Today it was revealed that the Mesker Amphitheatre like Roberts Stadium and a host of the Evansville Parks has been allowed to deteriorate to the point that maintenance cannot save it. The study furthermore states that the amphitheatres 9,000 seats are not enough to ever attract a major musical act.
Using the Madonna Show as an example the study makes a strong case that the venue is too small and does not have the rigging capacity to attract such a show. Amphitheatres like Verizon in Noblesville that attract “mega” shows typically seat over 20,000 people and have the ability to accommodate 120,000 pounds of equipment. They also have adequate parking for trucks, storage for the equipment and dressing rooms to accommodate the large posse that mega acts need for support. It is ironic that the study chose Madonna who compared Evansville to eastern Europe before the fall of the iron curtain as their example.
The full recommendations to restore Mesker to a 9,000 seat venue fall between $12 Million and $27 Million. Afterward it would be too small to handle “mega” acts but may attract tier 2 acts. Proformas were shown for similar facilities that lost money and had a small operating gain. Of course the next step will be for the City Administration to put this on the wish list along with Centennial Park ($2 Million), Roberts Park ($10 Million), Ballfields ($18 Million or less), a downtown hotel ($25 Million), the Johnson Controls deal ($53 Milion), fixing 2,300 acres of existing parks, and of course satisfaction of the EPA mandates for our sewer ($500+ Million).
It seems as though the price of 6 decades of neglect are really stacking up on Mayor Winnecke and the next 5 Mayors whomever they turn out to be.
Link to Mesker Study:
Depressing.
I know at least a few items I’d scratch off that wishlist… Roberts Park ($10 Million could be saved and revenue generated by selling the property as is), Ballfields ($18 Million or less could be saved by NOT doing it, or entering into a lease where the lease holder bore expenses), a downtown hotel ($25 Million could be saved by selling the property to a developer and allowing them to develop as they see fit; subsidizing one hotel while saddling all the rest with a burdensome innkeeper’s tax to pay for every pet project our hair-brained leaders can think up is just not American), the Johnson Controls deal ($53 Milion could be saved by nixing the idea), fixing 2,300 acres of existing parks, and of course satisfaction of the EPA mandates for our sewer ($500+ Million… Well, we’re kinda screwed on that one).
As for Mesker, I’ve seen a few acts there like later period Def Leppard and Sevendust that seemed to fit nicely into the space. I think considering the negligence our City shows to our Parks now, Mesker might be better off in private hands too! Throw in the Roberts Stadium seats on the sale. Someone mentioned the Westside Nut Club… Maybe they would be interested in purchasing the property and managing it.
I met with someone in the parks dept this past week and suggested that for Wesselman Park since it is so deteriorated, that we have a volunteer group get together, make plans to refurbish the park, then have a huge event to raise money. That way, the park gets re-done (probably not all at once since the cost would be outrageous), it isn’t put on the tax payers directly, and the people paying for it are the people who use the park and have the most vested in it. I suggested a week long event with tournaments by each of the sports, like softball, tennis, basketball, volleyball, maybe a 5K race. Plus other events like maybe some small concerts, beerstub, something with the nature center. Between those events, sponsors, food sales, etc I think we could make a huge dent in completely renovating the entire park with very little help from the city government or tax dollars. The people of the city need to stop depending on the government to take care of everything, because as we have seen that isn’t working. We need to take pride in our own city and start making a difference as individuals.
The former City administrations lack of maintenance on Mesker Amphitheater might not be due to incompetency, as most believe. Given the former administrations goal to eliminate any competition with the downtown arena, the fate of Roberts Stadium was sealed. Mesker Amphitheater used to host major summer concerts. That would be competition with their new downtown arena. The public would not agree with decommissioning Mesker after the City razed Roberts Stadium. But, the City could accomplish the result of eliminating summer concert competition by intentional neglect of the Amphitheater. And neglect it they did.
Mayor Winnecke could also tour the McCurdy Hotel that is decaying from neglect.
It’s time for a change—impeach Winnecke.
Sign the petition by contacting Brad Linzy.
To clarify this… The procedure I suggest is not impeachment. It’s a procedure to file an accusation against him with the Circuit Court that he was in dereliction of his duty for at least the first 5 months of 2012 due to his cover up of the out of balance books situation.
There is no petition involved. However, if you have any specific information regarding your first hand knowledge of what the Mayor knew and when, I’d like to hear about it: bradlinzy@gmail.com
Winnecke can not sweep all this under the rug by saying “I didn’t know.” The fact is that he was required to know. The responsibility/requirement to KNOW came with the job.
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Oh, thanks for the correction.
I intend to join you in this matter.
Many of my friends shall also.
” Amphitheatres like Verizon in Noblesville that attract “mega†shows typically seat over 20,000 people and have the ability to accommodate 120,000 pounds of equipment. They also have adequate parking for trucks, storage for the equipment and dressing rooms to accommodate the large posse that mega acts need for support.” (CCO)
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Think smaller. Be more realistic. There is a vast ocean of touring talent out there that does not require a 20K seat facility. You could have one of the best nights of your life just listening to a talented solo artist, or maybe a couple of them in the same night.
We could even ask the local audience who they would like to see perform from a list of acts that would be a good fit for the facility, and then contract with the acts that get the most votes.
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Since Mesker Amphitheatre is down in a hole does this mean that Winnecke will attempt to make this into a goat park? He loves him some parks. Just a thought.
There’s Winnecke’s Mesker Amphitheatre and then there’s a zoo. Opps I’m being redundant.
Exactly what I was thinking too! He does love his parks..
I find People’s logic funny. A 9k seat amphitheater with no parking lot is perfectly fine and will attract shows, but the Ford center with basically the same amount of seats the same people cry is way too small? I think in this world some just like to stir the pot to hear themselves talk.
The amphitheater is there. Unlike the arena project you are starting with a physical structure. It has a long history and over the years some of America’s top musical talent has played there.
To help on the parking, perhaps Mead Johnson or whomever owns the parking area at St. Joe Ave. and the Lloyd Express Way would allow parking there and METS could run shuttle service back and forth. A fee could be charged to defray the cost of the shuttles and if it produced excess funds they could go towards the maintenance of the amphitheater.
Maybe other businesses with parking facilities in the area would like to provide parking for a fee or allow a charitable organization to use their parking space to raise money.
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You talked about everything under the sun, but the one thing I found illogical, why is 9k seats in site X acceptable but 9k seats at site Y in the same city people cry is too small?
Just got out all my old ticket stubs from Mesker over my earlier days in the 80’s and early 90’s. Such names as; Ozzy, Hootie and the Blowfish, Iron Maiden, Sammy Hagar……on and on……bet some of these would still draw a crowd there!
I literally JUST watched a documentary about Iron Maiden’s live show. Bruce Dickinson actually pilots their plane. Their shows in Rio and Santiago, Chile drew around 60,000 fans each. I’d wager Iron Maiden could fill the Ford Center twice over. Same with Ozzy.
Amazingly, in spite of the huge expenditure to build the Ford Center, Evansville still doesn’t have a venue capable of housing the large outdoor traveling festivals such as Ozzfest.
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