IS IT TRUE? June 26, 2011

6

The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE? June 26, 2011

IS IT TRUE that the downtown Coliseum has been run by a group of local people since 1971 at no cost to the taxpayers?…that there are still many events both private and public that pay good money for use of the Coliseum?…that many people have enjoyed the Coliseum during the last 40 years that this classic building was placed into the caring hands of a private entity?…that all of the rock concerts, country shows, wrestling, boxing, roller derby queens, wedding receptions, and civic organizations have not been able to hurt Roberts Stadium as a sports and entertainment venue?…that Roberts Stadium is currently a profitable building despite the wailing of those who want to see it eliminated?…that those who cry in fear that Evansville cannot support two stadiums need to look at how the Coliseum and Roberts have coexisted for 55 years?…that Evansville already supports the Coliseum and Roberts Stadium and that both are profitable?…that the only venues in the City of Evansville that supposedly bleed money year after year are the Centre and the Victory Theatre?

IS IT TRUE that there are two letters from citizens in the City County Observer that not only support the idea of keeping Roberts Stadium available and open but who have GIVEN A LONG LIST OF POSSIBILITIES for Roberts to host?…that non on those possibilities seem to be the types of things that would compete with the new Arena?…that for the champions of the new Arena to fear the competition from Roberts Stadium makes about as much sense as any of the following ludicrous mismatches:

LeBron James being afraid to play Mole #3 in a game of one on one basketball

Peyton Manning having anxiety over fear of losing a passing contest to Mole #69

Boris Gelfund trembling over an upcoming chess match against Mole #2 1/2

Mayor Weinzapfel expecting a knock-down drag-out fight from David Nixon in the 2007 election for Mayor of Evansville

IS IT TRUE that the new Arena will be spectacular and that for those who can afford spectacular and sell enough seats to justify using spectacular that there is no competition whatsoever over which venue is preferred?…that eliminating this non competition venue in the name of competition is about like a restaurant eliminating hamburgers from the menu and only serving steak?…that every town needs a good steak house but that everyone can afford hamburgers?…that there is a place for both and that hamburgers come in all shapes and sizes?…that we can think in terms of restaurants and arenas in the following manner?

Downtown Arena: Cavanaughs, Haub House, or Madeleine’s
Roberts Stadium: Cheeseburger in Paradise, Red Robin, or Applebee’s
Coliseum: White Castle, B &H Café, or Buzzard’s

IS IT TRUE that there is a place for all of the above places to eat?…that each serves a very different clientele and that each can thrive?…that each venue can too because everyone is in the target market for all three at any given time?…that if one can’t then the free market will take care of that kind of business?

IS IT TRUE that the idea of bringing big time tennis tournaments to town could be appealing?…that the new POLE BARN INDOOR TENNIS CENTER will not have a place to host even a small number of spectators?…that both Roberts Stadium and the Coliseum have hosted tennis as entertainment events in their illustrious pasts?…that Roberts as was pointed out by Martha Crosley in her letter to the CCO and the Courier today may just be the perfect tennis venue?…that it is already built and has no mortgage?…that raising the floor by enough to get back to where it was before the dodo design upgrade of the 90’s took it below the water table has been reported to be much less to implement than building the POLE BARN TENNIS CENTER will cost?…that it will destroy no park land to do?

IS IT TRUE that the powers that be have been whining and moaning that there are no ideas for what to do with Roberts Stadium?…that now the ideas are flowing?…that the powers that be need to put a vetting committee together to separate the sheep ideas from the goat ideas?…that the powers that be have a terrible track record with the exercise known as VETTING?…that maybe the powers that be should not have been granted any powers over financial matters in the first place?

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6 COMMENTS

  1. I will point out that a committee already exists to address uses and cost for a Roberts Stadium rehab. The committee consists of city office holders of both parties, an architect, a local business person with experience in developing reuse plans for existing older buildings, and other citizens with varied backgrounds, interests, and experiences. This should be a start on which to build. This should not be a political issue; it should be a community issue. Anger, confrontation, and selfish interests need to walk out the door. If you can’t honestly back off and objectively study the big picture, then please let others who can, do so.

  2. FYI – The tennis idea for Roberts has been around since last fall. It in fact also included having a changeable floor set-up to allow for many different sports, games, and events to be accommodated. There is absolutely no doubt that the stadium, and new arena, and the coliseum can survive and thrive if properly managed and if they correctly identify their target activities and strengths. One thing that is nice to consider is that when not booked for events, games etc. the Stadium could be used by the parks dept for activities for the public. It would need to remain city property to do this, but then the city would get profits from its commercial uses as well.

    • Great website to do research. I sort of got lost on the evpl site for a couple of hours. It makes you want to go back in time to smack some local politicians into their senses. Little has changed in 50 years.

      • Agreed. Although, I disagree with the assement that little has changed. If you notice in the first clipping from that post, the city hall of 1953 led by Hank Roberts was willing to listen to ideas about the Coliseum. Although they feared Roberts Stadium would turn it into a “white elephant” they never considered demolition.

        Today, that isn’t the case. There was a complete rush to demolish Roberts Std.

        Also, it is a little hard to navigate. I’m still looking for a few things on there such as…

        – I heard the new ONB building was originally suppose to be 32 floors instead of the current 8. If that’s true are there renderings?

        – Where are the renderings for Mayor Lloyd’s ballpark?

        – How big of a hassle was it to get the two towers downtown built?

        Some cool things I found on there…

        -City hall almost went with a South Barker overpass instead of a Ray Becker underpass in the late 80s

        – City hall was warned about digging into Roberts Stadium’s floor

        – The current bridge over Pigeon Creek on Columbia was one of the main accomplishments for Hank Roberts (besides Roberts Std).

        • ONB was never proposed as a 32 story building. There is an ordinance that no structure can be taller than the flagpole on the old courthouse. Talk about a resolution that limits growth. It is a good thing that NYC did not come up with something so dumb.

          The only ballpark renderings I remember were in the CP in maybe 2001-2002. Check their archives.

          Hassles are a function of how bad the city governance at the time of building wants the project. I expect that all four of the tall buildings downtown (ONB1, ONB2, 5/3, and Vectren) were all wanted enough that the roadblocks were kept to a minimum.

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