Jordan Baer Releases Video of his Vision for Kleymeyer Park

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Parks Current Condition Confirms Dr. Troost’s Assertions that SOMETHING MUST BE DONE

This video speaks for itself so we are posting it without editing or bias.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

12 COMMENTS

  2. Thank You CCO for posting my video.

    As you can see, we have a terrible condition at both Garvin & Kleymeyer Parks. I am very serious about this project and am very willing to work with the powers that be to get this accomplished.

    I tried to contact Mr. David Dunn on several occasions about this project but he did not respond.

    The good thing about what I would like to do is, like the video says, there already is a group that does these vintage MLB fields and they do it taxpayer free ( scroll down to benefits: http://www.bigleaguedreams.com/corporate/park-development )

    While I cannot guarantee you that they would come, it would seem reasonable that one company or another would be interested in doing the project. If they aren’t this would be a profitable project for the city unlike the Wesselman plan. Why and how do they do it? Well, if you look closely, they use the space on the ballparks to sell their advertisers ads instead of what would normally be on Yankee Stadium or Fenway or the Polo Grounds, etc, etc. They also have a building in the middle of their fields that makes revenue off indoor activities.

    Also, there use to be an old landfill on the land. Dunn said this was a problem, it is not. Not only has the land fully recovered from the landfill but it also has a gas that we need to convert to energy. Here’s the write up I did on that:
    http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2010/11/red-rover-red-rover-please-send-epa-on.html

    This is the perfect time to get this project going. I am currently working with the Otters on bringing back the festival for opening day and Keep Evansville Beautiful is getting ready to restore the water fountain in Garvin Park.

    We can get this done. I hope that the Parks Board and new ECVB expresses interest in working with me on this project (my email is JordanBaer1@gmail.com ). We have the opportunity to build 8 UNIQUE field that replicate vintage MLB Parks that will bring in tournaments from all over the country, we have the opportunity to clean up the entire area, and we have the opportunity to connect these parks with Bosse Field where the women’s softball championship game would be played at Bosse Field, the site of the movie A League of Their Own. Why would we pass something like this up?

  3. I do like the idea of the softball fields, but I take issue with some of the businesses that are shown as closed. The businesses located at 1st Ave and Diamond, including the old Buehler’s Buy Low, have asbestos and have been closed for a very long time. The buildings are unsafe and unsellable due to the cost of abatement. Also, Kelley Chevrolet did not go out of business. They were bought by Kenny Kent and moved operations there. I doubt it if car dealership properties are being bought anywhere. Don’t devalue a great idea like the ballparks with incorrect information. Leave that to the politicians.

    • While they may have asbestos problems now (I’m not sure how bad it is), the Diamond Ave buildings were closed up when 1. Shopko went out 2. Buehler’s closed this store and their village commons store at the same time. Buehler’s kept it as a warehouse for several years and it was only until they filed for bankruptcy did they leave this location as a storage area 3. The Dollar Tree and Chinese Restaurant then closed due to being on an island 4. Blockbuster closed.

      All of these businesses would have either relocated around the area or would have directly fixed the asbestos problem ( I’m not too familiar with how bad it is) if there was a reason to be there but there’s not.

      Same with the car dealership. Yes they were bought out, but Kenny Kent would have moved operations there or would have kept it as a second location if this area were prime real estate instead of the current Kenny Kent location which has been in the middle of a lot of investment and development. Even if they didn’t, this land would still be valuable but it’s not.

      And that is what the point of this video is. If this area is left as is, this will continue indefinitely. If we bring 40,000 + (Dunn was claiming 100,000 for his project) people to this area I can pretty much say (don’t want to guarantee you never know how things go around here) you we won’t be looking at a vacant Diamond Ave.

  4. Regardless of what you think of this idea and the merits.

    It is a sad state of this union, culture – but especially our city…

    When a young entrepreneurial mind, focused on creating something profitable, bettering blighted areas, bettering the community as a whole…

    doesn’t think or have the ability to put his money where his mouth is and just do something on his own dime. Rather, cultural instincts, have trained him to beg the bureaucracy for time and consideration…

    And they give him neither.

    • heh. Well said.

      The funny thing about all of this – whether it’s the Option B crowd in the Roberts Stadium debate or issues such as this ill-conceived plan – the so-called local “conservatives” back this crap! It’s pretty unbelievable, really.

      No wonder the Vanderburgh Republican Party is in shambles. With “conservatives” like these, who needs “liberals”?

  5. The ideas of this video and the accompanying research have considerable merit IMO. The lack of response by Mr. Dunn along with his idiotic and arrogant behavior follwing Christmaspartygate, shows he has absolutely no business or ability in being involved with any aspect of promoting our city. Mr. Dunn is a classic defintion of the Peter Principle. Thankfully for him, the hotels are family so they have to tolerate his imcompetence.

    Back to point, these ideas are fantastic and this is the type of vision that is certainly needed to do something and set us apart. There are plenty of places in this city that is more suitable than tearing down Roberts Stadium. Of course, the stadium parcel is the only one that is close to Mr. Dunn’s hotel. I agree with either location suggested here and would also the US 41 -I-164-Veterans Pkwy interchange. This is the gateway to our city and the first impression is a dilapidated shopping center being used by a trashy flea market. There is no argument that the adjoining neighborhood here is in as bad of need as the near northside.

    I do agree with the others that this will not save or greatly affect the abandoned shopping centers and businesses. Like I said, I would like to see Southlane torn down as well as the one at First and Diamond. Abandoned shopping centers are not a problem exclusive to Evansville and sadly, is very common. This is simply a result of out of control urban sprawl. Too many communities, including ours, will rubber stamp a Wal-Marts building permit for their latest eyesore without any consideration or expectation of what will happen to the existing property. Do you honestly think Wal-Mart would have left Evansville if we would have denied their permit for Red Bank until they had presented a feasible and long term plan for the existing property? Instead, we are going on 8-10 years of a vacant eyesore greeting people coming from the west.

    • You decry urban sprawl…yet you want the taxpayers to spend more money on the very same sprawl you’re talking about?

      It defies sense and logic to do this. The only thing you’re going to accomplish by following this ‘big government’ model of taxing and spending is forcing more and more businesses either out of the area or underground.

      If you guys feel so strongly about this project, why don’t you go out and drum up some investors to spend the millions to buy the land and build a baseball complex. I know why you won’t do it… Because it’s a MONEY PIT!

  6. People… You are trying to squeeze blood from a turnip here. In case you hadn’t noticed, REAL unemployment (including people who have stopped looking for work) is about 20% nationwide.

    Any money you try to spend on crap like this is just throwing good money after bad. My advice…find another hobby that doesn’t spend taxpayer money at a time when we are in an economic Depression.

    You can go around town and take as many pictures of private dilapidated properties as you like – and there are plenty of them around, let me assure you – but that is only proving my point! The economic conditions are simply not present to support what you want to do with this City.

    It’s all well and good to say “I want to live in a utopia”, but unless you’re willing to just roll up your sleeves and volunteer your own time to get out there and pick stuff up and improve it, it does no good… All you’ll be doing is spending someone else’s money to have a “project”.

    You might call me a “naysayer”, but I say I’m a soothsayer. Why do you think all the affluent people are moving to Warrick County? The best thing city leaders could do is stop thinking they know better than the free market. Stop taxing Group A to give to the benefit of Groups B and C and thinking that is “progress”.

  7. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK JORDAN BAER DON’T GIVE UP THEIR IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE SOMEONE TO TRY TARE YOU DOWN IF YOU BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU ARE DOING THEN DON’T GIVE UP ON THAT DREAM GOD BLESS YOU

    • Brenda, Thank you for all of your support and efforts for Roberts Stadium and the ball fields project as well.

      I hear you, Lloyd Winnecke hears you, and soon, those who want to knock this building over are going to hear from all of us.

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