EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) -
The legal attempt to block the demolition of Roberts Stadium has failed as a judge denies a request for a permanent injunction.
Vanderburgh Superior Court Judge Richard D'Amour handed down his ruling on Monday, entering a judgment in favor of the city of Evansville in the action filed by Alan Brill. The judge said Brill has the right to go before the Board of Park Commissioners in the future concerning what will be constructed after Roberts Stadium is razed.
Brill reacted to the ruling saying he hopes his action will encourage more citizens to be involved in their government.
Mayor Lloyd Winnecke says this is great news and validates the process used by the city to get to this point.
The next step is hiring a contractor to demolish the stadium. Officials say demolition could begin next month.
Plans call for a park to be built at the site.
Brill sent in a reaction to the judge's decision to move forward with the demolition. Brill wrote:
To Evansville
Citizens:
The Court has now ruled on my lawsuit in Appeal of the
City's Decision to demolish the ROBERTS STADIUM facility in the City's process
of creating a ROBERTS PARK. The Court
has ruled in favor of the City, and the
City may now proceed as it judges fit.
I apologize for any slight delay perhaps in the City
moving forward. However, I do not
apologize for my efforts in raising this matter in the interest of awareness
and concern by the Citizens of Evansville. The issues I have raised in this matter should continue as matters of
concern for the Citizens and for the City, beyond the legal merits, or
not, of the Appeal.
I hope that my efforts and the issues I have raised about both ROBERTS PARK
direction and the process of City decision-making may encourage Citizens to be
more willing to be involved in their Government. Even more, I hope that the City Government
might reflect on how it can be more respectful and open to, and participative
with, its Citizens who it seeks to
serve.
.... and perhaps the City might yet, on its own, still give further consideration and review
(1) to possibilities of the merits for other uses of a converted ROBERT STADIUM
and (2) also to the obstacles and
constraints for an effective Roberts Park direction, and that the creation of a
new ROBERTS PARK may possibly be of lesser general and overall public benefit.
Sincerely,
Alan Brill
Copyright 2012 WFIE. All rights reserved.
The next step is hiring a contractor to demolish the stadium. Officials say demolition could begin next month.
