How Mayor Winnecke Can Promote BMX Events With A Mid-Sized Arena

websites.computers4kids.net

Like I've said before, the number one benefit to making Roberts Stadium a mid-sized arena is its ability to be many things to many people (the real "something for everyone"). Not only does a mid-sized Roberts Stadium fill the need for traveling BMX shows, it also can work hand-in-hand with the recreational facilities around it.

Most people are probably wondering: If Mayor Winnecke wants to explore bringing BMX events to Evansville why would he pick Roberts Stadium to be a mid-sized arena over a BMX only facility? Isn't a mid-sized arena designed for traditional sports instead of extreme sports?

Although a mid-sized Roberts Stadium would have the capacity to host a wide variety of events, including games for traditional sports, it also has the potential to do for the BMX community what a BMX only facility cannot do. And that is bring BMX tournaments, shows, and events to Evansville.

You see, if Mayor Winnecke chooses to make Roberts Stadium a BMX only facility, he will be choosing to rip out the seats, the luxury boxes, and probably the concession stands that all could be used to lure traveling BMX events to Evansville. Remember the quote from Portland, Oregon who have decided to make their old Memorial Coliseum a mid-sized arena while constructing a BMX only facility next to it?

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2012/01/we-can-learn-lot-from-portland-oregon.html

(bolding has been added by me)

http://www.pdxactionsports.com/

"The Rose Quarter, including both The Rose Garden and the historic Portland Memorial Coliseum, has long represented professional sports in Portland; residents and fans come to large, multi-functional buildings to watch professional athletes compete. Participation in the sports most often played in these facilities has declined by as much as 40% over the past decade. Action Sports, however, represent the next generation of athletics in the US; with participation growing, in some sports by as much as 90% over the past decade, new indoor and high-quality facilities for many of these sports are lacking. The redevelopment of Portland’s Rose Quarter offers an opportunity to create a world class facility that can combine the history of the old with the potential and excitement of the new while providing a safe place for families and friends to participate in a wide variety of active sports.

The Portland Memorial Coliseum will turn 50 in 2010. It is an icon for the city of Portland, and is worth renovating to ensure another 50 years of life. Our proposal is to the leave Memorial Coliseum essentially intact, with updated seating and support facilities and a flexible-events program that not only includes ’showcased’ action-sports events but other events as well. Public opinion and numerous reports suggest the building is actually very well-suited for its current medium-sized events program.

Our proposal takes a long range urban planning outlook. We believe that the proper approach recognizes serious problems at the district scale (not just coliseum scale), and proposes infusing life into the area by fixing what is broken and making best use of what works, in essence, re-invigorating the district with action-sports activities while keeping the coliseum and the rose garden arena more or less intact."
Basically, what those who support BMX in Evansville are asking for are two different things. One concept is a BMX only facility. In the world of basketball, this is comparable to a practice facility. The other concept is a facility that would attract traveling BMX events. In the world of basketball, this is an arena that hosts games and tournaments.

Why should Mayor Winnecke pursue traveling BMX events instead of a BMX only facility?

1. We already have two BMX only facilities, one private facility located on Louisiana Street and one public facility located inside Swonder which is NEXT TO Roberts Stadium.

2. Traveling BMX events bring tourists and guests to Evansville at a higher rate than a BMX only facility would.

3. Making Roberts Stadium a BMX only facility would make it one-dimensional which would fail to allow everyone an opportunity to enjoy it. It would also be risky as all of our eggs would be placed in one basket.

4. Making Roberts Stadium a BMX only facility is estimated to cost more than a mid-sized Roberts Stadium and about the same price as a mid-sized Roberts Stadium AND a green space in the back lot.

5. A BMX only facility would render the sky boxes in Roberts Stadium useless and would probably require their demolition. Therefore, we wouldn't be getting the most bang for our buck out of the existing Roberts Stadium building like we would with a mid-sized arena.

6. A mid-sized Roberts Stadium would bring more guests and residents into the facility than a BMX only facility would.

7. Bringing traveling BMX events to Evansville would increase the city's regional and national brand awareness more than a BMX only facility would.

8. A BMX only facility would more than likely forego some of the intangible benefits to Roberts Stadium such as a disaster relief area, an indoor Greenway trailhub, and an economic driver for nearby retail and restaurants.

9. A BMX only facility would not bring in as much funding from the selling of naming rights to the gates.

10. A mid-sized Roberts Stadium can host mid-sized concerts that can be co-branded and marketed with a BMX only facility next to it.

There are many traveling BMX events, the most notable tour being the Alli Show with the Dew Tour...

http://www.allisports.com/alli/bmx

According to the packet passed out by those who support BMX events, we would need to set aside 50 indoor dates and 68 outdoor dates for these shows. Not only would 50 indoor dates leave plenty of room for other events like football, soccer, basketball, youth sports, trade shows, expo events, etc, etc they would also be mostly during the summer which is a traditional downtime for arenas.

In order to recruit the best of the best in the BMX industry to come to Evansville, we need to think like Portland. We need to make sure our existing facilities are competitive in order to establish a culture that is pro-BMX. We need to layout a master plan, like Portland, that calls for bringing action sports next to Roberts Stadium...

From what I am hearing, those who run Swonder Ice Rink are looking to relocate their existing BMX facility in order to expand the rink on the western side of their building. This is where Mayor Winnecke has another golden opportunity to improve Evansville.

HOW CAN MAYOR WINNECKE SELL A BMX ONLY FACILITY NEXT TO ROBERTS STADIUM POLITICALLY?

As most of you know, Evansville is a deep,deep,deep conservative town. Not only are they conservative, they are also very leary of capital improvement projects. If Mayor Winnecke is going to build a complex around Roberts Stadium that can truly maximize the benefit of having all of our facilities together in one complex, he needs to market it smartly. How can he do this?

When I was in D.C, I had to go through a political school/academy called the Youth Leadership Institute. This organization has trained famous political leaders such as Mitch McConnell, Karl Rove, Grover Norquist, and just about anyone else in D.C. There is one thing they thought me that specifically applies to this situation- Know how to word your message.

For example, you never hear abortion groups mention abortion. No, they are "pro-choice." You also never hear gun groups mention guns. No, they are "pro-2nd amendment." In order for us to get a complex built around Roberts Stadium, Mayor Winnecke will have to apply this same technique.

How can Mayor Winnecke apply this technique? Basically, he would need to say the following...

"I'm not for a new capital improvement project for a BMX only facility. No, that would be a waste of taxpayer dollars. What I am for though is "expanding Swonder Ice Rink." Expanding this facility into Roberts Stadium's northern lot will allow us to expand our existing BMX facility while updating Swonder Ice Rink which has proven to be a valuable asset to our community."

That's right, we would not be building a new BMX only facility, rather we would be expanding Swonder. And not only would be expanding Swonder, we would also be cutting down on Roberts Stadium's parking lot which is nothing more than an expensive eyesore that needs to be scaled down to accompany a mid-sized Roberts Stadium. It would give us the opportunity to construct a facility next to Roberts Stadium with the old brackets that were on the original Roberts Stadium built by Ralph Legeman.

With a BMX only facility next to Roberts Stadium, we will have a complex that is second to none in the Midwest. We will have a complex with the capacity to bring in tourists and guests 365 days a week, the capacity for cross-marketing events like a BMX event with a mid-sized concert, and the capacity to connect Roberts Stadium with Swonder Ice Rink.

Of course, first things first, we need Mayor Winnecke to recommend that our Parks Dept. Board scale Roberts Stadium down to a mid-sized arena. This is the cheapest option and it is the only option that takes into account the goals and desires of all of the other ideas. While Roberts Stadium is being renovated, our Parks Dept. then needs to evaluate how much funding they have left over to convert Roberts Stadium's back lot into a green space. They also need to commit to keeping all profit from Roberts Stadium inside the complex in order to maintain this green space and put funds aside to repair Roberts Stadium and build more capital improvement projects.

Once those two steps are complete, our city's Aquatics Task Force can then evaluate which year they are going to set funds aside to renovate Hartke Pool. I would imagine that this would have to be within the next 4-5 years as the pool is on its last leg and the east side desperately needs a natatorium as well.

By then, Swonder, which is 10 years old this year, will be due for another round of renovations as it will be approaching 15 years old. With the help of the private sector via the selling of cafe space and rental space for BMX practice, our city will be able to construct a BMX only facility in the northern lot that would be just as big as Roberts Stadium and would finally connect Swonder and Roberts.

If we are going to make this complex successful, we MUST think like Portland and plan for the long term not the short term. We must make Roberts Stadium a mid-sized arena with a BMX only facility next to it!