No Sale, No Demolition, AND NO ADDITIONAL TAXES

I love my arenas (all three of them) and I love my city. I have always believed that it wouldn't be right for one  not to look out for the other. In the case of Roberts Stadium, it is vitally important that any plan drawn up be of mutual benefit to both the arena and the city of Evansville. This translates into the following...

1. No Sale- Unless Roberts Stadium were to be sold outright to a non-profit organization like UE, USI, etc, etc, it would not be a good idea to sell the facility. Selling the facility would prevent the city from synchronizing our top two arenas, prevent the city from controlling what goes next to Wesselman Woods, and would likely eliminate the idea of Roberts Stadium being a disaster relief area.

2. No Demolition- Demolishing Roberts Stadium isn't just a bad idea, it's a terrible idea. Demolishing a facility that is still in good shape despite having been gutted is not the way to go. Demolition would prevent the city from retaining and attracting mid-sized events, bringing diverse entertainment to Evansville, retaining the $16 million taxpayer dollars invested in the facility in 1990/91, as well as preventing the city from flexing smaller acts away from the Ford Center so that it can bring in bigger and more profitable events.

3. No Additional Taxation- By far and away, increasing taxes or using revenue from any fund in the city budget should be off the table. At this current time, our city budget needs to address critical shortfalls such as   repairing and renovating our decades old sewer system, creating jobs via the creation of a slack water port in the Howell Rail Yards, and rehabilitating our current parks. Due to the out of control urban sprawl our city refuses to control, our budge is tapped out for any development project not located in Downtown Evansville.

At this point, most of you are probably saying, "No sale, no demolition, and no additional taxation? That is impossible!" If this were just about any other project, you would probably be right. But in the case of Roberts Stadium, we can pull this off. How so?

The answer, at this point, is very simple. Although it would involve the ECVB and the County Council, using the Innkeepers Tax to fund renovations to Roberts Stadium is THE BEST PLAN AVAILABLE. Why is the Innkeepers Tax a perfect match with Roberts Stadium?

1. A mid-sized Roberts Stadium will put heads in beds with tourists and guests coming in for mid-sized concerts, Div II basketball preseason tournament games, high school basketball tournament games, volleyball tournament games, professional indoor soccer tournaments such as the Hoosier Cup, BMX shows, etc, etc. These events would accompany local events such as minor league basketball, indoor football, and trade shows just to name a few.

2. The Innkeepers Tax is ALREADY BEING COLLECTED. Whether it is used to fund a renovation to Roberts Stadium or not, this tax is already being collected and will still be collected. Unlike youth baseball fields, Roberts Stadium can be used year round, will bring in more visitors, and will be a greater benefit for local residents at the same time given that we already have over 50 ball fields.

3. Using the Innkeepers Tax would mean no funds would come from the general fund. The Innkeepers Tax is specifically designed for tourists facilities only. If I'm not mistaken, a certain percentage of it has to be spent on brick and mortar as well. There is no better way to use the Innkeepers Tax than on a scaled down mid-sized Roberts Stadium.

4. Using the Innkeepers Tax keeps Roberts Stadium in public hands. This is crucial not just for Roberts Stadium but for those who want a green space as well .With Roberts Stadium still in public hands, the city can construct a park/green space behind Roberts Stadium that would be approximately the same size as the green space going up at the old airport. This would allow Wesselman Woods to still be connected with State Hospital Park and would be "something for everyone." This would prevent special interests from taking over the lot.

5.  Renovating Roberts Stadium is a better deal than the ball fields project. Initially, the cost to scale Roberts Stadium down to a mid-sized arena was $4-4.5 million. Since the facility has been gutted, there will need to be two things added to the bill- 4,500-5,000 seats and parts of the central plant that were sold off.  The rest of the renovations such as raising the floor, repairing the roof, renovating the bathrooms, demolishing the precast tunnel sections, and reconfiguring the HVAC system were ALREADY in the initial budget. If we add  the estimated $5 million for a completely new central plant system we will be at $9 million which is the median of Bob Warren's ball fields estimate.

Roberts Stadium becomes cheaper than Mr. Warren's plan once naming rights are sold and rent from primary tenants are factored into the equation. Not to mention, year round ticket sales from Roberts Stadium will bring in more revenue than seasonal sales to baseball groups at 8 dull and boring ball fields.

6. Renovating Roberts Stadium would dump revenue back into the Innkeepers Tax. Events at Roberts Stadium WILL BE PROFITABLE. In an earlier edition of the Courier & Press, it was estimated that it costs $646 a day to run Roberts Stadium (of course Denise Johnson is trying to run this figure up some more now). This estimate came from DAVE RECTOR's calculations himself that he passed out at our second public task force meeting. This cost will be reduced significantly when we raise the floor because it will eliminate the water pumps expense as well as reduce the amount of heating and air conditioning needed each year.

Even if the above figure were doubled, Roberts Stadium would still bring in revenue by renting the facility to tenants for $3-5,000 (this is the going rate for indoor football and minor league basketball teams) plus parking fees, concession stand revenue, as well as a cut in merchandise sales that would be shared with the tenants. This revenue would replenish the Innkeepers Tax before we even consider how many hotel rooms Roberts Stadium would fill.

We have heard from some residents that selling Roberts Stadium is the best idea. Yet, this idea would have to clear several hurdles such as the land deed. We have heard that demolishing the facility is the best idea. Yet, this plan requires $8 million that will never be recouped.

Given these constraints, using the Innkeepers Tax to renovate Roberts Stadium into a mid-size 4,500-5,000 seat arena makes the most sense. Of course, the last thing you are going to hear from the ECVB, the mayor, or the C&P is a word about using the Innkeepers Tax. They have their hearts set on wasting more money on a ball fields complex that is heading for the wrong location with the wrong design. We don't need to add any more ball field complexes until we've addressed the facilities we currently have such as Roberts Stadium.

If you believe Roberts Stadium is a keeper let the mayor know you want him to use the Innkeepers Tax!