Is The C&P Claiming We Have $12-$14 Million But Not $4-$4.5 Million?

http://oels.byu.edu/student/idioms/proverbs/images/money_on_trees.jpg

Excuses, that appears to be the only thing left from those who support demolishing a building that is in great shape, has enormous potential, and STILL is 1/3rd the price of building the green space proposed by the green space subcommittee.

After reading today's C&P (I'm still unsure why I even bother doing that anymore), I am convinced now more than ever that our local city leaders (both government and newspaper) are now hellbent on making the wrong decision which will drag both sides of this battle, along with the city of Evansville, down and into to the ground while throwing yet another log on the fire of the 50 + year old pall over Evansville.

Let's dive into some of the quotes from today's C&P....

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/may/02/roberts-reports-doesnt-give-us-much-optimism/

"It's been painful to watch the unwrapping of the Roberts Stadium report on possible uses for the now-closed public arena."

It's only been painful to the C&P to watch the Roberts Stadium report because they know the side they are rooting for, the side of demolition, tried to sneak a page into the report that is completely inaccurate and has exposed demolition supporters for the bush league and dirty political tactics that they use as means of conducting their business.

I'll tell you what's been "painful to watch," our city leaders trying to find new excuses to tear down this building.

"Everything from the mysterious "page 13," to the promise that some supporters see at the end of the rainbow that Evansville could afford rebuilding it into a sports or entertainment center boggles the mind."

Wait a minute, the costs to renovate Roberts Stadium are $4 million to $4.5 million while the costs to construct yet another green space we don't need is $12 million to $14 million. The C&P finds it mind boggling that we could afford $4 million to $4.5 million instead of $12 million to $14 million? How can common sense keep baffling the C&P?

"Roberts, a once great college basketball hall but now outdated by the new Ford Center in Downtown Evansville, has been mothballed, awaiting a decision on whether to tear in down or to rebuild it into something new."

This is the C&P's way of casually suggesting that having the Ford Center, a premier arena, makes having Roberts Stadium expendable. Demolition supporters have long claimed that the two would compete. But now there's a problem, Venuworks, who runs the Ford Center, AND SMG think otherwise. Opps, there goes that excuse, we better reword it to "outdated."

"Even if the report released by the Roberts Stadium Task Force came with no estimates on the costs of various options, most citizens who care could figure out for themselves that with the stadium leaking underground water and in need of a new air handling system, it would cost a bunch of money to bring it into operating shape."

Even if the report came with no cost estimates? That's funny, I could have sworn there were cost estimates (page 9 for mid-sized arena, page 12 for green space) in the report ( I sure hope Larry Steinberg didn't change anything else)...

http://media.courierpress.com/media/static/Roberts_report.pdf

I guess it's too much for the C&P to assume that our local citizens can figure out for themselves that a $4 million to $4.5 million renovated arena with its ability to remain solvent off of revenues from events that SMG/Venuworks would host such as the three tenants who are already interested in the facility is a better deal than a $12 million to $14 million green space that projects NO REVENUES to offset its costs or maintenance. Once more, this is common sense C&P.

"Then, it would have to be converted into the natatorium or the multisport center or whatever, and then, the operators would need money to run it. Even if converting to the various options would cost less than to completely build a new stadium, as some people suggest, it would still be extremely expensive."

For all of those who love algebra, let's try this equation to see which side is truly the "expensive" side...

X= Cost to renovate Roberts Stadium into a mid-sized arena (roughly $4 mil to $4.5 mil)
Y= Cost to construct a green space on the lot (roughly $12 mil to $14 mil)
Z= Undetermined amount of revenue from events

3(X)-Z=Y-O(Z )+$10,000

(For those who support the Democratic Central Committee, this equation is stating that Roberts Stadium is 1/3rd the price of a green space)

It shouldn't take a genius to figure this equation out!

"And up to this point, no one from the private sector has come forward with the cash to make it work."

And up to this point, no one from the private sector has stepped forward to finance the demolition of Roberts Stadium and the construction of a green space, nor has anyone in general been able to explain how the city would recoup the $12 million to $14 million it would cost to build such a green space much less the $10,000 to $32,000 it will take to maintain it (Isn't our existing green spaces already in need of massive repairs?). Hypocrisy knows no boundaries with those who oppose Roberts Stadium.

"During the course of its research, the citizens task force entertained more than 600 ideas. Of those, three subcommittees narrowed it down to six options, among them a multisport facility, a BMX Bike venue, a large park, a concert venue, and a medium sized stadium."

I would like to add that at ALL of the public task force meetings, those who support Roberts Stadium ALWAYS outnumbered those who support demolition. In fact, it was never close. A few of our task force members estimated the ratio to be 90-10 in favor of Roberts.

"If there is, among the proposals, a boffo idea that the taxpayers would support and the public would embrace, then Roberts supporters and the city administration should put it out there and see how far it can go. Otherwise, let it go. Tear down the old stadium and raise a park in its place."

There is indeed a plan that makes the most sense, and it is making Roberts Stadium a mid-sized arena. Here are 20 reasons to support it and 20 reasons to oppose a green space...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2012/03/in-end-it-was-those-who-support.html

And here is how Mayor Winnecke can sell it to the public...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-can-lloyd-winnecke-sell-roberts.html

I'm still waiting for the financial benefits of constructing a green space that is estimated to cost approximately three times the amount of renovating Roberts Stadium (of course, demolition supporters don't believe the cost estimates are accurate, only page 13 is accurate to them) and generates little to no revenue.

"One of the task force members is Jordan Baer, the young man who started "Save Roberts Stadium." We don't share his optimism that Roberts can or should be saved, but we recognize that he is a person of ideas, He has much to offer this community, and we hope he remains involved, regardless of what happens to Roberts."

The C&P, and their political allies that run our local government, have opposed me in the battle to construct high speed rail/oppose I-69, they have refused to support constructing the ball fields at Kleymeyer Park, and they have failed to address the lack of commitment to the 2001 Downtown Master Plan as well as the 2002 Garvin Park/Kleymeyer Park Master Plan.

If Mayor Winnecke does indeed choose demolition as his preferred option, the question then becomes: Why stay? Why even bother wasting an ounce of time trying to get something done if the newspaper and local government are hellbent on fighting it tooth and nail? If Roberts Stadium is demolished, I can only hope that there is a job opening in another city with another zip code!!!

I like the C&P as much as I hate their opinions, but let's be honest, demolishing Roberts Stadium when the financial data speaks very clearly in favor of renovating Roberts Stadium would be the first step in yet another 50 year pall. And let's be honest, who wants to stay or move to "Little Chicago"?

"But in the end, we suspect that neither the money nor the enthusiasm will be there for Roberts, and it will be up to Mayor Lloyd Winnecke, who appointed the task force to make the final decision. In the meantime, the water and the city's money go drip, drip, drip."

Where will the money come from to construct a green space that is 3 times the price of Roberts Stadium? Why hasn't the city attempted to sell naming rights to the gates like the Aces are doing to raise funds for their new $3.3 million practice facility?

In terms of enthusiasm, I sure hope the C&P is referring to our city leaders and not our city residents. I sure hope the C&P isn't discounting the 150 yard signs around Roberts Stadium...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/11/sign-sign-everywhere-sign.html

I also hope the C&P isn't ignoring the will of the residents who came to our meetings, including the 25 out of the 28 residents who toured Roberts Stadium and viewed it in a positive light...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2012/01/public-finally-got-to-meet-real-roberts.html

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2012/02/after-final-public-meeting-polls.html

We heard a lot of viewpoints from the C&P in their recent editorial, but there are still a lot of things we didn't hear nor will we ever expect to hear from them such as...

1. How is renovating Roberts which is roughly 1/3rd of the price of building a green space the "expensive" option?

2. Where is the money going to come from to build a $12 million to $14 million green space?

3. What revenue is this green space going to generate to pay this expensive project off?

4. Why isn't the C&P the least bit worried in the fact that a person(s) just put a completely inaccurate page in our task force report ? What happened to seeking the truth in government? This page is STILL in the report and our task force director has yet to try to prove it while the mayor's communications director doesn't seem the least big concerned about it being inaccurate and even admitted it was added after our 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/

5. Where does the C&P get the idea that there is wide support for a green space? Green space supporters were always outnumbered at our task force meetings.

Overall, this appears to be another disappointing article from the C&P that fits right in line with their previous editorials on Roberts Stadium. I sure hope Mayor Winnecke doesn't fall for editorials like this. I also hope that he is preparing to side with the people in saving Roberts Stadium and not with local political powers that are scared to death of the false notion that the Ford Center and Roberts Stadium will compete.

In the next 30 days, we're going to learn a lot about our city government. We're going to see once more if this is the year that the 50 + year pall is lifted or if this is just another friendly reminder that our government is not interested in plans that work, only plans that fit the agenda of our political good-ole-boy system.

The truth still remains, the Roberts Stadium Task Force report speaks for itself...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2012/04/mayor-winnecke-task-force-report-speaks.html

And it's telling Mayor Winnecke to SAVE ROBERTS STADIUM!