3 Years Later, Facts Are Still Facts

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Back in 2008, the Roberts Stadium Advisory Board was given the task of deciding to renovate Roberts Stadium or construct an entirely new arena. They ultimately chose to construct an entirely new arena that would be located in downtown Evansville.

After concluding their research, they gave us a list of what they considered to be 45 "key facts" regarding the entire situation. The following are those key facts...

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http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/may/25/roberts-stadium-advisory-boards-45-key-facts/

1. Roberts Stadium was renovated in 1990 at a cost of $16.2 million. It seats 12,232 people, has 15 corporate suites and no club seating.

2. Roberts Stadium is a textbook "destination site." Destination site venues have not proved to be successful in stimulating ancillary economic development.

3. The problem with Roberts Stadium is that the floor is too small, there is no permanent ice-making plant, the truck docks and marshaling areas are undersized for today's events, and the rigging is significantly under capacity for modem acts, concerts and other events.

4. Roberts Stadium has served the community well for 50 years, but it is functionally obsolete. It cannot be brought up to today's standards due to the inability to "raise the roof' (as they did in Fort Wayne), which also prevents expansion of the stadium floor.

5. Renovation would be very expensive and impractical, even if you didn't try to raise the roof. The estimated cost to increase the floor size, rigging capacity, truck docks and add permanent dock space would be approximately $50 million.

6. According to the consultant's analysis, a Downtown location is the only one that would help generate revenue equal to or greater than the cost of a new facility. A Downtown location appears to create economic spinoff, such as retail shops and other businesses.

7. The consultant has determined it will cost approximately $92 million to build a 10,000-seat arena located Downtown. A new arena will require a minimum of 3.5-4 acres and approximately 4,200 parking spaces within 2,000 feet of the entrances (2-3 blocks).

8. Downtown Evansville has a total of 8,300 parking spaces available. There are 2,418 private garage spaces; 2,417 spaces in private surface lots; 1,579 spaces in city garages and 1,886 metered spaces.

9. The consultant has determined that potential funding sources for a new 10,000- seat arena Downtown include: naming rights ($14 million), revenue bonds ($6 million), federal transportation support ($2 million), gaming revenue ($15 million), TIP ($32.5 million), CRED ($. 75 million), New Markets Tax Credits ($18 million), Food and Beverage Tax ($15 million) and Innkeepers Tax ($8 million).

10. The consultant readily stated that the funding sources presented were merely estimates; plus, he did not provide a multiyear projection of revenues and expenses, debt service and maintenance reserves. The cost of site acquisition is also likely to differ from the assessed value. It would therefore be appropriate to have a detailed financial forecast prepared by a firm or firms having significant expertise and experience with various funding sources and revenue/expense projections.

11. The public input and media coverage of the process to date have been very beneficial, with the apparent preference of the community being a new facility Downtown.

12. A major concern seems to be Downtown parking and traffic flow.

13. Many citizens prefer an 11,000-seat arena, if it is economically feasible, because we need to prepare for growth 10 to 20 years into the future. We need the range of costs for both a 10,000-seat and an 11,000-seat arena.

14. Many citizens feel a new hotel next to an arena will be economically beneficial to the project.

15. Many citizens seem to prefer a new arena built near The Centre on the Executive Inn/D-Patrick site.

16. Most citizens do not want their property taxes increased in order to build a new arena.

17. Most of the markets that are comparable to Evansville that have opened arenas recently have more people living within 25 miles of their cities. However, Evansville is relatively strong when you compare the number of people living within 50 miles of the city.

18. The Evansville metropolitan area has an inventory of 425 corporations and branches. It ranks fourth among the markets analyzed for corporate inventory, and Evansville's inventory is significantly higher than the comparable market average.

19. The current average number of annual events at Roberts Stadium is fairly competitive with most of the comparable markets surveyed. The average number of annual events for the last three (3) years at Roberts Stadium is 112.

20. "I believe the Downtown area is a city's heartbeat, and a thriving downtown often reveals a strong vibrant city. As a thirty-something Evansville native who returned home after living in Indianapolis and traveling fairly extensively, I believe that building an arena in Downtown Evansville is the catalyst Evansville needs to resuscitate its heartbeat. However, it has to make sense."

21. We should consider the loss of taxable revenue on a site where the owner is currently paying property taxes.

22. The average attendance at Roberts is 6,000 for concerts; nothing close to the 11,000 seats that are being suggested for a new arena.

23. We have heard from many that this is a "once in a lifetime chance" to do it right. We should create a facility we will be proud of.

24. We should build for the future, not for the past. (ex: USI growth.)

25. We consistently heard from people that Evansville has momentum now. An arena is a key element in moving forward.

26. We should make sure this facility is not simply large but also handles several different types of sports and events well (basketball, hockey, conventions, etc.).

27. The study saw The Centre as a place to function in tandem with an arena Downtown (ex: exhibition space). An arena, The Centre and hotels will be greater than the sum of their parts. We need to consider which location will result in the most potential economic development.

28. Many people question the revenue sources that came out of the study: TIF, parking, CRED.

29. There may be other opportunities for use of Roberts Stadium that were not included in the study.

30. SMG does lose some concerts due to shortcomings of the current stadium.

31. The mayor made it clear at the beginning of the process that USI and UE would be instrumental in the development of this facility.

32. We think an arena should be used to help attract other events to our community: soccer, football, etc. We could be a capital for regional sports, collegiate sports and entertainment.

33. The negotiation process for some Downtown sites will be easier and less costly than others (ex., fewer land owners).

34. There are 60-75 activities listed in a previous survey that Roberts Stadium was not able to accommodate. (ex.: automobile shows).

35. We should figure out how to involve USI in a new arena without being a detriment to UE.

36. We hear, "It would be wonderful if the $14 million of corporate sponsorship came in early in the process."

37. Some of the funding in the study is already dedicated to other budgeted items (i.e. Food and Beverage Tax goes to the Convention and Visitors Bureau).

38. We believe an arena will be an economic stimulator for the community.

39. We don't think we have exhausted the potential uses for Roberts Stadium beyond the recommended water park. This should be explored as part of the process.

40. We have heard that whatever happens to Roberts Stadium, it needs to pay for itself.

41. There is nothing that says Roberts Stadium could not be redeveloped and those profits used to support the cost of a new arena.

42. We could donate Roberts Stadium to EVSC, USI, UE and the Diocese of Evansville.

43. We heard from many people that the seating should be comfortable.

44. We think "optimal size" needs to be 10,000-11,000 seated comfortably. Arena size would depend upon our ability to finance, events we could attract and looking to the future.

45. The process of designing and building a new arena should include the participation of the entire community.

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In a nutshell, these 45 key facts cover the entire Roberts Stadium/ new arena situation from start to finish. Let's break down the key facts that relate specifically to Roberts Stadium.

1. Roberts Stadium was renovated in 1990 at a cost of $16.2 million. It seats 12,232 people, has 15 corporate suites and no club seating.

No club seating yet we have an entire city hall scared to death Roberts Stadium will compete with the new arena's 16 16-person suites, one 24-person suite, two eight-person mini suites, two 10-person mini suites, 92 main concourse loge seats, and 516 club seats with access to suite-level clubs.

It should be more than obvious to city officials that the primary goal of reinventing Roberts Stadium is to reuse it as a mid-sized arena not as a competing premier-sized arena.

2. Roberts Stadium is a textbook "destination site." Destination site venues have not proved to be successful in stimulating ancillary economic development.

Exactly, so why would you want to construct 8 ball fields on the lot whose main purpose is to draw indirect benefits from nearby retail? Mid-sized events that would go inside a reinvented Roberts Stadium do not intend to be a huge stimulus of nearby retail, although a minor league basketball team, an indoor football team, an indoor soccer team, trade shows, and concerts would do a lot of good for Kipplee's, Turoni's, and Western Sizzler as well as the rest of the east side.

3. The problem with Roberts Stadium is that the floor is too small, there is no permanent ice-making plant, the truck docks and marshaling areas are undersized for today's events, and the rigging is significantly under capacity for modem acts, concerts and other events.

These were the reasons that we were sold on building a new arena. In my opinion, these reasons were more than enough reason to build a new arena.

But now, things have changed. City hall is doing everything they can to keep Roberts Stadium from standing because they believe it will compete with the new arena. What has changed? The answer is nothing. The same reasons why we built the new arena are the same exact reasons why the two arenas will not compete!

4. Roberts Stadium has served the community well for 50 years, but it is functionally obsolete. It cannot be brought up to today's standards due to the inability to "raise the roof' (as they did in Fort Wayne), which also prevents expansion of the stadium floor.

Now that the new arena is being built, the purpose is not to raise the roof. The main goal is to now raise the floor. This will allow us to eliminate the pumps, sell some of Roberts Stadium's seats to finance the renovation, and provide a more intimate setting for mid-sized events.

5. Renovation would be very expensive and impractical, even if you didn't try to raise the roof. The estimated cost to increase the floor size, rigging capacity, truck docks and add permanent dock space would be approximately $50 million.

Estimates for raising the floor have ranged from $400,000 to $500,000, much less than the $1.2 million to demolish the arena. As for renovating the docks and rigging capacity, that will not be needed due to the conversion from premier traveling events to low-profile mid-sized events that do not require such large materials to be transported.

29. There may be other opportunities for use of Roberts Stadium that were not included in the study.

Correct. So why were none studied outside of the indoor waterpark?

30. SMG does lose some concerts due to shortcomings of the current stadium.

Once more, this is rock solid evidence that Roberts Stadium will not compete with the new arena. It is also rock solid evidence that building a new arena downtown and converting Roberts Stadium to a mid-sized arena makes perfect sense.

35. We should figure out how to involve USI in a new arena without being a detriment to UE.

USI, this is Roberts Stadium. Roberts Stadium, this is USI. You two should talk!

39. We don't think we have exhausted the potential uses for Roberts Stadium beyond the recommended water park. This should be explored as part of the process.

The board felt so passionate about this fact that they bolded it in their letter yet the Evansville Arena Advisory Committee recommended demolition without studying any reuse ideas for Roberts Stadium...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/may/06/arean-committee-endorses-putting-ball-fields-rober/

One member of that committee even told me they voted for ball fields because it was the only plan. What happened to studying Roberts Stadium?

40. We have heard that whatever happens to Roberts Stadium, it needs to pay for itself.

I have heard that demolishing Roberts Stadium will not pay for itself and will require spending even more money to build something else which probably won't pay for itself either.

41. There is nothing that says Roberts Stadium could not be redeveloped and those profits used to support the cost of a new arena.

The board is correct again. Why don't we start with the parking lot?...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/04/why-cant-we-all-win.html

42. We could donate Roberts Stadium to EVSC, USI, UE and the Diocese of Evansville.

Or, we could rent the facility out to these organizations on non-event days. Each of these organizations has events they could host at Roberts Stadium. Together, they would fill up every single event date that will be lost to the new arena. Like I said earlier, I have an investor who can fill the rest.

45. The process of designing and building a new arena should include the
participation of the entire community.

And the process of what to do with Roberts Stadium should include the community as well. Problem is, that hasn't happened at all since day 1. Only the ball fields project was given a fair hearing from city hall and the local residents. No committee has ever been established to try to put together a plan for Roberts Stadium using ideas from the local citizens. Why?

Overall, I think these 45 key facts speak volumes about what we can do with Roberts Stadium. This board, as well many others, believes that we should investigate Roberts Stadium for potential reuse plans. I have been doing this for almost a year now and have made tremendous progress on putting together a plan. The last step we need is a committee with the power of the government to get something going.

After reviewing the board's key facts, I hold these truths to be self-evident...

1. Roberts Stadium will not/ can not compete with the new arena.

2. Roberts Stadium can be reused.

3. Roberts Stadium should be studied for reuse options.

4. The ball fields belong at Kleymeyer Park or within vicinity of Bosse Field.

5. Roberts Stadium hasn't gotten its due process.

After 3 years, facts are still facts. LET'S SAVE ROBERTS STADIUM!


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