Despite demolition supporters experiencing a shortage of ideas of what to do with the Roberts Stadium lot that make financial sense, there has been no shortage of lies and half truths coming from them. The quickest way to scare a demolition supporter away from you is to ask them to take a polygraph test.
The lies being told by demolition supporters cover a wide array of areas including both Roberts Stadium and the ball fields project. Let's explore some of these lies (these are in no particular order)...
LIE: It will cost between $39 million and $90 million to renovate Roberts Stadium.
Truth: This estimate was taken from the Gateway Consultants Report prepared for the city back in 2008...
http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/downloads/consultant_report.pdf
The problem with this lie is that they don't tell you what the estimate is for. Instead of telling you that this estimate is for converting Roberts Stadium into a premier arena, they want you to believe that this money will have to be spent regardless. This simply isn't the case.
Here are some of the estimates taken from the report...
1. Increase Size of Event Floor $40-50 million
2. Ad permanent ice .$1.4 million
3. Increase concourse size $3 million
4. Improve rigging capacity .$9-9.2 million
5. Supplement and change truck docks $1-2 million
6. New seating $400-500,000
7. New scoreboard system .$1.5-3 million
8. ADA compliance ...$3-5 million
9. Advertising facilities .$1.1-1.4 million
10. New concession equipment . ..$1.5 million
Total ..$61,900,000 75,000,000
To downsize Roberts Stadium to a mid-sized arena where it will host indoor football, minor league basketball, indoor soccer, lacrosse, inline skating, youth sports tournaments, high school basketball tournaments, college basketball tournaments, mid-sized concerts, and possibly USI basketball, we do not need to make these improvements.
If we hadn't built the Ford Center, indeed we would have to add all of these features to make Roberts Stadium our premier arena. But now that we've built the Ford Center, we do not need to increase the event floor (we need to raise it instead), we do not need to add permanent ice, we do not need increased rigging capacity, the seats and scoreboard are fine, and the facility will be ADA compliant if we reduce its capacity.
To renovate Roberts Stadium, we simply need to raise the floor (estimated to cost between $400,000 and $500,000) and perform the necessary maintenance on it while setting aside a fund to address the Central Plant which is expected to cost $3 million to $4 million between now and 2016.
LIE: Just to maintain status quo, we will need to put at least $12 million into Roberts Stadium.
Truth: Like the above lie, this one comes from the consultants report. From pages 40 and 41...
The items considered as necessary just to
maintain the status quo are listed in the following table:
1. Central Plant (heating, cooling, hot water). . .$3-4 million
2. Arena bowl infrastructure upgrades
(energy efficiency, constant speed fans, etc.). . .$2 million
3. Locker room air handling. $500,000
4. Drainage system. ..$300,000
5. Electrical distribution system. ..$400,000
6. Telephone equipment. ..$100,000
7. Catwalk system for arena bowl
(lighting and maintenance improvements). ..$1.4 million
8. Sound system upgrade .$3-5 million
9. Scoreboard replacement ..$1.5-3 million
10. Additional power boxes on event floor ...$100-100,000
11. Loading dock expansion to include additional
lighting and storage .$100,000
12. Concourse lighting ..$250,000
13. Upgrading power capabilities in concourse $100,000
14. Upgrading power in the ticket office ..$50,000
15. Providing additional power to the green rooms, etc ...$50,000
Total $12.8-17.3 million
Once more, there is no need to improve concourse lighting, improve the sound system, add power boxes to the floor or anywhere else, or set up a drainage system when we are raising the floor and downsizing the building. If we didn't build the Ford Center, all of this would be needed which is why it is important that we support the Ford Center.
To convert Roberts Stadium to a mid-sized arena, we do not need to add of these premier arena upgrades. We just need to raise the floor, perform the needed maintenance, and set aside a repair fund.
LIE: Roberts Stadium is in bad shape.
Truth: Roberts Stadium has a very healthy structure. The HNTB Report, which is attached to the Gateway Consultants Report states the following...
Page 124
"Overall, the exterior condition of Roberts Stadium appears good."
Pages 125 & 126
In regards to the Central Plant
Water Cooled Chiller
"There were no reports of any structural operational or maintenance issues with this equipment."Cooling Tower Cells
"There were no reports of any structural operational or maintenance issues with this equipment."
Flexible Water Tube Boilers
"There were no reports of any structural operational or maintenance issues with this equipment."
Gas-fired Laars MightyMax Domestic Water Boiler With A Single Insulated Hot Water Storage Tank
"There were no reports of any structural operational or maintenance issues with this equipment."
Single Dedicated PVI Gas-fired Tank Type Water Heater
"There were no reports of any structural operational or maintenance issues with this equipment."Page 133
" The existing Roberts Stadium building appears to have little or no observed or reported structural damage."Click here for a complete report on the HNTB Report: http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2010/12/hntb-existing-roberts-stadium-building.html
LIE: No one is interested in Roberts Stadium.
Truth: Mr. Chip Rosetti, who is a former General Manager for both the Icemen and BlueCats, has expressed interest in moving his indoor football team the Evansville Rage into Roberts Stadium along with mid-sized concerts, minor league basketball, youth sports, and possibly the soccer team he use to own- The Evansville Crush.
LIE: USI Basketball wants to build an arena on campus. They should not look at Roberts Stadium.
Truth: If you look at USI's 2006 master plan...
http://www.usi.edu/phyplant/mstrplan/USI%20Master%20Plan%20Report.pdf
You will see that NO ARENA is planned on campus. Furthermore, to construct an arena on campus, it would require at least $60 million which is a hefty price for a team looking to work their way up to the Division I ranks.
One thing you will see on their master plan (pages 28 and 29), is a goal of improving all of their non-basketball sports. To accomplish this, USI could move their team into Roberts Stadium which comes with 15 luxury boxes and ZERO debt. This would also free up PAC to be their practice facility. This is the cheapest and best option for USI men's and women's basketball teams.
LIE: Roberts Stadium will compete with our other venues.
Truth: Outside of the Ford Center, name one facility (Mesker Amphitheatre, the Coliseum, the Centre, and the Victory) that can handle all of the following..
1. Indoor football
2. Indoor soccer
3. Lacrosse
4. Inline skating
5. Minor league basketball
6. Small trade shows
7. Youth sports tournaments
8. Mid-sized concerts
9. High School basketball tournaments
10. College basketball tournaments
11. USI basketball
There is no facility in Evansville that can handle all of these events since we have not entered the mid-sized venue industry. I will talk about Roberts Stadium and the Ford Center next.
LIE: If we raise the curtains on the upper level of the Ford Center, we will not need a mid-sized arena.
Truth: No matter how many curtains you put up, the Ford Center is still not affordable for non-premium events. Not to mention, the Ford Center is already booked...
http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-can-lloyd-winnecke-sell-roberts.html
In 2005, I interned for the Lexington Horsemen who set up curtains in the 24,000 + seat Rupp Arena. The manager of the Horsemen told me, "Never violate the economies of scale." He also predicted that the Horsemen would struggle if they didn't find a smaller venue. Since then, the Horsemen have folded.
LIE: Roberts Stadium and the Ford Center will attract the same events.
Truth: The Ford Center has 180,000 lbs of roof support, has mini suites, party suites, and club seats. Roberts Stadium, has only 78,000 lbs of roof support and 15 basic luxury boxes. If the floor is raised, Roberts Stadium will have approximately half of the Ford Center's capacity.
Therefore, premium concerts such as Reba and Bob Seger will not consider Roberts Stadium as a suitable place to perform due to its lack of revenue drawing amenities. Furthermore, to break even the Ford Center needs to bring in annual revenues of $3 million to $3.5 million. They simply cannot accomplish this by scheduling mid-sized events that should be held at Roberts Stadium instead.
LIE: The public does not want to see Roberts Stadium preserved because they fear it will drain the city budget.
Truth: The 150 + yards signs in the neighborhoods around Roberts Stadium say otherwise...
http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-can-lloyd-winnecke-sell-roberts.html
LIE: It is financially smart for Evansville to demolish Roberts Stadium and construct a park on the lot.
Truth: It will waste taxpayer dollars to demolish Roberts Stadium, it will waste taxpayer dollars to construct a park, and it will waste taxpayer dollars to maintain this park. Even worse is the fact that the Parks Department has said they are struggling as is...
http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/11/i-call-to-stand-evansville-parks.html
It makes no sense at all to demolish a venue that has taxpayer dollars invested in it, forego the economic benefits of a mid-sized arena, and construct a park that will drain resources away from our existing parks that are already struggling.
LIE: Having 2 arenas isn't feasible.
Truth: Louisville, Omaha, Indianapolis, and soon to be Sioux Falls, South Dakota say otherwise...
http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/12/sioux-falls-south-dakota-well-go-with-2.html
If you look around the U.S, you will find plenty of small and mid-sized towns with multiple venues...
http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/12/sioux-falls-south-dakota-well-go-with-2.html
LIE: Kleymeyer Park is a dump. This is a huge liability for a ball fields project.
Truth: The fact that Kleymeyer Park is an old landfill is an asset not a liability. Why? Because the methane gas underneath the land can be captured and converted into electricity...
http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2010/11/red-rover-red-rover-please-send-epa-on.html
LIE: Since Kleymeyer Park is a dump, local citizens have been avoiding it.
Truth: Mark Owen first told me this one. After almost a year of investigating, I have found zero evidence to support this notion. First I issued a Kleymeyer Park sniff challenge...
http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/05/take-kleymeyer-park-sniff-challenge.html
Then, I went out to the park on a day when there were baseball games being played at Kleymeyer Park. Zero residents reported smelling the landfill underneath!
LIE: Jordan Baer and his Save Roberts Stadium blog have never supported mayor Weinzapfel and his Ford Center project.
Truth: I have been one of mayor Weinzapfel's biggest fans as he fought to build the Ford Center. On the day he announced the project on the site, I got there early to get a good spot. In fact, only John Kish got there before me...
Why has mayor Weinzapfel failed to return the favor and embrace the Save Roberts Stadium movement? Your guess is as good as mine.
LIE: Minor league basketball has already been tried at Roberts Stadium, it won't work.
Truth: I only wish we had the Evansville Thunder led by Coach Jerry Sloan back. Something tells me Evansville would embrace Coach Sloan a little bit better the next time around.
The main difference in the NBDL today versus the CBA back then is affiliation. Since the NBDL is affiliated with the NBA, all of the player contracts are picked up by the NBA teams. This eliminates the number one expense for a minor league basketball team.
LIE: The BlueCats failed at Roberts Stadium. The Evansville Rage would do the same.
Back when the BlueCats played at Roberts Stadium, they paid premium prices as Roberts Stadium was Evansville's premium arena. They paid approximately $10,000 per game which is what the Aces pay to rent the Ford Center. They also got zero revenue from concession stand sales. They had the second worst lease in the league.
Now that the Ford Center is built, we can raise the floor at Roberts Stadium which will eliminate the water pumps expense. In turn, we will then be able to make a fair and reasonable lease agreement with the Evansville Rage. Remember, Chip Rosetti is willing to sign a fair lease and share in ticket and concession stand sales.
Even in their worst seasons, the BlueCats still averaged at least 2,100 to 2,500 fans. At a renovated Roberts Stadium, this would be almost 50% occupancy.
LIE: It's either ball fields or Roberts Stadium.
Truth: The ball fields don't belong at Roberts Stadium/Wesselman Park. They belong at Kleymeyer Park where they can be designed to replicate vintage MLB fields to tie in with Bosse Field. Having the championship games will benefit the Otters financially as well. In all, we have the potential to help over 12 groups...
http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/07/wouldnt-land-swap-make-much-more-sense.html
LIE: There is nothing architecturally significant about Roberts Stadium. It is an eyesore.
Truth: Quite the opposite. Roberts Stadium was designed by Evansville native Ralph Legeman who invented the fieldhouse design. Legeman's fieldhouse design was used in 29 high school gyms and 2 college arenas. It became so popular that he patented the idea.
There is no question that Indiana basketball is legendary because of Legeman's fieldhouses. In fact, Indiana has the largest gymnasiums in the world. Legeman's New Castle Gymnasium is the site of the State of Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame...
http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/05/legend-of-ralph-legeman.html
LIE: We can expand Wesselman Woods.
Truth: Wesselman Woods is a virgin "old growth" forest. It is believed that the trees in Wesselman Woods are over 300 years old. If a park is constructed next to it, it will have to be non-virgin "new growth" trees. This will ruin the Wesselman Woods experience and overtime the new growth trees will harm the environment of Wesselman Woods as they naturally expand into the preserve.
LIE: There are no sources of funding to renovate Roberts Stadium.
Truth: Mayor Weinzapfel set aside $200,000 in 2012 city budget that can be used to renovate Roberts Stadium. If we couple this with next years maintenance funds and sell the seats that will be removed, we already have the funding to raise the floor...
http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/11/if-we-move-quickly-weve-already-got.html
There are also several other sources of revenue we can explore...
http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/07/lets-make-funding-personal.html
One of them involves selling naming rights to the gates...
http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/11/selling-secondary-naming-rights-can.html
We can do all of this while leaving our tax funds for other projects.
LIE: We do not need to save Roberts Stadium to create jobs. We already maintained them with the Ford Center.
Truth: Although the Ford Center did do a good job creating jobs downtown, it has not created enough of them yet. Not all of the SMG workers were able to transfer from Roberts Stadium to the Ford Center. A few months ago, I talked to a prominent SMG official who worked at Roberts Stadium. He told me that once Roberts Stadium closes he was heading for the unemployment line. Both Roberts Stadium and the Ford Center are needed to create good sports management jobs.
As you can see, Roberts Stadium and our ball fields project have fallen victim to lie after lie after lie. The sad thing about it is that demolition supporters actually believe we will fall for them. While they may have convinced themselves that what they are doing is right, the rest of us know that they are about nothing more than lies, lies, lies!
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