IS IT TRUE? July 13, 2011
IS IT TRUE that a smiling new leader of the local office of VenuWorks was the speaker at the downtown Rotary Club yesterday?…that our Moles tell us that the presentation was slick and that the speaker is a very good orator?…that he even gets high marks for being a likeable chap?…that the question and answer session produced some fairly pointed questions from the audience that did not exactly get the answer that one would hope for?…that when point blank asked about the certitude that the Shrine Circus would be in the new Evansville Arena at the regular time this year that the speaker seemed to be hedging?…that answers like “that’s the plan†or “no one has told me that it won’t be†are not really as succinct as a simple “yes, they are signed on and the load outs are tested and readyâ€?…that VenuWorks does not yet have a final contract in place?…that under the current temporary consulting agreement that VenuWorks needs the approval of the Evansville Redevelopment Commission to sign any acts into the Arena?…that there is no public record of any approvals for anything at all?…that there therefore cannot contractually be any acts booked, skyboxes sold, premium loge seats sold, concessions contracts in place, sponsorships completed etc.? …that we think our readers get the picture?…that complacency, the cone of incompetence, or both have the people of Evansville behind the 8 ball yet again?
IS IT TRUE that a full walk around the new Arena leaves one wondering just how to get a herd of circus animals into and out of the place during late November?…that Hannibal got some well trained war elephants across the Alps to invade Rome?…that the recently abandoned work site known as the “Pile of Rubble†does not look nearly as inviting to pachyderms, tigers, lions, horses, zebras, or even clowns as the Alps do?…that the rebar sticking up could be a hazard to these circus animals?…that if the problem of the “Pile of Rubble†is not dealt with very soon that some types of entertainment will most certainly be complicated if not impossible due to the load out situation?…that someone needs to contact INDOT today to order some “tiger crossing†and “elephant crossing†signs for downtown Evansville?
IS IT TRUE and WE REPEAT that the construction company that has been removing the debris from the “Pile of Rubble†has pulled off of the job?…that last week when the Evansville Redevelopment Commission terminated the contract with Woodruff Hospitality LLC to develop a Hyatt Place hotel in adjacent to the Arena and the Centre that the responsibility for payment for demolition services was removed from Woodruff Hospitality LLC, who said it was already going to be paid by Kunkel who was not at the meeting?…that the responsibility at this point in the absence of a future deal will fall flat on the shoulders of the taxpayers of Evansville, Indiana?…that now famous modus operandi of READY, FIRE, AIM seems to have really resulted in a bullet through the foot for the Weinzapfel Administration and the Evansville Redevelopment Commission AND a kick in the butt for the people of Evansville?
IS IT TRUE that in all fairness what has turned into a litany of chaos with respect to the hotel project is not a laughing matter?…that this mother of all failures deserves a full process audit and a complete overhaul?…that there is too much power that has been vested in the Evansville Redevelopment Commission?…that the Evansville City Council willfully granted the ERC this power by an 8 – 1 margin along party lines?…that the Mayor of Evansville appoints three of the five members of the ERC which essentially gives the Mayor dictatorial power over all of the funds managed and allocated by the ERC?…that there is no way that a process audit will recommend that this failed situation be left intact?…that any process that leaves an unmitigated “Pile of Rubble” in any downtown that resembles the Hiroshima Monument more than a modern construction site is a process that screams out for change?
King John must have saw what was getting ready to happen to his master plan. It would have been hard to run again with this fiasco and others facing him. John and his cronies all need to be held responsible Lets use our rights and vote these clowns out of public office.
According to “Della” over on the courier web site Kunkle is saddle’in-up their white horses and getting ready to ride in to save the day, the naggin’ question is just what is it going to cost the fine citizens of the city of Evansville to be saved?
Oh you nattering naybobs! Close your eyes, open your wallet, and trust in Della.
Della, who appears to have telephathy with the Administration and the ERC, posted in the Courier comments that “Kunkle will move forward with their new proposal…end of story”
I think King John should loan his friend Della the money to buy a pick-up truck, so she can get started hauling that stuff away.
I think they are going to wait and see if they can get “their boy” Winnecke elected, if so a lot of the Kings horses and men (including Della) will get to hang around another four years.
Let me make sure I still have the facts straight? The arena opens in a couple of months, there is still NO agreement between Venuworks and the Shrine, UE and The Icemen? Probably the three largest consistent users of this arena.
There is no question we needed a new or total makeover of an arena, and I have been initially for this, although I never felt the size or potential uses was ever thought out. It is apparent though, that the administration, particularly the ERC is incompetent and incapable of adequately putting this together.
IMO, nothing else should be done until we have a new administration in place. The ERC memebers should resign immediately, the Mayor should announce that he is going to allow the next administration to complete this job and both candidates should develop and campaign on their agenda to address this situation, both the arena contracts and the hotels (Executive site and McCurdy). UE and the circus should just use Roberts for this season and the Icemen utilize Swonder again or the Sportscenter in Owensboro.
There is absolutely no reason or logic in having Venuworks or anyone else have to get bookings through the ERC. These idiots couldn’t pick lunch let alone negotiate contracts.
Buzzard, I disagee with one comment. There is a slight chance the ERC could pick lunch. JB
Is it true that they are tunneling from the arena to the Civic Center so they can connect to the Civic Center’s equipment for cellular/wireless service? That John Kish previously stated that this was not included in the arena project cost, but the taxpayers would not foot the bill for this? If so, how is it being paid for?
Correct me if I have any details wrong.
Better ask the Shriners, where they plan to be this year. I heard Owensboro
Hang on a minute! Let’s turn over management of “The Arena-John (AKA, The “Toiletdome”)” to the Shriners! They have already done a good job with Evansville’s summer festival by transforming the dismal failure that was the Freedom Festival into the Shriner-fest. Let’s let out the management contract to those guys! If these guys are successful running the arena I suggest we let ’em run the city administration!
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