the site, however Tiger Stadium's actual field playing surface remains at the corner where the stadium once stood. Yet another mistake made by the city of Detroit!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Today's Vote is Disappointing but NOT the End!

Today, the Evansville Parks Board voted to approve the proposed baseball complex on the site of Roberts Stadium. While this vote is certainly disappointing to say the least, it certainly does not mean that we have lost the battle. The plan still must go through the city and county councils before final approval and that is where the battle will be won or lost.

To be honest, I have never really had any hopes that this vote would be any different than it was, and quite frankly, I have never really worried about it. The battle to save Roberts Stadium will be played out in front of the local councils and that is where we need to get the word out. It is imperative that you contact your local council members as well as the mayor. I have provided the contact information on the right hand side of this blog.

Our generation will be the one that will make the decision to save historic and legendary Roberts Stadium or to simply relegate it to the past with the Old Sterling Brewery, the Robert Orr building, and the Old L&N Depot. Thus, I would really appreciate it if you would take just a few mins out of your time to send an email and/or letter to city officials tonight.

I also want to stress that we have a golden opportunity to build a quality baseball complex next to Garvin Park, which would draw Coney Island-like development as well as bring people down to our Piegon Creek Greenway. We also have the opportunity to draw up 8 quality fields that replicate old ballparks like the Polo Grounds, Tiger Stadium, and Ebbets Field instead of building 8 regular ball fields in an ordinary, land locked complex next to Wesselman Woods.

The time to act is now. We must save Roberts Stadium!

Sunday, October 10, 2010

This is NOT Roberts Stadium vs the New Arena



As the debates have raged on these past few years about what to do with Evansville's arena situation, many people have pitted the new arena and Roberts Stadium against each other. As the new arena is going up, many have considered this to be the final nail in Roberts Stadium's coffin and have shifted their support away from keeping Roberts Stadium intact.

For the record, I have supported the new arena since the moment it was even discussed as a possibility. Although I believe that it will be way too small (needs to be 17,000-18,000 seats), I believe it was the right decision because there are several problems we need to address here. We need to 1. Get people going back downtown 2. Improve the Evansville Ace's basketball program with a better facility to recruit players to & 3. Find a much cheaper alternative for saving Roberts Stadium than paying $90 million to upgrade it as an arena.

For these reasons, I fully and completely support the new arena efforts because I know the new arena has absolutely nothing to do with saving Roberts Stadium. It is true that the price tag to renovate Roberts Stadium as an arena would probably run somewhere close to $90 million. But as I have proven with the 7 proposals on this blog, we can find an even better and cheaper solution for Roberts Stadium than renovating it as an arena.

Just down the road in Louisville, Kentucky, they are managing to keep Freedom Hall running as an events center while the University of Louisville moves into the newly built KFC Yum! Center ( I know the name is as bad as their new arena is good).


http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20101010/SPORTS0203/310100039


Louisville did the right thing by building a brand new, second to none, arena while preserving historic Freedom Hall. I believe we can do the same here with Roberts Stadium and the new arena. That is why I am asking everyone to support both the new arena and saving Roberts Stadium!

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Roberts Stadium Proposal #7: An Indoor Recreational Center



This idea was emailed to me by Sylvia Trabits-Niemeier...

"I thought of bike riding and roller bladding at the top floor and at the ground floor tennis and a putting for golf and an area for pitch and catch. On the top floor would also be stores to sell sporting items. This would all be open to the public for a small fee. The idea is if a family goes to Wesselman park for the day and if the weather gets nasty they can go to the stadium and still do activities together; the day is not ruined."

To me, this plan is great because it satisfies three core ideas that I think can work for Roberts Stadium: 1. A public/community use 2. A place where small businesses can set up shop & 3. A place where recreational sports can occur.

Have you ever been to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, home of the Florida Gators? Known as " The Swamp," Ben Hill Griffin Stadium regularly draws over 90,000 fans on college football Saturdays. Normally for a stadium that big, it is closed up, locked up, and shut down to the public on non-game days. This is not the case for The Swamp. The Swamp is open on non gamedays and set up like a traditional park where hours are sunrise to sunset and joggers can jog around the entire stadium, students can relax on the bleachers in the seating area, and fans can visit the area behind the sidelines and field when they ordinarily wouldn't without having to pay a hefty price for a ticket.

I had the privilege of visiting the legendary and historic stadium on a non event day back in 2009, and I am very thankful for that opportunity. The visit has gotten me to thinking, wouldn't this be a great permanent use for Roberts Stadium? Wouldn't it be nice to go inside the stadium to relax, walk, or jog on rainy days? And wouldn't it be the perfect compliment to its natural surroundings? I think the answer to all three of these questions is yes, which is why I believe the city should consider installing a walkway around the main level of the stadium and leaving it open to the public.

Sylvia also had a great idea of placing recreational sports on the floor level which I found similar to my third proposal (http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2010/09/roberts-stadium-proposal-3-rock.html). The Evansville Visitors & Convention Bureau has stated that they would like to see recreational sports such as handball, tennis, and basketball thrive at Wesselman Park. Why not put these activities on the historic floor of Roberts Stadium where a roof would allow for athletes to play everyday?


Sylvia then completed her perfect plan by calling for shops to be located around the main level that would be based on sporting equipment and memorabilia. In my previous proposal, I called for a Merchant's Outlet/Flea Market to be located inside the stadium (http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2010/09/roberts-stadium-proposal-6-merchants.html). Sylvia's idea, which is similar to that idea, is even better because most of the shops would be selling equipment that the athletes playing on the floor would need, thus creating an immediate demand.


If you think about Sylvia's plan, you will see a plan that would allow for athletes to play recreational sports everyday rain or shine, you will see an opportunity for joggers, walkers, and sports historians to go inside the stadium anyday of the week to jog, walk, or relax, and you will see an opportunity for small businesses to market their products at a small fee that would pay to keep Roberts Stadium intact. Plus, there would be plenty of land around the stadium to build an aquatics center like an indoor waterpark resort. Sounds like a win-win solution for everyone!

Friday, October 8, 2010

Top Five Sports Venues That Have Been Saved

As someone who believes in saving sports facilities, I think there is already great precedent around the world for saving Roberts Stadium. The following is my top five list of stadiums that are being saved and reused still today.

(Click on pictures to enlarge)

5. Arsenal Stadium- Highbury, North London: Built in 1913, Arsenal Stadium has seen many soccer games, including a World Cup qualifier. But in 2006, Arsenal F.C needed a much bigger facility and left the stadium for the newly built Emirates Stadium, leaving Arsenal Stadium Empty. Instead of completely demolishing the complex, the city opted to incorporate the stadium into a housing complex with a park in the middle. The complex still stands today.



4. Compaq Center- Houston, Texas: From 1975 to 2003, the Compaq Center (also known as "The Summit") was the home to the NBA's Houston Rockets. The Compaq Center represented a lavish new breed of sports arenas, replete with amenities, that would help the NBA grow from a second-tier professional sport into the multi-billion dollar entertainment industry that it is today. 6 other teams from various leagues have shared the facility with the Rockets, and it has hosted the NBA Finals on four different occasions. In 1994 and 1995, the Compaq Center was the site of the deciding games in the championship series and of the ensuing celebrations.

In 2003, the Rockets left the Compaq Center to move into the newly built Toyota Center in downtown Houston. This left the future of the Compaq Center in jeopardy. Luckily, the City of Houston leased the arena to Lakewood Church, a megachurch, which invested $75 million in renovations to convert the arena into the current configuration of seats and rooms for its need. The renovations took over 15 months to complete, and the renovations included adding five stories to add more capacity. In March 2010 the church announced that it would buy the campus from the city of Houston for $7.5 million.




3. The Great Western Forum- Inglewood, CA: The Forum achieved its greatest fame as the home of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League from 1967 until 1999. Along with Madison Square Garden, it was one of the most well-known indoor sports venues in the world during this time. The Forum was the site of the 1972 and 1983 NBA All-Star Games, the 1981 NHL All-Star Game, and hosted the Big West Conference men's basketball tournament from 1983–1988 and also the 1989 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball tournament. Several NBA Finals have also been played on The Forum's floor.

After the Lakers and Kings left for the new downtown Staples Center, Faithful Central Bible Church, home to a congregation numbering over 12,000, purchased the Great Western Forum at the end of 2000 and began holding its regular service there each Sunday morning. Under Faithful Central, the building has continued to be made available for rent for concerts, sporting events and other activities that require that type of large venue.



2. Houston Astrodome- Houston, Texas: Nicknamed the "Eighth Wonder of the World," the Astrodome is the world's first domed sports stadium. As the former home to the Houston Astros and Oilers, the Astrodome has played host to the Final Four, the NLCS, the AFC Championship game, and the NBA All-Star game as well as a concert by Elvis Presley.

Since the departure of the Oilers to Tennessee in 1997 and the Astros for a newly built downtown ballpark called Minute Maid Park in 1999, the Astrodome has been without a major tenant. Plans to convert the Astrodome into a luxury hotel were rejected, but a new proposal to convert the Astrodome into a movie production studio is currently underway. http://www.astrodomestudios.net/



1. Minneapolis Armory- Minneapolis, Minnesota- I had an opportunity to go inside this historic facility back in 2006 and what a treat that was. Home to the Minneapolis Lakers (now Los Angeles Lakers), it is home to the Lakers first franchise championships and NBA great George Mikan.

Hennepin County bought the armory in 1989 for $4.7 million dollars, with plans to place a new county jail on the site. The Minnesota Historical Society sued to stop its destruction and in 1993 the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that the structure was protected by state law and could not be torn down because of its historical status. In 1998, the county sold the building for $2.6 million dollars to a private company for use as a parking structure on condition that it be preserved. That is its present use.


Sunday, October 3, 2010

Make No Mistake, Roberts Stadium IS Historic


This past week, Evansville's Historic Preservation Officer declared Roberts Stadium to no longer be a historical structure. Although this was extremely disappointing news, it was to be expected.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/oct/01/preservation-officer-roberts-no-longer-historical/?partner=popular

However, it does not slam the door on Roberts Stadium being a historical structure and it CERTAINLY does not mean Roberts Stadium should be demolished. In the memo that was released to the media, the main reason for declaring Roberts Stadium not a historic structure was due to the 1990-1991 renovation removing a large portion of the original remnants, particularly the eaves and brackets of the exterior.

While the loss of the original eaves and brackets was a significant blow to the Stadium, Au noted that the subterranean floor that is sunk beneath ground level is still intact although it was lowered a few feet during the renovation. This is the main component of Roberts Stadium, due to the fact that greats such as Jerry Sloan, Walt Frazier, and Bob Knight played/coached on this floor either before or after it was lowered.

Also if you look at pictures of Roberts Stadium before and after the renovation, you will notice that the majority of the exterior walls are still intact, including the most noticeable triangle top with 4 vents next to where the banners hang on the inside. While I don't have an exact percentage count, I think it is safe to say that the majority of the bricks, walls, and concrete in the original structure is still there.

Since the decision of a building's historic level is merely an opinion that is determined by historic officials, the main agency may very well rule that it is not as well. However, I believe that such decision should not come from local officials who have a vested interest in the outcome. I'm not saying that this decision was tainted purposely, I'm just saying that an independent arbitrator should make this ruling.

Most importantly, whether or not Roberts Stadium is deemed historic is irrelevant. The main question being asked here is whether or not Roberts Stadium has a useful purpose going forward. I believe it does as I have already listed 6 ideas and will continue to list more. I hope you will agree that "historic" Roberts Stadium needs to be preserved!