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Before They Vote Tomorrow, They Should Be Able To Answer These Questions

Photo Credit: Evansville Parks Dept.

Tomorrow, the Evansville Parks Board will conduct another one of their regularly scheduled meetings. But unlike previous meetings, this one is likely to affect the city of Evansville for generations. They are scheduled to at least consider the mayor's recommendation for Roberts Stadium with a vote being likely.

Although I fully understand that we live in a city where next to no one is willing to break the cycle of group-think and stand up to a mayor who is doing what is clearly wrong, I do ask that the Parks Board take their vote very seriously instead of just rubber stamping the mayor's agenda.

Although tomorrow's vote may not be as serious as a criminal trial, if our justice system is willing to use Due Process and Burden of Proof as a means of determining if someone has committed a crime, it should be good enough for our Parks Board as well to determine if Roberts Stadium is indeed guilty of being obsolete.

For this reason, I am asking the Parks Board to consider the following questions before they vote. I am also asking for them to be able to answer each of these questions fully, completely, and honestly once they have cast their vote...

1. Do you believe that all information in the Roberts Stadium report is fair, accurate, and obtained through good faith practices? There are currently 7 members of the task force who are disputing the report (only 2 are not), have you addressed their concerns and do you believe the report should be left as is?

2. Using only the information that you believe is fair and accurate, do you believe that the mayor's recommendation is the best option for the both city's finances as well as the city's economic growth?

3. Do you feel comfortable in the amount of vetting time the mayor spent on the concept of converting Roberts Stadium into a mid-sized arena? In other words, can you name any financial data he gave you about this concept? Did he look into naming rights to the gates? Did he say why SMG and Venuworks both believe that Roberts Stadium would compliment, not compete, with the Ford Center? And did he tell you how much revenue a mid-sized Roberts Stadium would bring in annually? Did he even name one mid-sized arena he visited?

4. Do you feel that the mayor's decision is the best decision for creating jobs on the site, particularly the ones lost by SMG when Roberts closed? Do you believe that the mayor's decision is the best decision for creating economic development for businesses like Kipplee's, Turoni's, and Western Rib-Eye who have relied on business from Roberts Stadium for years.

5. Do you believe that the mayor's plan is the best plan for addressing the safety of local residents who will need a center to go to in times of natural disasters?

6. Do you believe that the mayor's plan is "something for everyone," as he says it is? Can you name one thing in his plan that we don't already have? Can you name a feature in the mayor's plan that would serve mid-sized sports teams, BMX shows and events, trade shows and expo events, and serve as an indoor trail hub for the greenway on non-event days?

7. Are you aware of the current condition the local parks are in? If so, do you believe that adding this park and the small park downtown for roughly $10 million is a good financial decision for the Parks Dept that WILL NOT take away funds that could have been allocated for these parks?

8. Are you aware that the price tag to renovate Roberts Stadium is $4-4.5 million versus the mayor's plan which started out in the $12-14 million range and is only down to $6-8 million? Are you aware that renovating Roberts Stadium AND constructing a green space on the back lot together is projected to either at $6 million or below?

9. Are you aware that Wesselman Woods is a virgin forest nature preserve? That you cannot "expand Wesselman Woods" as the nature preserve has 300 + year old trees in it, while the Roberts Stadium lot would have new-growth trees that would hurt the ecology of the old-growth forest over time?

10. Do you think the city of Evansville needs another dog park, another skate park, and another lake even though all three of these features can be found at other parks?

11. At the third public task force meeting, another member of the task force took a survey of those who toured Roberts Stadium and the meeting before. Of the 28 who toured Roberts Stadium, 25 looked upon the facility favorable. Of the 3 who didn't, only one wasn't willing to accept a compromise of a green space behind Roberts Stadium. In fact, demolishing Roberts Stadium WAS NEVER more popular than saving the facility. Do the words, thoughts, and efforts by our local residents who came to the public task force meetings mean anything to the Parks Board?

I understand that the Parks Board has a tough decision to make. I also understand that pressure from group think and the mayor's bully pulpit can seem to be overwhelming at times.

But at the same time, these types of decisions are why we have these commissioners sitting on the Parks Board. They are put on this board to do the will of the people not the agenda of the mayor. Although it may seem to be next to impossible to stand up to the mayor, it can be done. The Parks Board has more than enough evidence to reject the mayor's recommendation.

If this were a criminal trial, it would already be thrown out for tainted evidence, insufficient evidence, as well as inaccurate testimony for key city officials. So before the Parks Board makes their decision, I ask them to look over the 11 questions and genuinely think about what is best for the city, those who came to the public task force meetings, and the future of the area around Roberts Stadium.

Do the right thing, reject the mayor's decision!

Why Is Lloyd Winnecke Ignoring Our Safety?

kcentv.com

It's no secret that our parks are in shambles, and the last thing we need is yet another one just for the sake of having one.

But there is one thing we do need and for some odd reason Lloyd Winnecke chose to ignore it throughout the Roberts Stadium Task Force process. What is it?

It's none other than a disaster relief area. In an earlier post back in April of last year, I talked about the need for Roberts Stadium to be designated a disaster relief area by FEMA...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/04/sports-venues-are-there-for-cities-in.html

Fortunately, we have been blessed with a few people who wanted to make this a reality. But unfortunately, Lloyd Winnecke has never followed up with them on the idea and has instead opted to demolish Roberts Stadium.

The first person who wanted to get the ball rolling on this crucial and life saving project was fellow Roberts Stadium Task Force member Sylvia Trabits-Neimeier. Not only did her request fall on deaf ears, it was also left out of the final report (the one with the infamous Page 13)...

http://city-countyobserver.com/2012/04/30/is-it-true-april-30-2012/

"One thing I asked to be in the report that was not was to identify Robert’s Stadium as an excellent emergency disaster center. As a former Federal Government meteorologist I can’t stress enough the damages done by severe weather and I feel Evansville needs more preparedness. I know a disaster center does not bring in money but it sure could save lives in our community which I feel is important.”

And now, just today, I have received a letter in the mail from Evansville resident Berniece Tirmenstein who also tried to get the mayor to look into designating Roberts Stadium a disaster relief area. On March 19, 2012, Berniece mailed Lloyd a letter explaining that she had rounded up a local resident who worked in Washington D.C and dealt with national disasters. The following is the letter she sent to Lloyd that was mailed to me today (the #s have been edited for privacy)...

***********************************************************************************

March 19, 2012

To Mayor Lloyd Winnecke,

Kathleen Bracher (last name pronounced as Brocker)
Contact- Cell Phone 1-703-***-****
This is a Washington, D.C number.

Kathleen has lived and worked in D.C for over 40 years. For 20 years she first worked in Homeland Security, deals with disasters. Then the next 20 years she worked for FEMA. She has worked with American Red Cross. Elizabeth Dole's office was just down the hall from her. She has received a 50 year pin from American Red Cross. She volunteered for the Red Cross at age 7.

She just recently left D.C back to Evansville, Indiana to care for her 95 year old mother. She has always had a desire to help others.

As she reads and hears of the possibility of tearing down Roberts Stadium and the possibility of saving it as a use for disaster center, she wants to be involved . She sees Roberts Stadium for training purposes for the city, state of Indiana, and areas nearby. She is willing and anxious to meet with you, members of the task force.

And if you would be so kind as to meet with her, I see an opportune time to have Sherman Greer, head of Emergency Management, Mr. Weite from American Red Cross, Police Chief Bolin and Fire Chief Conelly present.

We see Roberts Stadium having intangible value in times of disasters. I have heard this area may be a target for terrorist attack due to many coal-fired power plants.

I would be most pleased to help coordinate a meeting with Kathleen Bracher. Timing is important.

Thank You

Sincerely Berniece Tirmenstein
phone- 812-***-****

**********************************************************************************

As of today, Berniece tells me that she has heard back from Lloyd about a previous letter but she has not heard back from him in regards to designating Roberts Stadium a disaster relief area.

It seems to me that if the mayor has time to visit skate parks, dog parks, and any other parks, he would have had plenty of time to research an idea that involves public safety and was brought to him by 2 different residents who deal with natural disasters.

The mayor tells us that he put together a plan that was "something for everyone," and that he kept hearing that phrase at the Task Force meetings. Yet, what he has drawn up will be something for no one when disaster strikes. As good as the Ford Center is, our city can ill-afford to tie up our premier venue during times of distress, not to mention the fact that the building can not hold 116,000 people.

That is why we need Roberts Stadium. When times are good, we can use the facility for mid-sized events to keep the building solvent. And when times are bad, we can use this facility to mobilize disaster relief operations. Could you imagine New Orleans without the help of the Louisiana Superdome and New Orleans Arena during a hurricane?

Instead of talking dog parks, skate parks, and fitness parks, it is time for the Parks Board to ask the mayor some serious questions. And certainly one of those questions has to be- Did you look into designating Roberts Stadium a disaster relief area when two different residents, one being a member of the task force, brought it to your attention? And if you did, what were your findings and why didn't you get back to these residents about your findings?

I urge the Parks Board to reject the mayor's recommendation and repurpose Roberts Stadium to be a mid-sized arena designated as a disaster relief area!

kpax.com

Is Our City Falling Victim To Bait & Switch?

hookedgamers.com

Say one thing, do another. In what appears to be yet another grand tradition in Evansville politics, our local government loves luring in Evansville residents by telling them one thing and then changing their story to lure them another way.

Oddly enough, it hasn't just been one city leader, or two, or three who have used bait-and-switch on local residents. Rather, it appears to be a disease that runs rampant in the Civic Center and spreads rather quickly by taking the path of least resistance- group think.

What angers me the most about this tactic is that our city leaders appear to be heading down the right track when they initially take a stand on an issue. But they almost always trip and fall on their own path and start heading in another direction.

What are some examples of our city government saying one thing and then doing another?

What They Said Then:

Roberts Stadium Is Too Old And Inadequate For Premier Events

Although most of the facility is only 20 years old, the truth still remains that Roberts Stadium lacks the amenities needed to bring in and/or retain existing concerts and premier shows. The roof capacity at Roberts Stadium is roughly 60,000 lbs (FC has 180,000 lbs), Roberts Stadium only has 15 basic luxury boxes (FC has 21 that range in capacity from 16 to 24 people), and Roberts Stadium has no club seats (FC has 516 club seats).

I think it was pretty cut and dry that Evansville needed a new arena for the premier events. I also agreed with the decision to build downtown. Downtown Evansville is the key to our city's future. You can't be a suburb of nothing and that is what our city has been for so many years. Constructing the Ford Center downtown was an excellent display of Smart Growth.

What They Say Now:

The Ford Center & Roberts Stadium Will Compete

I have never understood why Lloyd Winnecke felt the need to put the "can't compete with the Ford Center" clause in the Task Force's requirements. Basically, he is either admitting that he doesn't feel too comfortable in the Ford Center's ability to attract premium concerts or he is admitting that he isn't too sure that Roberts Stadium was as bad as the previous administration said it was. If either one of these beliefs is indeed true, why did the city need to build the Ford Center?

How can an arena that has no club seats, basic luxury boxes, only 1/3rd roof structure support, and no downtown entertainment district around it compete with one that does? And how many mid-sized tenants that belong in Roberts Stadium such as minor league basketball, indoor soccer, arena football, etc,etc do you see scheduled at the Ford Center? And why does SMG and Venuworks both believe that the two facilities will compliment, not compete, with each other? And if one operator runs both arenas, how can they compete with themselves?

It's very simple- our city leaders convinced us that a new arena was needed because Roberts Stadium was too old to retain these events, but now they are telling us a different story by claiming that it has the potential to compete with the Ford Center. I sure hope they know how big of a fool they are making our city look in front of the arena industry.

What They Said Then:

Roberts Stadium Should Only Be Saved If It Makes Sense Financially

Once more, I am fine with this requirement.  Although I have always believed that this requirement was just being used as an excuse by those who support demolition in order to make them look good and feel good about themselves, I also recognize the value of hard-earned taxpayer dollars and would not propose something that I feel would waste these valuable dollars.

In order to keep Roberts Stadium solvent, there were two things that I wanted to accomplish..

1. I wanted to make sure the facility was constructed to operate at a low expense rate.
2. I wanted the facility to attract owners/investors that would generate revenue and profit for the facility.

In order to satisfy Point #1, I realized that there needed to be a few renovations done to the arena. The first renovation needed to be the raising of the floor 4-6 feet so that the water pumps could be eliminated. This would erase the mistake made in 1990-91 and would trim off nearly 42 % of Roberts' annual expenses. The second renovation that was needed was the demolition of the precast sections above street level. This was necessary in order to make the concourse wide enough to host expo events and trade shows like Freedom Hall does in Louisville. It was also necessary to bring Roberts down to the "economy of scale" for mid-sized events. Together, both of these renovations were going to be around $485,000.

Lastly, I wanted to make sure that the roof on the newer parts of the facility was replaced completely as it just ran out of warranty a year or so ago. This fell in the $50,000-$100,000 range. To finish it off, we needed to make some minor adjustments to the bathrooms (estimate N/A).

To satisfy Point #2, I went after tenants that were not interested in the Ford Center due to cost and availability. Right off the bat, I picked up an indoor soccer team, an indoor football team, and a minor league basketball team. There were also investors interested in lacrosse, in-line skating, and mid-sized concerts. Any other dates would be filled up by the arena operator and Greg Stilwell/Alan Brille's expo events (approx 180 events).

What They Say Now

The Plan For The Roberts Stadium Lot Doesn't Have To Make Sense Financially

Unless the Parks Board makes the correct and gutsy call to reject the mayor's recommendation, we are currently staring at a plan that consists of three things that bring in next to no revenue... 1. a lake 2. an outdoor skate park 3. a dog park

Not only do these 3 amenities fail to bring in hardly any revenue, they also cost more than the amount needed to renovate Roberts Stadium (Park is $6=8 mil, Roberts was $4-4.5 mil) which would bring in a significant amount of revenue.

It was estimated that maintaining a park on the lot would range from $10,000 to $32,000. With the water pumps gone, the vast majority of the $200,000 maintenance on Roberts Stadium would be gone as well.  But even if they were left intact, it would still take almost 10 to 20 years for the Roberts Stadium renovation to equal the green space plan.

As usual, our local residents were drawn in to the idea that Roberts Stadium could only be kept if it made sense financially. But as soon as our city leaders saw that it did, they quickly changed course to a project that makes no financial sense whatsoever.

What They Said Then

The Ball Fields Project Is Necessary To Maintain Economic Development On The East Side

Without a doubt, our local residents were told that the main reason that our city needed to spend $17.5 million on a ball field plan was because of all the economic development that it would attract. We were told that these fields would bring in traveling teams who would stay in hotels, eat at restaurants, and spend money at other local retail outlets on the east side.

Although I was completely against the idea of replacing Roberts Stadium with the ball fields, I did agree that a ball field complex was needed. And without a doubt, this complex needed to be located at Kleymeyer Park. If built there, the fields would bring economic development to the North Main Street area which would connect Bosse Field with the Ford Center.

If our city leaders would have been willing to have considered other sites, they would have been on the right track.

What They Say Now

Economic Development Is Not The Most Important Thing At The Roberts Stadium Lot

How many people do you think an outdoor skate park, a dog park, and a lake will bring in from out of town? The answer to that question is simple- next to none. You see, we already have multiple lakes, multiple skate parks, and a dog park. Yet, none of these "amenities" are responsible for bringing in hardly any tourists and they certainly aren't used as economic development drivers.

With a mid-sized Roberts Stadium, we would have maintained the goals of the ball fields project. High school basketball tournaments, college basketball tournaments, mid-sized concerts, and fans of Evansville's home teams would have brought fans from all around the Tri-State as well as other parts of the country. Most importantly, none of these events are scheduled for the Ford Center yet all of them would have brought visitors into town to see our brand new arena

Once more, we were told that economic development is important for the site, but now, our city has tossed this idea while hurting the arena that our city leaders are claiming to protect. Now, it's onto the idea of physical fitness (even though Mental State Park is right next door).

What They Said Then

Roberts Stadium Would Need $39 million to $90 Million Renovate

Ah, who could forget this half truth? Just about every city official in charge of Roberts Stadium during the ball fields debate was claiming outrageous costs to renovate the facility. This is just one of the many quotes about Roberts Stadium costing an enormous amount of money to renovate...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/apr/09/evansville-mayor-likes-roberts-stadium-proposal/

"One alternative bandied about called for building a water park inside the stadium. But no one has come forward with a way to pay for that project, Weinzapfel said.

He speculated that private developers may be shying away from Roberts Stadium for the same reason city officials decided against trying to renovate it. A consulting firm hired to study the 54-year-old venue concluded it would cost as much as $91.9 million to make improvements meant to curtail the threat of flooding there and strengthen the roof so it could support more weight."

$91.9 million to renovate Roberts Stadium?... Only if you're converting it into a premier arena. I talked about this half truth running rampant in an earlier post...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2010/11/rumors-of-roberts-stadiums-demise-has.html

There's one big problem with this estimate- It's not for a mid-sized arena. To convert Roberts Stadium into a mid-sized arena, which does not require more luxury boxes, roof support, or any other amenity, our Task Force priced it between $4-4.5 million, a far cry from the $39-$90 million figure different government agencies were pricing it at.

What They Say Now

NOTHING!!!

Once the Task Force report came out with an estimate for a mid-sized arena not a premium arena, we haven't heard a peep about these enormous costs to renovate Roberts Stadium from any government official. Yes, one of our Task Force leader(s) did try to sneak a Page 13 in the report claiming that it was cheaper to build a new arena than to renovate Roberts Stadium, but this page was neither proven nor removed. It appears that city hall has all but abandoned the notion that Roberts Stadium would fall in their original price range to renovate. All we hear now is that Roberts Stadium "would cost an awful lot to renovate," even though it is still cheaper than the green space plan.

I'm still trying to figure out which line is easier to sell- Roberts Stadium will cost $39-90 million to renovate or it's cheaper just to build a new arena for $4-4.5 million.

What They Said Then

Roberts Stadium Is Not Historic

This ruling came from our local preservationist...

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

Although I do believe that Roberts would be kept off of the NRHP list simply because the same thing happened to Soldier Field, I'm also not sold on the idea that what we have is completely different than what we started with.

But one thing I do know, most of the important guts of the stadium (arena) are only 21/22 years old as they were put in during the 1990-91 renovation.

What They Say Now

Roberts Stadium Is Too Old

Yep, now we have to demolish Roberts Stadium because it's too old even though the vast majority of the facility is only 20 years old. Forget about using this facility as a mid-sized arena, we've got cracks in the concrete that even your pinkie finger couldn't fit in.

In Atlanta, the Falcons are wanting to demolish the Georgia Dome which opened in 1992. Like Evansville's plan, the plan in Atlanta has been labeled "insane" and is extremely unpopular....

http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2012/04/25/falcons-can-have-new-building-as-long-as-they-pay-for-it/?cxntfid=blogs_jeff_schultz_blog

"The building isn’t crumbling. Our priorities are."

Doesn't that sum up Evansville perfectly?

The above examples are really just the tip of the iceberg for the amount of things that our city residents have been led to believe about the Roberts Stadium debate only to be led in another direction when our city leaders decided to argue something different.

One day our government is telling our residents that Roberts Stadium must make financial sense, that we must create economic development on the site, and that Roberts Stadium is not historic because it's been renovated in the 90s, and it would cost over $90 million to renovate.

Then, when our city government has lured local residents into believing that Roberts Stadium is a lost cause, they change the rules. Now, it's ok for a plan to not bring in tourists and economic revenue, it's ok to build a plan on the lot that costs $6-8 million and doesn't even come close to bringing in any revenue to offset its costs, and it's ok to demolish Roberts Stadium because the facility is indeed very old as the facility looks like an arena from 1956. There is no need to worry about how much it will cost to renovate Roberts Stadium, our residents just need to know that the facility "would compete with the Ford Center," "leaks water" and/or "drains taxpayer dollars."

No matter what our local officials try to tell you, the truth still remains...

- Roberts Stadium is cheaper to renovate than the green space plan.
- Roberts Stadium brings in more revenue and tourists than the green space plan.
- The vast majority of Roberts Stadium's core functions are only 20 years old.
- Renovating Roberts Stadium into a mid-sized arena is roughly $4-4.5 million.
- Roberts Stadium would remain solvent off of mid-sized events.

Yes, we are getting mixed messages because different officials have different views on the situation. But at the same time, we are also getting one message that speaks loud and clear- We are against Roberts Stadium no matter what side of the argument we have to be on.

I urge the Parks Board to give strong consideration to converting Roberts Stadium into a mid-sized arena!

molalla.wordpress.com

The Mayor Doesn't Understand, The C&P Does Damage Control

uxplus.pl

For the more than 80% of Evansville residents who didn't vote last year, I sure hope this week has taught you that elections have consequences. We could have had a great, hard-working mayor in office who has a deep background in sports and understands the economic value of Roberts Stadium. But since our city choose to stay home, we are now living with the consequences of having a mayor who doesn't grasp the fundamental concepts of how an arena works (much less the difference between the Ford Center and Roberts Stadium) and has still neither proven nor removed a page in the task force report that his own communications director admitted was added after the final meeting...

http://city-countyobserver.com/2012/04/26/page-13-was-added-to-the-roberts-stadium-report-ella-johnson-watson-mayor-winneckes-director-of-communications/

These past few days, we're learning even more about our mayor's plan for the Roberts Stadium lot, or should I say lack of a plan. Let's dive into some quotes from this week's C&P article (paragraphs in black are from the C&P article)...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/jun/09/30pt-hed1-10-inches-p-inches-03/?partner=popular

"A number of proposals were for very limited use at certain times of the year," Winnecke said.

You mean an outdoor park which you selected? I sure hope you're not referring to Roberts Stadium which is indoors, climate controlled, and capable of hosting events year-round whether that be basketball in the fall/winter or BMX events in the spring/summer.

"The overwhelming thing we heard during the public hearings, comments that came into the mayor's office and what we heard on the street was — make it something for everybody. And that's what we've tried to do."

First of all, no you did not try to make it something for everyone (I will explain in a few paragraphs down), and secondly, that theme, as I've said 1,000 times, was the theme presented by the green space subcommittee, not the group in general. I think that speaks volumes about who you were listening to and who you weren't listening to during the meetings.

Winnecke said he feels badly that Baer is disappointed, but said he was involved in the decision process by sitting on the Task Force.

I sat on a task force for which the task director ended up selecting subcommittee leaders who took the report and then added whatever they felt like adding after our final meeting. I have no problem with the cost estimates. Mr. Bill Nix did an excellent job on them and he did them in good faith. What I do have a problem with is page 13 which inaccurately claims 3 things that never proven and were never approved by the general body of the task force.

Even worse is the fact that the mayor has yet to tell me or anyone else what mid-sized arena he visited. The mayor admitted to traveling to Louisville and Columbus who both have mid-sized arenas yet no report of a visit to any of them has ever been released. The mayor never said if he talked with Venuworks and/or SMG, the mayor never said he talked with any of the tenants who are interested in Roberts Stadium, and the mayor never said he investigated the value of selling naming rights to the gates.

What good does it do to me to sit on a task force if the mayor doesn't investigate any of the info I gave him?

"There were over 600 ideas presented," he said. "Obviously not everyone was going to be pleased with the outcome."

Wait a minute, you just told us you were building "something for everyone." Apparently, that is NOT what happened (Like I said earlier, I will explain how we could have done this in a few paragraphs).

Winnecke further explained the current park plans propose a number of amenities that the city either doesn't have or would be a significant upgrade, for example, a first-class skate park, a dog park and an area for fitness.

Outdoor Skate Park- Lamasco & Swonder
Dog Park- Kleymeyer
Area For Fitness- Mental Health State Park, Burdette, Wesselman, and just about every other park in the city (which aren't being taken care of)

I don't know about you, but it would seem to me that these would be the last three things our city needs to worry about. None of these need to be upgraded and none of them will even come close to bringing in a decent amount of revenue, much less bringing in tourists or stabilizing the businesses around Roberts Stadium. This plan has failure written all over it.

"We've talked about in our administration energizing Evansville, that is creating an awareness of the importance of fitness," Winnecke said. "We've talked about creating fitness areas for young people and adults, that is something that we don't have at this time ... So to say it's one dimensional, I don't understand that."

Finally the mayor admits he doesn't understand that his park is one-dimensional. This park is most definitely one-dimensional for the following reasons...

1. The entire lot is nothing but activities based on outdoor recreation, not to mention duplicates of activites already found elsewhere in Evansville parks.

2. The entire lot is based on activities that are aimed for only fair weather seasons. How many people are going to use these "amenities" in the winter?

3. The plan only addresses the ideas brought forward to the green space subcommittee. There is no natatorium, indoor bmx facility, or mid-sized arena events. Only the green space subcommittee had their ideas addressed.

4. The entire lot does nothing for the businesses around Roberts Stadium. Kipplee's, Western Rib-Eye, Turoni's, and many other restaurants relied on the business brought in from other counties by Roberts Stadium. With this park, this simply will not happen.

5. This plan demolishes a building that is needed to serve mid-sized tenants. Without Roberts Stadium, indoor soccer, football, minor-league basketball, trade shows like the Boat Show, mid-sized concerts, BMX shows/events, and many other events are left out in the cold. These events cannot afford the Ford Center, nor should we be filling the Ford Center's dates with these types of events over premier concerts, hockey games, and Aces games. The mayor never addressed these tenants and I am embarrassed at the way he is treating them.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the mayor's fitness videos will turn the town around, but in the mean time, we need serious plans and goals to get this city solvent, growing, and healthy.

So, how can we do something for everyone? The photo below shows how....

(click to enlarge)

Ironically enough, the mayor is planning on addressing just about all aspects of this plan in the coming months and year(s).

1. Converting the back lot only to a green space is a much more sensible way to go. There is plenty of land in the back lot for the mayor to build the things he is proposing to build as it is roughly the same size as the green space being constructed on the old airport lot. This lot, unlike the current plan, would be funded via revenue from the mid-sized tenants at Roberts Stadium and would be maintained by either SMG or Venuworks. The back lot green space would still connect Wesselman Woods with Mental State Park. Basically, there's no reason to build a green space bigger than the back lot.

2. The mayor pledged to look into constructing a new natatorium for the city after admitting that Lloyd Pool is on its last leg. I found that to be quite ironic given that the mayor used the Lloyd Pool renovation during the last election as a reason not to renovate Roberts Stadium into a natatorium, yet that plan appears to have been nothing but a band-aid. Although Roberts Stadium is healthy enough to hold a natatorium, the truth still remains that Hartke Pool is on its last leg as well. And it only makes sense to address BOTH Hartke Pool and a new natatorium together and on the same lot to save on costs.

3. The mayor claims to have visited Lamasco Park and heard from skaters that a park on the Roberts Stadium lot would be a good idea. However, just about all BMX supporters who came to the Task Force meetings wanted an indoor facility not an outdoor facility. And with Swonder looking to get rid of their indoor BMX tracks so that they can expand the west rink, the time to build a new indoor BMX track is now. Although this facility isn't compatible with Roberts Stadium and its luxury boxes, meeting rooms, and ticket offices, it is compatible with the northern lot which is bigger than the Roberts Stadium footprint and can be marketed as an "expansion of Swonder."

4. Obviously, this is the most important aspect of what we need to do on the lot- renovate Roberts Stadium- Contrary to what they want you to believe, renovating Roberts Stadium IS NOT the more expensive option. It is estimated to cost $4-4.5 million which is still cheaper than the new green space estimate. Not only is it cheaper, it also has the potential to reduce its costs via the selling of seats, naming rights to the gates, and via the selling of commemorative bricks (it seems the mayor does like these ideas). Roberts Stadium would be the economic engine of the complex as it would bring in events that are too small for the Ford Center but are still profitable and still bring in tourists by the thousands (see Portland's Memorial Coliseum). In turn, this facility is needed to maintain business around the facility.

The mayor cannot convince me that the above plan is not something for everyone while his plan is. His plan, whether he likes it or not, is indeed one-dimensional as it only satisfies Point #1 in the above plan. Not only is it one-dimensional, it only tailors to the opinions who were in the minority at our Task Force meetings. Roberts Stadium almost always beat the green space by 90-10 at each meeting.

Simply put- The mayor's plan is a plan heading straight for failure and the parks board needs to take their decision VERY SERIOUSLY!

Just today, it appears the C&P has decided to do damage control on the mayor's plan. Let's dive into a few of their quotes...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/jun/12/sometimes-leaders-must-make-decisions-that-dont/

"Prior to reaching his decision on Wednesday on what to recommend for Roberts Stadium, Mayor Lloyd Winnecke appointed a citizens task force to consider options for the now vacant public arena. Of course, Winnecke had his own opinion before taking office in January and before appointing the task force; he wouldn't be much of a city leader if he came to the office without his own views on city operations."

I'm glad the C&P finally realizes that the mayor had his mind made up before he assembled the Task Force. In fact, back in November, he told me and 4 other citizens that he had already talked to Wesselman Woods about making it a green space. Initially he was going to make it heavy on trees because NO ONE from Wesselman Woods explained to him that you cannot mix an old-growth and new-growth forest together.

"Real leadership requires individuals with the ability to think, reason, listen and ultimately to make decisions that may or may not be popular."

Do real leaders let a page be added to the report after the final task force meeting that is completely inaccurate? I don't think so!

"It came as little surprise last week when Winnecke recommended the park option; he had said last year as a candidate that he would support demolishing the former basketball stadium if it could not be reused in an affordable fashion."

It came as little surprise because the last thing he was interested in was a mid-sized arena. He never identified a mid-sized arena he visited, he never said if he spoke with Venuworks and SMG, and he never got an estimate on the value of naming rights to the gates. Does anyone believe the mayor gave a good faith effort? I don't!

"And that was the conclusion he reached following the task force study, and yet, we read and heard comments that he did not do "what the people wanted," or that he "did not listen to the people." These are two of the most tiresome, overworked comments we hear, almost any time the community is considering an important issue.

Which "people" are they talking about? Those who supported the aquatic center or those who wanted an extreme sports facility or those who hoped for a nice park?"

I could see why the C&P is confused on who supports what. Only Greg Stilwell from the Task Force bothered to get an idea of who supported Roberts Stadium and who wanted it to be demolished. As I've said 1,000 times on here. 28 people toured Roberts Stadium and then came to the next public meeting. Of those 28, 25 said they viewed the structure in a positive light. Of the remaining 3, 2 just wanted a green space and were willing to build around it. ONLY ONE PERSON WAS AGAINST ROBERTS STADIUM!

Even worse is the fact that Mr. Dave Coker requested that each idea have a number behind it indicating the number of people who supported each idea. Of course, that idea was rejected by the same people who put the general conclusion page in the report claiming the theme was "something for everyone." This process proved very clearly that our city leaders didn't get what they wanted so they just started blatantly making up pages.

"We live in a diverse community where all of us will never agree on an issue such as this. That's why we elect leaders, who sometimes must make a decision, hopefully after weighing all available information. Heaven help us when we choose leaders who are afraid to make decisions, afraid to face up to the community's loudest critics."

Heaven help us if we had a mayor who would omit pages from task force reports that were added after the final meeting and are blatantly inaccurate. No wonder our city has a vetting problem. And heaven help us if our mayor would give a good faith effort to look into the mid-sized arena industry by making a simple phone call to Venuworks/SMG.

"As previously stated, we believe that Winnecke made the best choice among the options for the Roberts Stadium property. Keeping the stadium and converting it to just about anything would have been awfully expensive. The task force did nothing to convince us otherwise. And we don't need another public arena, given that the city has the new Downtown Ford Center, and it seems to be working out splendidly."

If spending $4-4.5 million to renovate Roberts Stadium is expensive, what do you call the current $6-8 million plan that won't even come close to the revenue Roberts Stadium would bring in?

And why does the C&P believe that Roberts and the Ford Center would compete? Weren't the reasons why the Ford Center was built were Roberts having inadequate roof support and inadequate luxury amenities? What's changed? That doesn't sound like an arena that's going to compete with the Ford Center to me, that sounds like a mid-sized arena.

And if Venuworks were the operator of Roberts Stadium and the Ford Center, how could they compete against themselves?

"Despite those who pooh-poohed the mayor's choice, it is our impression that a considerable number of people did agree with his decision, many of them are those "people" who wanted a park developed in the place of the stadium."

Yea, an amazing ONE PERSON went on the Roberts Stadium tour, viewed the facility negatively, and then bothered to come to the next meeting to push for a green space.

In fact, if the mayor's full package is adopted, those approving might grow to include skateboard enthusiasts, fitness folks, and all the dogs who would enjoy having their own dog park.

Considering the fact that we already have each and every one of those things and no talks about them, I'm pretty sure this plan isn't going to do a single thing for our city. It was just used as an excuse to tear down Roberts Stadium.

And that's the problem, the mayor doesn't understand how his plan is one-dimensional while his buddies at the C&P just keep making excuses after excuses about how this plan makes sense in an effort to do damage control. But the truth still remains that unless the Parks Board commits to doing the right thing, we are going to lose the following benefits...

- No facility for mid-sized teams (soccer, football, basketball)
- No facility for mid-sized trade shows (Boat show)
- No facility for BMX events (Dew Tour)
- No facility to designate a disaster relief area
- No area to use as a shuttle stop for the Ford Center
- No facility to use as an Indoor Greenway Trailhub
- No facility to generate revenue for nearby restaurants
- No facility to generate income to maintain the green space on the back lot
- No facility to bring in youth and high school tournaments (high school basketball)
- No facility to flex events to from the Ford Center when it fills up (already has cost the Icemen several weekend dates)
- Loss of tens of millions of taxpayer dollars invested in Roberts

Losing Roberts Stadium, would cost our city dearly, including the same facility our government claims they are protecting. And it would all be lost because we have elected a mayor who can't take his blinders off.

The mayor and the C&P should be embarrassed at the direction they are taking our city!

The Mayor's Plan Will Cost Taxpayers MORE Than The Proposed Earthcare & Homestead Tax Proposals

Mayor Winnecke's plan is expected to cost more than both the Earthcare & Homestead Tax plans yet there have been no sources of revenue identified to keep the project sustainable/solvent/ break-even...

(click to enlarge)

Will The Parks Board Research What The Mayor Didn't Tell Them?

chimovement.com

On a day when the mayor has already moved onto yet another one of his "public input" ideas...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/jun/07/no-headline---ev_robertsfolo/

The Parks Department has been left in the dark by the mayor on all aspects of Roberts Stadium. Last Wednesday, we did not hear from the mayor the following things...

1. Did he talk to SMG and Venuworks? If so, did they change their opinion that Roberts Stadium would compete with the Ford Center? Did he ask them if they would be interested in managing a mid-sized Roberts Stadium? Did they tell him how many events they could place in the facility?

2. Why does the mayor believe that spending $6-8 million on a wide variety of green space projects already found in the city that generate no revenue is better than renovating Roberts Stadium for $4-4.5 million which was popular with a lot of revenue drawing tenants?

3. The mayor said he wanted to make a financial and data driven decision. Does he have a balance sheet explaining how his plan will bring in revenues that are higher than expenses (or just break-even)? Does he even have an estimate for maintenance on this land?

4. Last year, Dr. Troost appeared in front of the Parks Board in an effort to convince them to improve existing parks...

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

He got several responses from Mr. Steve Bohleber including the following...

“things are tough all over america”

“money is tight”

“we dont have control over the budget”

Does the mayor believe that the city is now in a better position to build yet another green space? Has he addressed all concerns with our local parks? Does he believe that using these funds on "Roberts Park" are a better use of taxpayer dollars than using them on existing parks?

5. How much effort did the mayor genuinely give in researching the idea of converting Roberts Stadium into a dual mid-sized arena/expo hall? According to the Courier & Press, Lloyd visited two cities- Louisville, Kentucky & Columbus, Ohio...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/jun/06/winnecke-will-turn-roberts-stadium-green-space/

Yet, there have been zero reports that Lloyd toured Freedom Hall in Louisville- an arena that has been "replaced" by the KFC Yum! Center, yet still functions today as host to mid-sized events and expo events even with the city having both the KFC Yum! Center AND the Kentucky International Convention Center in Downtown Louisville? Did Lloyd ask the city if Freedom Hall is competing with either of these venues? Did Lloyd ask the city about the wide arrange of tenants and events that still use Freedom Hall?

Louisville also has

- Jefferson County Armory/Louisville Gardens (hosted Louisville men's basketball from 1945-1972)

There have also been zero reports that Lloyd investigated the multiple arena setup in Columbus, Ohio either. Columbus has 2 "sister arenas" just like Louisville. They have...

- Nationwide Arena
-Value City Arena

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

"Prior to July 1, 2010, one of Value City Arena's major event competitors was the downtown Nationwide Arena, which opened in 2000 and is home to the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets. In May 2010, the Blue Jackets and OSU signed a one-year, annually renewable, agreement to turn over day to day operations and non-athletic event booking of Nationwide Arena to OSU, effective July 1, 2010.This agreement puts both arenas under the same management and makes the facilities sister venues."

The city also has...

- St. John Arena
- OSU Ice Arena
-  Ohio Expo Center Coliseum (built in 1918, renovated in 2005)
- Columbus Convention Center

That's right, Columbus has NEVER demolished any arena the Ohio State University men's basketball team has played in (the team will be 94 years old this year). Did Lloyd look at ANY of these facilities?

Did Lloyd contact any of the current mid-sized teams in Evansville? Did he ask them if they would be interested in playing at Roberts Stadium? I have talked to multiple teams (4), none of them said the mayor talked to them.

6. The mayor NEVER proved or removed the infamous page 13 from the report. Like I said yesterday, the mayor identified 2 of the 3 points in this inaccurate page on the day he released the report to the media. He said that the idea that it was cheaper to build a new arena than to renovate Roberts Stadium stood out to him. He NEVER explained how you can build a new Roberts Stadium for the $4-4.5 million it is estimated to cost to renovate Roberts Stadium.

He also said that the idea of "something for everyone" stood out to him. Like the other point, this was never agreed upon by the task force to be a general theme. Rather, the only time it was mentioned was by the green space committee. As I've said before, Mr. Greg Stilwell took a poll of ALL of the residents who toured Roberts Stadium and then came to the next meeting. 25 out of 28 said they viewed Roberts Stadium favorably. Did the mayor find 25 out of 28 people who said they wanted "something for everyone" meeting they wanted a green space only?

The mayor never explained page 13 but allowed it to remain in the report. Why?



I also feel like it's important for the Parks Board, as well as the city in general, to understand the following facts...

- With a mid-sized arena the expensive pumps will be gone. These pumps are supposedly the reason for the city claiming the arena is too expensive to maintain, yet these pumps would be gone anyways during renovations. Those who are worried about Roberts being expensive would be satisfied with a renovation anyways.

- With a mid-sized arena we can still build a green space in the back lot. This lot is roughly the same size as the old airport lot which is scheduled to be a green space. Back in February, I talked to the Evansville Trails Coalition, I wanted them to know that I am not against a green space in general, just on the footprint of Roberts Stadium itself.

- With a mid-sized arena, we will still have 5,000-7,000 seats to flex to Mesker or an ECVB ball field plan. I wish I would have never recommended that to the mayor but now that he has used the idea, I feel that it's important for the public to understand that this can still be done with a Roberts Stadium renovation.

- With a mid-sized arena, the city will be committing significantly less public funds to a project that brings in revenue instead of only accumulating expenses like the green space.

Our city is at a crossroads, and as we've seen the mayor do with his deal with Earthcare, renovating Lloyd Pool, and failing to fight for the Homestead Tax Credit, he is now trying to send us down the wrong path once more.

I urge the Parks Board to take their decision very seriously. I ask that they make their decision based on their head and their conscience and not on what the group thinks. I ask that the Parks Board ask the mayor some very serious questions and demand a serious amount of answers from him about his proposal before they decide to proceed!

askdrjack.com

The Parks Department Now Has Plenty of Reasons To Reject Lloyd's Recommendation

http://rlv.zcache.com/just_say_no_sticker-p217301451621411733b2o35_400.jpg

After hearing today's public announcement from Mayor Winnecke, it is now more than obvious that he is once again forgetting the taxpayers of Evansville and thus I ask them to flatly reject this recommendation. Today, we heard a lot of words from the mayor but we didn't hear any reasons for why the mayor has chosen the path of demolition.

The Parks Board now has multiple reasons to reject the mayor's recommendation including, but not limited to, the following...

1. The mayor NEVER indicated that he had talked to Venuworks or SMG about Roberts Stadium. He took plenty of time to tell us that we cannot allow our two arenas to compete but he NEVER indicated that SMG or Venuworks told him that a mid-sized arena would compete with the Ford Center. In fact, both have told me that they would use it as a compliment to the Ford Center. I have yet to talk to anyone in the arena industry who believes the two would compete.

2. The mayor NEVER told us why page 13 was allowed to remain in the report. In his press conference after the release of the report, the mayor indicated two things that stood out to him- both from this page and both are inaccurate and never approved by the Task Force general body...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV-gGNjNxz0&feature=g-all-u

3. The mayor is proposing to "donate" the bricks from Roberts Stadium to the University of Evansville. UE is a private school that should not benefit from taxpayer funded bricks. Rather, these bricks should be either given to the taxpayers or sold with the revenue going to the taxpayers. The mayor is also an alumni of UE which brings up a conflict of interest. UE left Roberts Stadium behind for the Ford Center.

4. The mayor is proposing to take 5,000 of the seats from Roberts Stadium and place them in Mesker Amphitheatre. Originally, this is a recommendation that I made to the mayor...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/07/lets-make-funding-personal.html

Although I stand by this recommendation, I firmly believe the mayor has once again left the taxpayers on the hook. The problems with Mesker Amphitheater, outside of government neglect, are mold and paint related not seat related. By not giving the seats to the ECVB, the city will once again have to spend full price for each ball field. Not to mention, the most recent ECVB plan called for bleachers not seats. This cheaper alternative will leave Evansville unable to compete with premier ball field complexes around the country.

I also find it rather interesting that Mesker was closed shortly before this announcement. In fact, in the video under point #2, the mayor claims that the Building Authority did a great job with Roberts. The mayor is the first person I can think of that believes that the BA did a good job with Roberts. Does he feel this same way about Mesker?

5. The mayor said that he wanted to make a decision based on financial data, but he did anything but. His plan, which he gave no source of revenue for, is expected to cost $6 million to $ 8 million. Regardless of where this plan falls in that range, Roberts Stadium is roughly 1/3rd to 1/2 the cost to renovate. In fact, renovating Roberts Stadium AND constructing a park on the back lot is roughly $6 million. The mayor is now seeking to waste more taxpayer dollars on a project that will fail to bring in significant, if any, revenue.

6. The mayor failed to tell us why we need the three things he proposed which we already have. We already have at least one lake, at least one dog park, and at least one biking trail area. Yet, none of these amenities have been cited as a source for tourist revenue or any revenue in general.

7. The mayor is going against the wishes of Kristine Beard, the grand-daughter of Hank Roberts and Lisa Jean Beard, the great grand-daughter of Hank Roberts. He told us that he wants to honor H.O Roberts yet has failed to honor his family. I talked to the family today, they are not in support of this project at all!

8. The mayor thanked Larry Steenberg for his work on the task force. And as usual, we now know that Mr. Steenberg was a supporter of the mayor all along, not an independent civic leader. This is a photo from the "Winnecke For Mayor" facebook group...

(Steenberg 2nd from right)

Photo Credit: Winnecke For Mayor

9. The amount of funds needed to construct this park ($6 million to $8 million) coupled with Mr. Bob Warren's $8 million estimate for the ball fields brings us very closely back to the estimate to construct the ball fields on the lot. That plan was rejected for fear of high costs.

10. The mayor NEVER explained to us how his park would co-exist with the Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve. He never explained how the park's new growth trees would work with Wesselman's old-growth forest ecology and he certainly never explained why having a park with visitors would be any better on the nature preserve than having ball field teams on the lot under the previous ECVB's plan. The previous plan was rejected because of fear of noise, lights, and traffic on the site.

11. The mayor never explained why the green space plan went from the $12-$14 million range to the new estimate of $6-$8 million. $6-$8 million WAS NOT the estimate in the task force report. Why was this adjusted? What guarantee do the taxpayers have that this won't balloon back to $12-$14 million.

12. The mayor said he kept hearing a constant theme of "something for everyone." That was not the theme of the task force. Rather, these were the words echoed by the green space subcommittee and their supporters....

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/mar/22/no-headline---ev_roberts/?print=1

To prove that the vast majority of those who attended the Task Force were either for or against Roberts Stadium, Mr. Greg Stilwell went up to each and every person in all four groups in the meeting that followed the one after Roberts Stadium. Of the 28 people that took the tour, 25 looked upon Roberts Stadium FAVORABLY compared to only 3. Of those 3, only one refused to accept a compromise of Roberts Stadium with a green space in the back.

I can go on and on with reasons why the Parks Board should reject the mayor's recommendation. But I think it's pretty cut and dry why they should. I'm completely disappointed in mayor Winnecke's attitude towards Roberts Stadium and I certainly take his actions, as well as the actions of the task force leader, personally. When I agreed to help the mayor, I honestly thought he respected me and Roberts Stadium. I no longer feel that way today.

I am glad to see the Parks Board taking two weeks to think about this. I sure hope they aren't going to rubber stamp the mayor's plan. If this board stands for doing what's best for the city, they will reject this plan. This isn't about competing with the Ford Center, I have reached out to both SMG and Venuworks about using the two together. This isn't about defeating a green space, I personally requested an estimate for a green space in the back lot behind Roberts which is roughly the same size as the green space going up at the old airport site. And this certainly isn't about wasting taxpayer money. In fact, I believe that demolishing Roberts Stadium will cost us millions upon millions in direct and and hidden costs over the years.

I ask the Parks Board one last time- don't let future generations get robbed of Roberts! Reject this plan!

theologyforum.wordpress.com

Going All In On Roberts Stadium

investmentnews.com

With less than a week before the Parks Board meets to decide Roberts Stadium's fate, a meeting I am planning on attending, we now know that the mayor isn't going to tell us his recommendation until the meeting instead of the late May announcement we were originally told...

http://tristatehomepage.com/fulltext-news?nxd_id=516152

I have been getting several phone calls, texts, and emails from residents, fans of Roberts Stadium, and task force members asking me if I know the answer. As usual, I am completely in the dark, and I know for sure the vast majority of the task force is in the dark on this one as well.

Obviously, I find this latest situation to be extremely disappointing but at the same time I also feel very nervous about the fate of Roberts given how this has been and still is playing out. There have also been reports of moving vans at Roberts Stadium. Whether these vans are preparing for demolition or clearing the way for renovations remains to be seen.

To be quite honest about it, I've currently got it pegged at 30-70 that we won't be able to pull this off and the right thing will not be done for Roberts Stadium. I've thrown everything at this that I could have possibly thrown at it, but I'm beginning to fear that it may not be enough. It seems that city hall is only interested in moving the goal posts instead of working to promote a mid-sized Roberts Stadium.

Although it's not looking good for Roberts Stadium and the city of Evansville, I pledge to fight for Roberts Stadium and the vast majority of residents that support this great facility until the final decision has been made.

As a matter of fact, Wednesday is probably going to decide if I sink or swim as a community activist here in Evansville. I am putting all of my chips on Roberts Stadium. If the Parks Board chooses to demolish Roberts Stadium it will be my Waterloo. I will likely have to relocate or remain in Evansville but travel to one of the nearby cities to help build community projects elsewhere. There is no way I would ever be able to get anything done whatsoever here if Roberts Stadium is demolished (nor would I want to) . I don't think there is any question about that. That would be a really, really tough decision I sure hope I'm not forced into making.

Some people have wondered why I would stack all of my chips on Roberts Stadium. To me, the answer is very simple- I would rather collapse under the weight of a good idea than to stand tall on an idea that is bad, corrupt, wrong, and/or unethical. I also like trying to accomplish the hard projects such as Roberts Stadium, Bosse Field, high speed rail, and the 2001 Downtown Master Plan. Anyone can grandstand on issues like Earthcare and the new arena, but rarely do we see political leaders willing to tackle the hard and unpopular issues.

It's been almost 2 full years since I began this blog. It's been quite a ride these past years. I have met so many Roberts Stadium supporters and advocates that I will never ever be able to remember them all. I appreciate their support by hosting rallys, putting up yard signs, buying Roberts Stadium shirts, sending emails and making phone calls to the mayor and other city officials, and coming to the Task Force meetings to let those in charge know that they better not mess with Roberts Stadium. I thank each and every one of you for your time and efforts.

There will be quite a bit on the line Wednesday. We're going to find out which side Mayor Winnecke really is on and we're also going to find out if the Parks Board has the guts to do the right thing in saving Roberts Stadium. I, like most of you, am not interested in a moral victory or second place. I WILL NEVER stand behind a plan drawn up by the mayor that requires the demolition of Roberts Stadium nor do I think anyone else in Evansville will either.

What I'm hoping to hear Wednesday is more than just a plan. I'm also looking for an answer to my question- Why? Why should we believe in our mayor and city officials to get Bosse Field back on track with the ball fields project? Why should we believe these are the city officials who are going to stand up for high speed rail? Why should we believe that putting our time in on this Task Force was worth it?

The mayor, as well as the Parks Board, will give us a strong answer to our question by what they do with Roberts Stadium. As I've said earlier, a mid-sized Roberts Stadium is...

1. Cheaper than the green space plan
2. More productive for the economy around it
3. More versatile for multiple events from a wide variety of tenants (able to satisfy ALL 3 groups)
4. Extremely popular with those who came to the Task Force meetings by an estimated ratio of 89-11
5. Able to be self-sufficient on its own revenue unlike a green space

If those aren't enough reasons to save Roberts Stadium and renovate it as a mid-sized arena, then I really don't know what reasons the mayor and the city would accept nor would I have any reason to believe that they were genuinely interested in Roberts Stadium. And if that plan isn't good enough for Roberts Stadium, why would anyone think the city would genuinely give a good faith effort to put together a plan for the area around Bosse

As we count down the days until the final decision, I truly hope that Mayor Winnecke has put a lot of thought into his decision as BOTH his career and mine will be defined and affected by this decision. This decision will follow me for the rest of my life. When the history books are finished, I want Save Roberts Stadium to have been successful just like the Conrad Baker Foundation was with the Old Courthouse, Old Jail, and the Coliseum.

I also hope that the mayor and the Parks Board fully understand that I am not looking for them to come up with yet another frivolous excuse to tear down Roberts Stadium Wednesday. Rather, I am asking them to help me revive the Roberts Revolution right here in Evansville. We can do some really great things here in the River City if our city is willing to light the torch by understanding the value of Roberts Stadium.

I'm ready to turn Evansville around by winning the battle for Roberts Stadium, and I sure hope you are to. I AM GOING ALL IN......

rharbridge.com