(tennis.com)I'm very excited to announce that I received the following email today from Martha Crosley of the Wesselman Park Support Group...
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Hi All !!
Just learned that the meeting of the BZA on Dec 15, 2011 will no longer be needed because there will be no huge tennis building built in Wesselman Park. All needed documentation for this building has been obtained and the building will be located on a DIFFERENT site.
We believe that this is a win/win/win and want to wish the Evansville Community Tennis Association the best of luck with this endeavor. Please pass the word to anyone who's email is not on this list. We try to reach everyone but are not perfect.
Our next question concerns the placement of additional tennis courts in the park. We would hope that new planned outdoor courts would be placed near the new building so that the tournaments that were so important to the ECTA could still be held here in Evansville. But we are not sure if that is the case. Will search for further information. If anyone has information regarding this, please contact me.
Thanks for your support!
Martha Crosley
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Like the announcement of the cancellation of the ball fields project at Wesselman Woods, this is great news for everyone involved as all sides will win (although you will never hear that). The ECTA will get a nice facility on the north side and Wesselman Woods will be preserved.
The most important thing that I want residents to take from this announcement is that if we are willing to nitpick our projects, to never settle for a rough draft, and to always commit to finding a win-win solution for all sides involved, we will finally begin to see progress here in Evansville.
For too many years, it's always been either/or situations where we never grew unless we destroyed at the same time. This practice has proven to be unsustainable time after time, and we desperately need a new vision, a change of attitude, and a change of politics to join the rest of the U.S in the 21st century.
It is also important to understand that there is nothing wrong with making a few simple adjustments to your original plan. Just because the ECTA tennis facility isn't going to be built at Wesselman Woods doesn't mean that they are settling for a second rate plan. Let's look at a few other times we've had to make a few adjustments...
The Ford Center: Originally earmarked for one of the D-Patrick lots, City Hall quickly changed the location to cover one lot facing Main Street and one of the two lots the Executive Inn sat on. Although the jury is still out on which location was the better one, this move just goes to show you that it's never too late to make a few simple adjustments such as location.
The Ball Fields Project: Everyone not on the past ECVB board knew that building 8 boring and dull ball fields at Wesselman Park and on the Roberts Stadium lot doesn't make sense, especially when considering that Bosse Field is in dire need of the stimulus and is a much better place for baseball. We still don't know where the city will build the ball fields but we do know they will have to make the simple adjustment of finding a better location.
The Ray Becker Underpass: Back in the early 90's, Evansville's city leaders thought a bridge/overpass on Barker Avenue going over the railroad tracks was the best way to keep traffic flowing around the railroad tracks. Eventually, the better alternative, which was constructing an underpass on Ray Becker Parkway, won out. If a bridge would have been built, it would have been costly, it wouldn't have been as efficient as a Ray Becker connector, and it would be slick during the winter.
Project after project, we have seen that Evansville grows when they stick with their projects but make the necessary adjustments such as location, design, and layout. We've also seen how costly and inefficient projects can be when they don't make the necessary adjustments such as the Lloyd Expressway, the Civic Center, and I-69.
For this reason, we must do the same exact thing with Roberts Stadium. And once more, we have a leader who has fully grasped the concept that being open to minor tweaks on a project is the way to go. This leader's name is Evansville Mayor-Elect Lloyd Winnecke. In talking with Lloyd a few weeks ago, he expressed his desire to listen to both sides, evaluate the positives and negatives of each side, and make a decision that helps the most and hurts the least.
With our Roberts Stadium project, we have the ability to help all residents that have expressed an interest in this project. The following are win-win solutions that I would like to see implemented with this project (these are in no particular order)...
1. Why build the ball fields at Wesselman Park when we can build them at Kleymeyer Park and play the championship games at Bosse Field which will help the Otters?
2. Why demolish Roberts Stadium when we can renovate it by selling the seats to the ECVB who can use them in their ball fields project?
3. Why convert Roberts Stadium into a natatorium when we can build an indoor water park resort, an outdoor pool, and a natatorium across the parking lot on the Hartke Pool lot?
4. Why not bring USI into Roberts Stadium which will significantly increase their revenue via luxury boxes, red ribbon advertisements, and premium seats? Why not let USI open up the east side to their university for recruitment?
5. Why construct a Greenway trail on the Roberts Stadium lot when we can use the main level of Roberts Stadium as an indoor trail hub on non-event days?
6. Why force those who want to visit the Ford Center to park downtown when we can shuttle them from the Roberts Stadium parking lot?
7. Why not do two land swaps that would send Bob Walther's driving range to Hamilton Golf Course and the EYFL to the old North High School field so that Bob Walther's can turn his Golf-N-Fun into a cash cow next to the ball fields project and the EYFL gets a better quality field?
8. Why not use Roberts Stadium and the Ford Center as a package deal to go after tournaments such as various NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments?
9. Why not open up the back lot for something "green" at Wesselman Woods instead of demolishing Roberts Stadium?
10. Why not construct the ball fields to replicate vintage MLB ballparks like Big League Dreams does to increase advertisement revenue and product appeal?
11. Why not involve legends such as Jerry Sloan, Larry Humes, Calbert Cheaney, Don Mattingly, and Andy/Alan Benes in our ball fields and Roberts Stadium projects?
12. Why not take the funds earmarked for demolition of Roberts Stadium and use them to raise the floor so that taxpayers are not asked to foot the bill next year?
13. Why not improve our existing parks before we construct one at Roberts Stadium?
14. Why demolish a building that has been and will be profitable and construct a park in its place that will not profit?
15. Why not sell the seats, the old Ace's court, and naming rights to the 4 gates to fund the renovation to Roberts Stadium and maintain it so that taxpayers are protected?
16. Why not create jobs by keeping Roberts Stadium open and hire those who were laid off or reassigned by SMG?
17. Why not maintain economic development for Turoni's, Kipplee's, and Western Rib-Eye by keeping Roberts Stadium as a mid-sized venue?
18. Why not let the ball fields serve as the northern anchor for the revitalization of Main Street?
19. Why not move USI into Roberts Stadium so that they will incur zero debt to build a new arena and can then use their funds to improve the rest of their athletic department to Div I standards?
20. For those who fear the Ford Center and Roberts Stadium will compete, why not give the Ford Center the right of first refusal so that whatever the Ford Center wants they get and the rest of the events are free to move into Roberts Stadium without any controversy?
I want to congratulate both the ECTA and the Wesselman Park Support Group on today's announcement. I feel like this will bode well for Wesselman Park which will remain green, natural, and unique. I also feel like this will do wonders for the ECTA in the future as they will now have room to expand their operations as they continue to grow.
I also want to thank both sides for realizing that there was a way where both sides would win. I encourage you the viewers of this blog to support both organizations. Today's announcement would have never been possible if both sides didn't have talented and rational leaders who knew what was best for everyone.
I now ask that our government leaders, from top to bottom, follow this same path with Roberts Stadium. There is a way for everyone to win, and it will begin when we SAVE ROBERTS STADIUM!
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