By Gretchen Ross - bio | email
Update: EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) - After months of meetings and studies consultants have recommended a downtown site for the new Evansville Events Center.
The recommended location is the seven acre D-Patrick Ford-Executive Inn site bounded by Fourth, Locust, Seventh and Walnut streets. And the cost of the 11,000 seat arena will be between $117 and $127 million.
All this information is now in the hands of the stadium advisory board.
"A project like this may be just what we need to not only help our city but help our part of the country. So, it's exciting," says Advisory Board Chairman Wayne Henning. "In addition, Roberts stadium is in bad shape, we all know that, and it's not like we can do nothing."
The funding plan calls for a 75 percent long-term debt with payments to begin in 2012 and 25 percent cash to be collected in the next three years.
The Roberts Stadium Advisory Board meets again next Wednesday which will be the last chance for public comment.
Previously: VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IN (WFIE) - Where to build it and how to pay for it? Important questions as local leaders debate a new downtown arena.
The proposal of a new stadium in Evansville has been a hot topic in the community. But tonight's meeting will bring the city one step closer to finding out just where that new home will be.
In August Mayor Weinzapfel hired HOK architects to research possible for a new stadium. Whittling down from 11 choices to a few downtown, advisory board chair Wayne Henning says the company will present the final recommendations tonight.
"Really three sites will probably be discussed tonight," said Henning. "Of course the Greyhound area station, the back forty behind the Centre, and of course the area of D. Patrick in front of the Exec Inn."
Hunt Construction Group is also expected to share their plans of what the building will look like as well as the financial plan from London Witte.
So where could the money come from to help pay for the nearly 100 million dollar project without raising property taxes?
"Originally one of the items was the new market tax credit," said Henning. "We did not get it for this year. Now it doesn't mean we can't re-apply for next year. That was 18 million and it would have been nice had we gotten it. I am sure the city government would try again."
Henning says another concern raised in the community recently the need for adequate parking, which HOK is expected to address tonight.
"We will get an in-depth study of parking which is very important, parking and traffic flow both," said Henning.
If an when the new stadium is approved and built, what does the future hold for Roberts?
"It's a beautiful piece of property, " said Henning. "There has been various suggestions about it but to actually sell the building as it is to a church as a lot of cities have been doing will probably not going to have an church buyers."
