Why Can't We ALL Win?

Last week, the Evansville Courier & Press published an article dealing with downtown parking for the new arena...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/apr/17/no-headline---17a0xarenaparking/

As most people in Evansville know, there really isn't that much parking downtown. However, I'm going say something that is in the far minority around here but I truly believe it. Lack of parking is a GOOD thing, and I will tell you why.

I am a firm believer in the idea of Smart Growth. For those of you who do not know what Smart Growth policies are, here is a good website: http://www.smartgrowth.org/

Basically, I believe that...

1. You build up not out.
2. You build walkable communities that minimize if not eliminate the need for the automobile and encourage visitors to patronize your downtown businesses.
3. You promote mass transit in order to minimize city costs and encourage efficiency.
4. You build environmentally friendly city blocks that are pleasing to the eye.
5. You organize your development into categories such as Central Business District, Entertainment District, and Residential Housing District to maximize resources and maintain consistent neighborhood marketing to tourists.

Given all of that, there are many examples of cities that are using sports venues to build their Smart Growth communities around. Here are a few...

San Francisco

When I visited San Francisco in 2007, I toured AT&T Park. If you ever go to AT&T Park you will notice that there are zero parking lots next to it minus one (Seawall Lot 337 which is scheduled to be developed). The reason being is that they are promoting mass transit (BART) with a neighborhood feel like the old Ebbets Field, the old Sportsman's Park, and the current Wrigley Field.

Kansas City

If you ever get the chance to go to KC DO IT! And if you do, make sure you stop by the Sprint Center. The greatest thing that KC did with the Sprint Center (besides pick an awesome design) is that they didn't stop with just the arena. After construction of the Sprint Center, KC partnered with the Cordish Company to build the Power & Light District. http://www.powerandlightdistrict.com This keeps fans downtown even after the games.

New York City

How many parking lots or parking garages can you name within walking distance of Madison Square Garden? I can't name one single one and I doubt many of you can either. Even with little to no parking, Madison Square Garden doesn't skip a beat. It has become so successful that it is nicknamed, " The World's Most Famous Arena." You can thank the New York subways for that. Take the subway to a Knicks game and you'll never want to mess with your car again!

Although most cities have accepted many Smart Growth principles, there have been some cities that haven't always followed Smart Growth principles. The first city that comes to mind is Houston, Texas. This is what downtown Houston looked like in the late 60's/early 70's...



Luckily, Houston has developed just about all of those empty parking lots that you see with an arena, a ballpark, an environmental park, and several high rise buildings. But, is THAT what we want Evansville to be? Do we really want downtown to be nothing but parking lots with out of control weeds? Do we really want to spend millions, if not billions, on parking garages? I don't believe we do.

The plan for the downtown arena is simple. We must make the arena a part of a walkable, environmentally friendly district, where fans are encouraged to walk up and down Main Street after the game. They do it in Kansas City with the Power & Light District, they do it in Louisville with 4th Street Live, they do it in Memphis with Beale Street, and we should do here in Evansville with Main Street. No question about it.

Although that should be the main plan going forward, the truth is, there are still going to be several handicap and elderly citizens who will find the downtown arena to be too big of a hassle to mess with and will decide against the trip completely. We must come up with a plan for these residents that will make them happy while not compromising our Smart Growth goals. How can we do this?

This problem is very simple to solve as well. Most elderly and handicap fans have said they have no problem with the Roberts Stadium parking lot. It is easy for them to get in, and it is easy for them to get out without too many problems. We need to maintain this advantage for these fans.

The great thing about Roberts Stadium is that there is plenty of room for everyone to win. Those who want an indoor natatorium have plenty of space to build one with an outdoor pool, and an indoor water park resort next to Hartke Pool. Those who want a botanical garden have plenty of room to replant the back lot and build their indoor facility next to Roberts Stadium which would form a buffer between the city and Wesselman Park wildlife . There's even room to rewater the Old Wabash & Erie Canal. And then Roberts Stadium would be left to function as a mid-sized arena after its floor would be raised back up.

To accomplish this, we'd have to design a 15-20 year master plan and establish individual committees in charge of completing these projects by identifying proper sources of funding. Even if all of those projects came to fruition, we would still have a fairly large parking lot which would be good for several reasons. It would leave plenty of space for parking for all of these attractions, it would be large enough to house FEMA trailers and mobile command centers, and it would be large enough to handle Roberts Stadium parking while leaving some space for outdoor booths such as those at the Home Show.

If Roberts Stadium is scaled down to a mid-sized arena which I am advocating for and many of you are supporting, there will be nights when Roberts Stadium is closed but the new arena is overflowing with fans or concert goers. This creates yet another advantage for our Roberts Stadium parking lot.

For those who don't want to mess with parking downtown but do not want to go to a regular bus stop and cannot take light rail because our local government is scared to death of the change mass transit would bring, there needs to be a shuttle running between the new arena and the Roberts Stadium parking lot. Although it was a good idea to build the new arena downtown, the city must still respect those who prefer to park at Roberts Stadium on game days which they have been doing for years and years and years.

What would be the advantages to this proposal?....

1. It would raise ticket sales at the new arena by eliminating the parking woes of elderly and handicap citizens as well those who don't want to mess with parking downtown but want to enjoy downtown.

2. It would create a few more jobs such as bus/shuttle drivers, security officers, and parking lot directors.

3. It would keep a little bit of business for Kipplee's Stadium Inn intact by encouraging a few fans to continue passing by it on game day.

4. It would relieve downtown traffic.

5. It could be profitable for both the new arena and Roberts Stadium as well as METS.

6. It would promote mass transit.

7. It would help those on the east side of town who don't have a vehicle get to the new arena.

8. It would be cheaper than buying new downtown lots for parking.

9. The parking rate would/should be cheaper than downtown parking merchant's rates.

10. For tourists, it would give them a nice and affordable ride around town.

11. It would give negligent fans more time to sober up before getting behind the wheel and would also allow for law enforcement and/or bus drivers to detect more DUIs as the fans pass by them in the parking lot on the way to their vehicle.

Using a stadium's (in this case arena) parking lot as a bus stop is nothing new. In fact, while at the University of Kentucky, I took the bus from the parking lot of Commonwealth Stadium to all of my classes on the other side of campus during the first two years of my college years. It's a great program and I believe it will work here as well.

To make this a win-win for everyone, we could charge $3-$6 with...

- $1-$2 going to METS

- $1-$2 going to the new arena

- $1-$2 going to Roberts Stadium

There's also two ways to collect the revenue...

- Collect the money directly as each person gets on the bus/shuttle

- Keep the EXISTING parking fee that is attached to all ticket sales

To make this work for everyone, we must have shuttles that run late into the night. This allows for fans who missed the shuttle to catch another one, fans to stay downtown on Main Street after the games and still get a ride back to Roberts Stadium, and for fans who stay after the games to watch the radio shows and press conferences to still have a reliable form of transportation.

If everyone is willing to work together for mutual benefit of the entire community, we CAN make this work. Building up the new arena, promoting METS, and keeping Roberts Stadium- We ALL can win!

Sports Venues Are There For Cities In Their Worst Hours

Over five and a half years ago, the nation saw firsthand just how great it is to have sports venues around during a natural disaster.

On August 29th, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans killing 1,836 people while causing $81.2 billion in damages.

As most of you who remember Hurricane Katrina know, there was literally only one venue that was capable of providing relief to 1,000s of hurricane victims. That venue was the Louisiana Superdome.

Opened in 1975, the Louisiana Superdome (which also happens to be run by SMG as well) is the largest fixed domed structure in the world. Its steel frame covers a 13-acre expanse. Its 273-foot dome is made of a Lamella multi-ringed frame and has a diameter of 680 feet (wikipedia). It's main tenant is the NFL's New Orleans Hornets.

Over the course of time, the Superdome has seen many great events including 3 BCS championship games, 6 Super Bowls, 4 NCAA men's basketball championships, and over 33 Sugar Bowl games. However, none of those events would push the Superdome to the brink like Hurricane Katrina.

During the whole Hurricane Katrina disaster, over 35,000 people came to the Superdome as a "shelter of last resort."

Hurricane Katrina landed several punches on the Superdome. All-in-all, the hurricane caused over $185 million in damages to the dome. Most of the Superdome's damage occured on its roof where hurricane victims reportedly saw 2 large holes big enough to bring daylight inside the facility.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effect_of_Hurricane_Katrina_on_the_Louisiana_Superdome

However, the damage to the roof was not catastrophic, with just two relatively small holes and the ripping off of most of the easily replaceable white rubber membrane on the outer layer.

That is the important thing to remember, the Superdome held. Many people thought it was going to have to be demolished (http://www.fanblogs.com/ncaa/005638.php) but that wasn't the case. The Superdome still stands today and is undergoing a $30 million renovation. Without the Louisiana Superdome, Hurricane Katrina would have been even worse than it was. There's no doubt that the Superdome saved many lives.

There were other sports venues that played an important role in Hurricane Katrina as well.

New Orleans Arena



Following Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, medical operations that had previously been housed in the Superdome were moved to the Arena. Medical personnel had been working in an area of the Superdome with poor lighting, leaking ceilings and soggy carpet. The Arena's design was tested in 1996 by CPP, a wind engineering consulting firm, so it fared far better than the Superdome during the storm and was in better condition to house sensitive medical operations (wikipedia). New Orleans Arena also happens to be run by SMG who manages our Roberts Stadium.

The Houston Astrodome



On August 31, 2005, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Harris County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the State of Louisiana came to an agreement to allow at least 25,000 refugees from New Orleans, especially those that were sheltered in the Louisiana Superdome, to move to the Astrodome until they could return home. The evacuation began on September 1 (wikipedia).

For those of you still thinking, " Yea that's great but a hurricane can't happen here, and I seriously doubt a natural disaster will ever hit the Tri-State," think again.

Yes, hurricanes are not a threat to the Tri-State but when it comes to natural disasters it is pick your poison. Here in the Tri-State, storms, tornadoes, earthquakes, and floods not to mention terrorism all pose a serious threat.

For those of you who have stayed up late at night this week waiting for the storm sirens to go off, you realize just how realistic a natural disaster is here. In fact, the Tri-State has seen several tornadoes and "catastrophic" flooding just this week. As I speak, there are still several local residents without power or without a home because it is under water.

Mr. Larry Caplan talked about the local disasters and how to be prepared in the Courier & Press about a month ago...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/mar/20/proper-preparation-can-aid-survival-during/

Besides the usual tornadoes and flooding, there will always linger the New Madrid Fault Line which is capable of a massive earthquake at any time...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Madrid_Fault_Line

The biggest quake since 1811-1812 was a 6.6-magnitude quake on October 31, 1895, with an epicenter at Charleston, Missouri. The quake damaged virtually all buildings in Charleston, creating sand volcanoes by the city, cracked a pier on the Cairo Rail Bridge and toppled chimneys in St. Louis, Missouri, Memphis, Tennessee, Gadsden, Alabama and Evansville, Indiana.

The next biggest quake was a 5.4-magnitude quake (although it was reported as a 5.5 at the time) on November 9, 1968, near Dale, Illinois. The quake damaged the civic building at Henderson, Kentucky and was felt in 23 states. People in Boston said their building swayed. It is the biggest recorded quake with an epicenter in Illinois in that state's recorded history.

In a report filed in November 2008, The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency warned that a serious earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone could result in "the highest economic losses due to a natural disaster in the United States," further predicting "widespread and catastrophic" damage across Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and particularly Tennessee, where a 7.7 magnitude quake or greater would cause damage to tens of thousands of structures affecting water distribution, transportation systems, and other vital infrastructure. The earthquake is expected to also result in many thousands of fatalities, with more than 4,000 of the fatalities expected in Memphis alone.

You ever wonder why Ellis Park is on the Indiana side of the river instead of the Kentucky side? It's because the New Madrid earthquake of 1812 moved the Ohio River to the south of Ellis Park. Before 1812, the land Ellis Park sits on was actually on the Kentucky side.

And then there's the Wabash Valley Fault Line...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabash_Valley_Seismic_Zone

It's only been 3 years since this fault line struck the Evansville area.

So with all of that being said, we clearly need facilities large enough to hold disaster victims.

Sure the new arena is capable of doing that and even the Centre and C.K Newsome Center could hold a few thousand people as well. There's also the Sportscenter in Owensboro. However, those facilities will not be enough to hold a fair amount of residents in the Tri-State.

With over 900,000 people in the 30-county region of the Tri-State, we need enough facilities to be able to hold at least 10% of that minimally.

The only indoor building capable of complimenting the new arena with ample amount of square footage is Roberts Stadium.

Roberts Stadium has 2 meeting rooms, a 144' x 100' floor, and 3 truck docks with housing for up to 6 buses as well as the 4,000 car parking lot where other FEMA trailers can be parked. Roberts Stadium also has full A/V services and internet access.

Why would anyone want to demolish a facility that is complete with all the necessities for a disaster mobilization center? If city hall wants to demolish Roberts Stadium, they need to give a pretty good reason for why they are abandoning a facility that has plenty of space to house thousands of victims, 2 meeting rooms to coordinate disaster relief operations with internet access to communicate commands, a loading dock and staging area capable of bringing in and parking up to 6 buses with nearby disaster victims, and a parking lot large enough to stage FEMA buses, trailers, and other relief vehicles.

In August of 2005, the city of New Orleans used the Louisiana Superdome and New Orleans Arena in the city's darkest hours. Shouldn't we do the same with the new arena and Roberts Stadium?

Email the mayor, the Courier and Press, and both the Evansville City Council and Vanderburgh County Council. Tell them to stop messing around with the Tri-State's safety, SAVE ROBERTS STADIUM!

What Were They Thinking?

Yesterday Fox 7 interviewed three candidates for the city council at-large positions, and some of the results were quite disappointing. Although one candidate seemed open to saving Roberts Stadium (Mr. Steve Smith), the rest of the candidates in this article seemed to lean strongly in favor of demolishing Roberts Stadium. They didn't give a verbal commitment to save Roberts Stadium and they didn't talk about the great history that Roberts Stadium contains within her four walls that local residents value deeply. Any candidate who supports demolition is in the minority with this viewpoint but it still makes you wonder: Do some of these candidates really see the potential we have with this historic venue?

Let's start with the worst Roberts Stadium opponent first...

Jonathan Weaver

"It needs to go, quite frankly its the worst stadium I've ever seen in my life,"

All I can say is WOW. Granted I have been to A LOT of stadiums, arenas, and ballparks all across the U.S and Canada and I'm not sure how many Mr. Weaver has been to but Roberts Stadium is FAR from the worst stadium/arena. It's not even close. I have seen arenas with troughs for urinals, falling in roofs, half paved floors, and signs with spiders all over them. Like I have been saying in previous blog posts, Roberts Stadium is in far better shape than city hall would like for you to believe...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2010/11/rumors-of-roberts-stadiums-demise-has.html
http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2010/12/hntb-existing-roberts-stadium-building.html

Furthermore, this comment goes against the belief of local citizens. I, Mr. Rick Davis, and several of his poll walkers have gone through the neighborhoods around Roberts Stadium. Not ONE of those neighbors wanted Roberts Stadium gone. They did however want Mr. Weaver gone from office last year...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/nov/02/fluty-unseats-weaver-vanderburgh-assessor-race-gri/

Lastly, this building can't be too bad. The lowered floor was designed by architect Ralph Legeman. Mr. Legeman would later patent the idea of a below ground floor and would go on to design over 27 arena bowls around the Midwest. He even designed his house here in Evansville to replicate Roberts Stadium.

Make no mistake, Ralph Legeman designed a damn good looking stadium/arena and Hank Roberts did a wonderful job fighting to get it built!

Connor O'Daniel

"It's irresponsible to keep that thing moth balled forever at $400,000 a year that's money that should go to our parks,"

Several things here...

1. It would be irresponsible to leave Roberts Stadium empty when it has great potential as a mid-sized arena.

2. NO, zero funds need to go to the parks department until they have produced a clear master plan for what they plan on doing for our parks. Until then, it will be money thrown out the window. Back in 2002, the parks department undertook an amazing master plan for Garvin Park which would have included a bridge over to Kleymeyer Park. If this plan would have been realized we would have already been half way to upgrading Kleymeyer Park in order to put 8 vintage MLB style baseball fields there which I would match-up against Dunn's wesselman ball fields plan ANY DAY of the week.

Instead, the parks department struck a deal with Dunn to build 8 more dull, boring ball fields at the same time parks such as Sunset, Garvin, Kleymeyer, and Vann were rotting away. Giving the parks department more money, now THAT would be irresponsible.

3. When did the mothball costs go up to $400,000? It really amazes me how this estimate keeps going up from $280,000 to $300,000 and now $400,000.

4. Why not put the $400,000 towards raising the floor back up where we can shut the pumps off? In a scaled back Roberts Stadium, we have the potential for indoor football, indoor soccer, and minor league basketball. One local citizen already has 2 teams lined up and shouldn't have too hard of a time getting the third.

5. If we demolish Roberts Stadium and give funding to the parks, aren't we just going to have to take it back to maintain whatever goes on the Roberts Stadium lot? Demolition is a zero-sum game...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/04/demolition-is-zero-sum-game.html

Steve Smith

"If we can't come up with an economically viable plan, it costs $15,000 t a month to keep it open,"

I certainly find this comment to be acceptable because it is true that it would cost money to maintain a mothballed Roberts Stadium, and I certainly don't want this great building to sit there collecting dust. However, what would the costs be of an open lot/park? How many tourists would that attract? How many resources would that pull away from our parks department? We HAVE to find a use for Roberts Stadium!

The main thing here is that this point is moot. There are several great plans that are economically viable for Roberts Stadium. In order to implement one though, city hall must realize this is going to take funding, but it is funding that would be needed anyways if you were to demolish the building (like I said in the demolition post).

If worse came to worst, at least leave the building open for greenway walkers to jog around during snowy and rainy days. Many arenas do this already, and it's quite successful.

Overall, I was quite disappointed in some of the responses given by a couple of the candidates towards Roberts Stadium. I understand this is "the year of the tea party," but if we are just going to look at Roberts Stadium from a dollars and cents standpoint, we aren't going to get too far. Yes, Roberts Stadium can and will continue to make money. Heck, the building is completely paid off (How many other government buildings can say that?).

If we are going to truly maximize Roberts Stadium's potential we must respect the great history and nostalgia of this Evansville icon. That is when we will be able to do great things with Roberts Stadium.

It is good to note though that the two candidates who were not in the interview ( Dr. Dan Adams and Sonya Kates Nixon) both support keeping Roberts Stadium and I am thoroughly convinced the majority of the council will support Roberts Stadium this time next year.

With the six candidates on the right giving strong verbal commitments to save Roberts Stadium, and Mr. Steve Smith giving a strong verbal commitment to fight to find an economically viable option for Roberts Stadium, we should be in great shape this time next year.

However, this is where you the voter and viewer of this blog can get involved. You must understand the importance of only voting for those candidates who support Roberts Stadium.

On May 3rd, remember those who will remember Roberts Stadium!

6th Ward City Council Candidates Are As Different As Night And Day

With just a week and a half to go before election day, the Courier & Press has been running articles all week where local political candidates have been asked the same set of questions. One of those questions deals with the fate of our beloved Roberts Stadium so I have been paying close attention to the answers, and I sure hope you have too.

It is extremely important that we pay close attention to those candidates who support Roberts Stadium and those who don't. On the right hand side of this blog, you will see the list of candidates who have pledged to save Roberts Stadium and you will also see the endorsements below it. Please support those candidates you see as they all are fully behind Roberts Stadium.

Yesterday, the Courier & Press chose the 6th Ward, which happens to be the Ward I live in, to ask the candidates 6 simple questions. The 6th Ward pits incumbent B.J Watts against challenger Al Lindsey. Although we are lucky to have some Wards where all candidates support Roberts Stadium ( such as the 3rd Ward), the 6th Ward Candidates are different as night and day on Roberts Stadium.

Here are the questions...

http://media.courierpress.com/media/static/demsward6cc.pdf

Let's breakdown the answers the 2 candidates gave us in regards to Roberts Stadium...

Q: What should be the city's plan for Roberts Stadium and how should it be paid for?

B.J. Watts

"I don't know the answer to what to do with a 60 year old building with a lot of problems..."

Several points here...

1. The first 5 words in this sentence tell us all we need to know about Mr. Watt's plan for Roberts Stadium. He has no ideas.

2. The building is NOT 60 years old. The original parts of the building are 55 years old, and the renovated parts are only 20 years old. It's kind of interesting how city hall was claiming that Roberts Stadium was renovated too much to get it placed on the historical list and away from demolition for the ball fields, but now it is too old to be saved?

3. Mr. Watts is CLEARLY drinking the Weinzapfel kool-aid here if he believes Roberts Stadium has " a lot of problems." Roberts Stadium is in a much better shape than city hall would like for you to believe...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2010/11/rumors-of-roberts-stadiums-demise-has.html
http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2010/12/hntb-existing-roberts-stadium-building.html

"Roberts Stadium has been a huge part of the success of Evansville over the past 50 years, but it has done all it came here to do."

So now we have a 60 year old venue with only 50 years of success? Sounds like some fuzzy math is going on here, especially since it has been over 55 years ago that Hank Roberts fought to the bitter end to get Roberts Stadium built.

The last part of that sentence tells us what Mr. Watts' true intentions are for Roberts Stadium: demolition. I still question how city hall can claim that Roberts Stadium is functionally obsolete when they have refused to study reuse alternatives. They would rather Roberts Stadium disappear into the middle of the night and be done with it.

"If our city wants to continue to grow and bring new industry we have to look to the next 50 years, not focus on the past 50 years."

Yes, the residents here in the 6th Ward definitely need to look to the next 50 years by electing Al Lindsey rather than focusing on the past 10 years in the 6th Ward which have been horrendous at best.

Also, what does Roberts Stadium have to do with bringing new industries to Evansville? Does Mr. Watts propose slapping a huge warehouse on the lot? Is he referring to the softball industry where the fields would be better served at Kleymeyer Park with vintage MLB style fields?

And how in the world will demolishing Roberts Stadium bring new industries to Evansville? Did demolishing the old Sterling Brewery bring new industries to town? What about the demolition of the old L&N station? The answer is no, both sites are still flat open fields.

Ironically, if Mr. Watts' father-in-law David Mosby would have simply listened to the experts we wouldn't even be in this position...

http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=931099

If David Mosby would have voted against digging six feet into the soil we would probably have...

1. A Roberts Stadium in its full, original form without any water pumps

2. A downtown arena with USI as the main tenant ( the alternative proposal in the late 80s/ early 90s) possibly awaiting a new renovation and possibly awaiting the Aces moving in.

3. A stronger downtown Evansville.

It is very important that we put the right people in office who are going to make the right decisions that are best for our historic Roberts Stadium.


Al Lindsey

"Save it, reinvent it, using the ideas from the citizens,..."

This right here is the perfect answer for people like us who want to save this Evansville icon. It also happens to be the correct answer. Saving Roberts Stadium under the plan I have been advocating for will allow for us to tap into the mid-sized arena economy which would be non-existent if we demolish Roberts Stadium. There's the answer to your "new industries" problem.

"...use the same funding mechanism that was to be used to raze it and to build 18 million dollars worth of ball fields."

EXACTLY! How can those who support demolition claim that it's necessary to save money when the only plan brought forward was to cost 18 million dollars? The truth is, demolition is a zero-sum game and city hall needs to start focusing their money on saving not demolishing Roberts Stadium...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/04/demolition-is-zero-sum-game.html

I would also like to add that Mr. Lindsey is fully committed to the Save Roberts Stadium movement. Mr. Lindsey was one of the first people to order a "Save Roberts Stadium" shirt when I began distributing them.

When I dropped the shirt off at the fire station that Mr. Lindsey was working at, he was initially just a few pennies short. I told Mr. Lindsey not to worry about just a few pennies but he insisted otherwise. He told me, " Every penny matters when it comes to saving this great venue." Al then went out to his vehicle in the parking lot and dug until he found those final few pennies. In my opinion, we have the opportunity to elect the next "Honest Abe" Lincoln.

As you can see, the two democratic candidates for the 6th Ward City Council are as different as night and day. One candidate is fully committed to saving this great venue while the other is fully committed to the idea that Roberts Stadium has seen its best days come and go.

If we are going to have any shot at saving this Evansville icon, we MUST put the right people in office. For those living in the 6th Ward, that is voting for Al Lindsey. I hope you will continue to support the Save Roberts Stadium movement by putting Roberts Stadium supporter Al Lindsey on the city council!

Demolition Is A Zero-Sum Game

From the beginning, we have heard opponents of saving Roberts Stadium cite the costs of keeping it up or converting it to another use as reason to demolish it. They believe that Roberts Stadium will become a burden to taxpayers and are unwilling to spend an extra penny on anything related to Roberts Stadium.

One thing that we haven't heard from those who want to demolish Roberts Stadium is a plan that will spare taxpayers from having to pay out several million dollars.

First we had the ball fields plan from the ECVB. This plan was terrible from the word go. The fields were an amazing $17.5 million and would have locked up the Innkeepers tax for 25 years. Even with that hefty price tag, they were dull and uninspiring. It didn't take long for many residents to oppose this plan with their main objection being price.

But now those who want Roberts Stadium demolished have insisted that Roberts Stadium is too much to maintain or renovate even though zero reuse proposals have been released to the public and it is just assumed that Roberts Stadium would have to be mothballed.

Initial estimates to mothball Roberts Stadium have varied from $280,000, to $300,000, and all the way up to $400,000. The truth is, no one really knows the cost of a mothballed Roberts Stadium as they are just using this figure as an excuse to tear it down. They refuse to use even an ounce of energy on researching how much the maintenance would be to maintain it in various refuse forms, and they absolutely have not approached a public-private partnership to lease the building in exchange for the tenant financing the maintenance.

For the record, I have been approached by an investor who is willing to manage Roberts Stadium and give up a small percentage of a few teams he has in exchange for the right to use Roberts Stadium. All we have to do is finance the raising of the floor with initial estimates coming in far less than the $1-$2 million demolition fee and it would allow for the city to be able to turn off the water pumps knocking off a good chunk of the maintenance expenses. So even if Roberts Stadium is just mothballed, the finger should be pointed directly at city hall.

It is this SAME stubbornness of Roberts Stadium opponents that has caused them to fail to draw up a proper reuse plan for the lot. Why haven't they drawn up a plan? Simply put, it's easier to attack the Roberts Stadium maintenance costs than to come up with a plan that will avoid high maintenance costs and require zero taxpayer dollars themselves.

We already know that taxpayers will be on the hook for a $1-$2 million bill should Roberts Stadium be demolished although it has yet to be determined whether that bill would be stuck on property taxpayers, Casino Aztar patrons, or tourists who just want to spend a night in an Evansville hotel.

What we haven't heard is a plan to reuse the Roberts Stadium lot that will not need public funding. Like I said earlier, the ball fields plan had such high maintenance and construction costs that it was rejected by the majority of Evansville residents. Now, most Roberts Stadium opponents say they want a park, maybe with a lake, maybe with some trails going through it.

What amazes me about those who feel that way is that I truly believe that they expect a park the size of Roberts Stadium and it's parking lot to be cheap to build and cheap to maintain if not free.

To anyone who lives within the Evansville metro area, it is common knowledge that our city parks are crumbling at unacceptable rates. In fact, local resident Dr. Troost is leading a campaign to dramatically improve these parks after his daughter found a drug needle in the sand box she was playing in at Sunset Park...

http://city-countyobserver.com/2011/02/02/4857/

Even the Evansville Parks Department has said point blank that they CANNOT take on anymore parks...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/jun/20/special-report-evansville-parks-department-isnt/

Knowing that, why would anyone believe that adding a park the size of Roberts Stadium and its parking lot is a good idea?

Make no mistake, we can do a park AND Roberts Stadium but it would have to be in the form of a botanical garden where research dollars are available and tourists pay to walk the grounds...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2010/11/roberts-stadium-proposal-8-botanical.html

A botanical garden next to Roberts Stadium would be a great idea as it would make a perfect buffer between the city and the wildlife of Wesselman Park. In fact, Oklahoma City just renovated their Myriad Gardens next to their arena (formerly the Ford Center) where the OKC Thunder play...

http://www.myriadgardens.com/

For those who just want to see something green out there, a botanical garden working in harmony with Roberts Stadium would make much more financial sense than paying to demolish Roberts Stadium and replacing it with a dull, generic park which the Parks Department has already said they don't have the manpower for.

As for any other ideas for demolishing Roberts Stadium, none I have heard of are practical or would be any cheaper than a park, thus they too are more expensive than keeping Roberts Stadium.

Those who oppose the Save Roberts Stadium movement simply because they don't want to spend a single penny on anything need to realize that there is no plan that is free.

Mayor Weinzapfel has said that demolishing Roberts Stadium would make sense financially because paying $1-$2 million to demolish it would pay itself off in 6 years when the city has paid $300,000 a year to mothball it...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/nov/23/evansville-visitors-bureau-reduces-ball-fields-bud/

What he doesn't tell you is this...

1. If Roberts Stadium is mothballed, it will because city hall itself chose not to reuse/lease the building. Several investors have been expressing interest in it for over 3 years now...

http://www.14wfie.com/story/9552025/will-old-roberts-stadium-stay-or-go?clienttype=printable

2. Demolition may be paid off in 6 years, but that doesn't include maintenance of the site regardless of whatever goes there.

3. Simply raising the floor back up for less than $1 million would eliminate the majority of the $300,000 maintenance expense when the water pumps would be shut off.

4. The Parks Dept. has already admitted they don't have any extra manpower.

5. The only fund mentioned to finance the demolition was the Casino Aztar fund. Wasn't that account only to be used for tourism like the Innkeepers Tax?

With all of that being said, the main thing to realize with Roberts Stadium is that demolition is a zero-sum game. Tearing it down WILL NOT save the taxpayer from having to put up any funds. In fact, demolition would cost the taxpayer a million or two with zero ROI on their money as they would end up with an empty lot.

It's time to quit discussing the demolition of historic Roberts Stadium and start talking about what we would like to do with it. Roberts Stadium will be a wonderful icon for the city of Evansville for years to come!

Thank You To All Those Who Placed A Bid At The WNIN Auction

(photo courtesy of Ryan Beal; click to enlarge)

I would just like to say how grateful and thankful I am to all those who bid on my extra Save Roberts Stadium shirt last night at the PBS/WNIN Auction. I was only expecting the bids to go maybe as high as $15 or even $20 but you the viewers of this blog took the bidding to a whole new level.

The shirt ended up selling for $32! That is incredible, and I think it sends a strong message to city hall that we are very serious about keeping our Evansville icon. It also sends a strong message that you the viewer also care about WNIN. We are very blessed to have our own local PBS station here in Evansville, and we need to make sure we keep it that way.

If you didn't place a bid last night and still want to help WNIN, don't worry, the auction will still be going on all the way up to Saturday night so you can still help out.

Once again, I want to thank you the viewers who called in and bid on the Save Roberts Stadium shirt I donated to WNIN. Please keep up the good work as we continue the battle to SAVE ROBERTS STADIUM!

(photo courtesy of Ryan Beal; click to enlarge)

Action Alert: Bid On A Save Roberts Stadium Shirt At The PBS Auction Tomorrow Night

Tomorrow night, I will be speaking at the PBS/Channel 9 Aution during the 7 p.m hour as we will be auctioning off a Save Roberts Stadium shirt. If you didn't purchase a shirt last time around, this would be a good time to get in on the bidding since 100% of your bid will go to a great cause- PBS/WNIN.

Like Roberts Stadium, WNIN is a great asset to our community. Located in the historic Carpenter Building, WNIN produces great shows that our whole community can enjoy. I have been fortunate enough to work on the camera crew for shows such as Newsmakers, Lawmakers, and Shively & Shoulders.

This year, WNIN could face sharp budget cuts, so we need to step up to the plate for them. I hope you will do this by bidding high on a Save Roberts Stadium shirt tomorrow night!

An Idea For Roberts Stadium From Joe Gaiter

As previously stated, I enjoy receiving fan mail from this blog and love posting ideas from you the people. A few weeks ago, I received an email with an idea from Joe Gaiter for Roberts Stadium.

The following are links sent to me by him with a brief explanation...

http://www.raysmtb.com/mke/index.php
http://www.raysmtb.com/cle/index.php

Turn it into a Mountain bike indoor park. Go to www.raysmtb.com to see what they have done in Cleveland and Milwaukee. Could be a money maker as well as give Local youth and fitness enthusiast a place to exercise/ hone their riding skills through the winter.

We have been to both Ray’s sites and though Roberts is ½ the size there are great possibilities with the stairs and multiple levels as well as the corridors. Plus it would beat having to drive 6-7 hrs in the snow to go biking for the day. There is a lot of MX/BMX talent in this area but with weather blocking out ½ the year for outside practice an indoor playground would benefit Evansville as well as the surrounding area.

The thing that makes this idea such a great one is that RaysMTB specializes in mountain biking. Why would mountain biking be a natural fit for Roberts Stadium?

1. The Pigeon Creek Greenway master plan calls for taking the trail past Roberts Stadium:

http://www.indianatrails.org/PCG.htm
http://www.pcgreenway.org/pdf_publications/GreenwayPassage.pdf

This would tie in perfectly with the Greenway image. It would also give riders a place to go when it rains

2. It's profitable. RaysMTB is a private company that profits off this business thus proving it makes sense to explore this as an option.

3. It brings in tourists. RaysMTB works hand in hand with local hotels in Cleveland and Milwaukee to bring in tourists to those cities. You want an affordable option for the Innkeepers Tax? This is it. Furthermore, the other two RaysMTB locations are over 5 hours away.

4. The pricing is reasonable. It doesn't costs several hundred dollars for admission like some other venues may charge.

5. It fits the goals of Wesselman Park perfectly. Everyone seems to be in agreement that something recreational should go in Roberts Stadium. This is it!

Overall, I think it's a great idea and one that should definitely be explored. One idea that intrigues me is this: Could we raise the floor up, convert Roberts Stadium to a midsized arena with indoor soccer, football, and basketball, and then set Roberts Stadium up as a mountain bike course on off days?