GAGE Report Vindicates Roberts Demolition Critics by: Brad Linzy

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roberts_exterior

GAGE Report Vindicates Roberts Demolition Critics
by: Brad Linzy

The 2013 GAGE Mid-Year Report released at the end of August laments the lack of manufacturing space for rent, citing this lack as one reason they cant attract more manufacturing business to the area. The report alludes to a “building project” with the help, in part, of the Vanderburgh County Commission. We are not yet sure what project this is referencing.

The report states there is a shortage of manufacturing buildings for lease in the 100,000-150,000 sq. ft. range.

“Trends include an increase in lease rather than purchase requirements, even for manufacturing projects. The vast majority of project leads call for an existing building rather than land for construction. Evansville/Vanderburgh County lacks an available inventory of high ceiling, wide bay manufacturing facilities in the popular 100,000 to 150,000 SF size range. The Growth Alliance is therefore working with the Vanderburgh County Commission and Evansville Industrial Foundation to develop a shell building project that will allow us to actively pursue more manufacturing project leads.”

It is worth noting that Robert’s Stadium was 100,000 sq. ft. and seemed to meet all the requirements for satisfying GAGE’s criteria. On the face of it, this seems to lend even more vindication to the idea that the Stadium could have had a second life serving another purpose and the demolition was premature and imprudent.

http://www.growthallianceevv.com/uploads/2013-Mid-Year-Report.pdf

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29 COMMENTS

  3. Do they not have a vehicle? Drive around a little, fill a few of the many empty comercial properties that are empty. GAGE has no integrity, they ran off First Friday from the walkway, it “cost too much” even though it cost NOTHING! The car show brought more people/ business to the walkway than have been there in years.Since it was free, the politians couldn’t get a cut.

  4. Roberts stadium had no resemblance to a commercial building.

    It’s sole loading dock was below ground level. The flat floor was tiny and the bulk of it’s square footage was a stair stepped wall. It’s concrete floors were never designed for the floor loadings for manufacturing equipment.

    • Actually fellows, after close study of the facility, having once had an innovative vision to change directional function of the Roberts Stadium,I’ll admit it did have some merit if considered. Standing Underutilized base Geothermal features,when applied to “functional thermodynamically balanced resources structures” can be brought forward with defined,engineered, structures repurposing.
      Given those in-visioned modifications and a ambient temperature and light lumen controlled,automatically actuated true planet sky passage roof structure. Could be,someone with the vision and the funds could have developed the thing into a major restructured and repurposed blue sky “thermo ambient arena”,some people thought water park,nah! Try a Membership Driver,sports club,like a huge ambient controlled open sky WMCA,with running tracks, swim spas,hand ball courts,racquet sports,bike racing, Rollback diving pool,innovative olympian events sized retractable pool design,for indoor,however open sky competitions under the planets sun,or the constellations. At certain times,solarium,others planetarium,anytime indoor naturally ambient,and controlled sports complex.
      “Extreme exposition value,sustainable bang for the buck”,supported and utilized by its membership and events schedules,evolved to the planets actual timing itself.
      Kinda a better 21st century coliseum,BTW,thats exactly how the “blasted Romans” put on their stuff,however their “games” were more like a Evansville citizen vs leadership squabble,than a fun innovative place to work out,energize,invite,and sponsor athletic competitions.

      All balanced and sustainable forward,vision to actuality.

      Hard to imagine……”not so much”.

  5. I kind of doubt it would be cost effective to somehow repurpose a bowl shaped basketball stadium that floods into a manufacturing facility. What a bizarre idea. Is the whirlpool building full? I must’ve missed that announcement. Or any of the other numerous empty buildings around the area.

    • The report cites a shortage in properties for lease in the popular 100,000-150,000sq ft range. I think Whirlpool is too large

  6. Brad–

    Poor article. Shows you know very little to nothing about manufacturing space. Stick to what you know.

    • You can’t even prove the task force report yet you stood in front of the parks board to support this terrible lawn of nothing just because it is Winnecke’s idea. That is nothing short of pathetic. You are the one who should stick to what you know even though I’m still searching for what that might be.

      • Dirty political tricks and schemes, like the rest of the GOP along with backslapping, being a toady to the higher ups and keepign the lower toadies in line… and raising money.

      • Rails&RobertsStadium:

        Why do you hide behind an assumed name?
        What work experience do you have?
        Are you an Engineer?
        Have you ever been the CEO of a major Copmany?

        • Wayne, this is the most pathetic post I have ever seen you make on here, and that is really saying something.

          First of all, don’t even act like you or anyone else on here doesn’t know who I am. That is flat out pathetic and I’m not even going to argue over that.

          Next, if you’re going to question my engineering I’m going to question you’re sports management. You’ve claimed the building needed to come down because it had no future tenants once the Ford Center was built. That is flat out, 100% incorrect. Answer this Parke: Do you REALLY think you know more than TWO arena operators?

          And as far as the engineering, we had plenty of architects and engineers look at the building. The HNTB report speaks very clearly ” NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.” How many times did you survery the building?

          And when asked if the roof repair costs on the side concourses were too expensive to justify renovating the building, Jeff Justice kept shaking his head saying the mere $50,000-$100,000 was completely inconsequential in a project this large.

          The building was fine and you know it. In fact, just about everything except the end zone bricks and roof beams were only 22 years old. The roof over the triangle part of the building was fixed in 2005, the pumps were replaced in 2005, and the parking lot was redone in 2002. SMG made it very clear to the city that they needed a new arena for their business specifically but that that didn’t mean the building itself was in bad shape.

          What your post boils down to is this: You STILL CANNOT PROVE the general conclusions page of the Roberts Stadium Task Force report. You STILL cannot explain why a mayor would appoint a task force and then NEVER sit down, much less investigate, the findings of the subcommittees. And you STILL cannot even tell me if Wilson Auctions was a bid or no bid contract.

          But of course you want us to move on. I mean who could blame you right? I question your view of public service.

          • They’ve already been saying “move on” about the hotel deal, and it isn’t even built yet. Of course the bunglers want us to move on.

  8. This assertion Roberts could not have been modified to meet the needs of a manufacturing space is ridiculous. The floor could have been raised and additional bay doors could have been installed if needed. It would have cost a great deal less than tearing the entire structure down and carting away the rubble. The point is, if this manufacturing space shortage truly exists as GAGE claims, some developer would have seen the need and placed a bid at auction. The facility could have continued to create JOBS rather than act as landfill.

    I can’t wait to see what “project” this report if referring to.

    • Correct. The estimate to raise the floor was 400k to make it level with the back area or 1.2 mil to bring it completely up to street level. The estimate to demolish the precast concrete above street level was 85k. The bay doors would have been added to the south side after the meeting space would have been removed as well. The existing northern ticket offices would have been the payroll and management offices and the existing bathrooms to the north would have sufficed. All in all you’re probably looking at 2-3 mil project. The city has already wasted $773,000 + on knocking the building down and has already tried for $1.5 million just to put a road BACK that they JUST ripped up. And where is the city/county going to get land and build a new building for that price?

      No, a manufacturing building is certainly not the concept I believe best fit the building. That was most definitely the mid-sized arena which is still the best use for the land. Not to mention, 41 is struggling for business from top to bottom. But when compared with the current plan (if you call it one) it does make much more sense.

    • Brad Linzy: I am a Civil Engineer. You do not have a clue what your talking about. You need to move on to another subject. You keep digging yourself a deeper hole.

        • Oh boy *** Crash,Thats waynes world,ask’um how many lbs/Square inch….”a dancing elephant” puts on a stadium floor while standing on one foot. (With a lady on its back?)…With! The additional conditionals of the harmonics generated,By! The dancing bear,and the other elephants running in circles around the ring…Over! The life of the Shrine Circus performances at Roberts stadium…Or! The ford center….Givin! He might be informed enough to research the critters weights and steps/Minute. And,additions of, the increasing vibrations created by the roaring Lions,Tigers bears and other monkeys and such.
          Along! With! The sound system,and the raucous applause of the crowds approval of such a wonderful presentation. Hell, throw in a monster truck or two. All the while, landing on half an axle load from about a perceived 15 foot accelerated drop.. Just wondering myself?

          Civil Engineers, good field of useful endeavour for future sustainable resourcing,all that experience,maybe the guy should offer to mentor some young persons having the goals and objectives too, save and find use for the resources and the funding of,one has left at the present.

          The progressive commercial…fellas –> (“well. that x splains it”.)

      • Care to offer up some details? Explain to us why the floor of Roberts could not have been raised and new bay doors installed.

        Lets hear more of your “can’t do” attitude… I’m glad all civil engineers don’t share your “can’t do” spirit; we would still be taking buggies across the Ohio on rafts.

  9. Brad Linzy: he whines and cries but what has this person ever done to benefit our community?

    Roberts should not have become warehousing for manufacturing. You guys are just beating a dead horse. Why should we have turned a huge lot next door to a park into an industrial wasteland? Completely absurd.

    • “Brad Linzy: he whines and cries but what has this person ever done to benefit our community?”

      And you are?…. I hear a lot of “get over it” (a Winnecke supporter specialty) but I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a person by the name of KnowNothing solving any community problems. In fact I asked you specifically how we could talk some sense into the city to put the med school on the Old Central lot and that drew cricket noise from you.

      “Why should we have turned a huge lot next door to a park into an industrial wasteland? ”

      Ever been down Stockwell? And how are you figuring it as a “wasteland” Most new industrial complexes are well kept.

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