Review Frequently Asked Questions

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How will the development of the Evansville Softball Complex and the designation of the Roberts Stadium property impact the overall neighborhood, in particular those neighborhoods west of Boeke Road and north of Roberts Stadium?

Major work has been done to study and implement best development practices on this site that will positively enhance the surrounding neighborhood as opposed to current uses. Traffic counts on the Boeke Road corridor will actually be reduced. Main traffic flow for the Softball Complex after completion of Phase Two will be from the Lloyd Expressway entrance. And the overall plan for Phase Two of the complex calls for the further reduction of traffic into Wesselman Woods creating less congestion and enhancing the overall environment. Traffic counts overall will be significantly reduced with the closure of Roberts Stadium. Existing lighting for the current softball fields and the Roberts Stadium parking lot will be replaced in the new complex with state of the art lighting technology that greatly reduces light spill, hence having less impact on the surrounding neighborhoods.

How will the master plan for the use of the Roberts Stadium ground as well as the large land areas to the north and south of the Lloyd impact the community – both short term/long term?

The designation of large land areas both to the north and south of the Lloyd Expressway as Nature and Recreation Areas will set in place a visionary plan that will preserve these areas for future generations as preserved areas for the families and youth of this community. These areas will be preserved for their natural beauty and be utilized for biking, hiking, walking, sports and other family activity. This will become one of the most forward thinking decisions made by our community leaders and position this community favorably to keep and attract new families to this area.

How will the local community benefit from this new plan?

The local community benefits greatly from the establishment of the grounds to the north and south of the Lloyd Expressway as designated for nature and recreational use only. It provides future generations with an expansive natural, green environment to use and enjoy for walking, biking, running, community venues, and recreational events. The innovative process of preserving all of this ground for future generations uses provides a stimulus to keep and attract young families and individuals in this community.

Why is this the best use of this site?

The development of a Softball Complex in conjunction with the designation of other land both to the north and south of Lloyd Expressway as a Nature and Recreation Area creates a synergy that will position this area favorably for both current and future generations of residents. It preserves the area for synergistic activities including nature activities, sports, hiking, biking and walking and ensures that activities that are detrimental to these uses will not be developed such as shopping malls, commercial high-rise buildings, industrial complexes.

How will the master plan for the use of the Roberts Stadium ground as well as the large land areas to the north and south of the Lloyd impact the community – both short term/long term?

The designation of large land areas both to the north and south of the Lloyd Expressway as Nature and Recreation Areas will set in place a visionary plan that will preserve these areas for future generations as preserved areas for the families and youth of this community. These areas will be preserved for their natural beauty and be utilized for biking, hiking, walking, sports and other family activity. This will become one of the most forward thinking decisions made by our community leaders and position this community favorably to keep and attract new families to this area.

Roberts Stadium has been a wonderful attribute to the community for over 50 years. Why would we want to tear it down?

Roberts Stadium has been a wonderful attribute to the community. But studies have shown that it has outlived its useful purpose. The new Downtown Arena will replace Roberts Stadium as the key venue for concerts, sporting events and other key events. The new state of the art facility that will provide far more attributes than that of Roberts Stadium.

Additionally, in studies conducted on future uses for Roberts Stadium and the costs related to a possible re-development of the Roberts facility, it has found to be financially infeasible to renovate the current structure into a useful structure. Studies for various options of reuse put an estimated cost in the range of 25 to 40 million dollars to renovate the Roberts Stadium facility. Even after this expenditure, the community would still have a 54-year-old facility.

What are the annual operations costs of Roberts Stadium?

It is anticipated that the annual operation costs of Roberts Stadium in a low use/no use state would run in excess of $300,000.00 per year. Significant portions of these ongoing costs are related to the 24/7 running of pumps designed to remove a natural water flow under the Roberts Stadium floor. It is estimated that an average of 250,000 gallons of water is pumped off per day under the floor.

What is the cost to tear down Roberts Stadium?

The total cost to tear down Roberts Stadium is estimated to be $1.228,094.70

What is the commercial property value of the Roberts Stadium land?

This is a difficult question to answer. Commercial value on this property would be largely based upon the commercial use and the value could range greatly.

Why would the city not sell this valuable piece of property to a commercial or residential developer?

The sale of this property is one option, however, when one looks at the sale of this property that is a part of a larger complex of public entities, it becomes difficult envisioning how a commercial entity would fit within the complex.

How will lights from the Evansville Softball Complex negatively impact the area neighborhood and the wildlife at Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve?

Musco Lighting is the world-class leader in lighting of sports facilities. Musco will be involved in lighting this complex. The technology of today’s lighting systems is highly state of the art and minimizes excess light spill. A study is currently being completed by Musco Lighting to determine the actual reduction of light spill into the Nature Preserve and the surrounding neighborhoods to determine overall light reduction. This data will be shared on this website once completed.

Traffic is already a major problem at Roberts Stadium and is a major problem for the neighborhood. How will a major increase in traffic be addressed by adding all of these features and putting additional cars and traffic into our neighborhoods?

The current parking area at Roberts Stadium includes spaces for 3,300 cars. The architect recommendation for the development of an eight-plex softball/baseball complex is 70 spaces per field or a total of 560 spaces at the complex. Our initial design calls for 750 parking spaces to make sure that there is plenty of parking for large events and that there is spillover into the surrounding neighborhoods. This is a reduction of over 75% in the amount parking spaces on this new plan. The design of the complex also calls for the main entrance into the complex being off of the Lloyd Expressway, which will further reduce traffic onto Boeke Road and into the Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve.

Noise from the public address systems of eight softball baseball fields can be disturbing to the surrounding neighborhoods and the Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve. How will the plan for the Softball Baseball Complex address these concerns?

The design for the Softball Baseball Complex has not been started but in initial conversations with the development partners of this project, noise has been a significant topic. While final details have not been worked out on this issue, various ideas being discussed are more directional speaker systems mounted at low levels, natural berming around parts of the complex to create “natural” barriers to noise, and usage agreements on the use of sound at the Complex to limit noise impact.

How will the Parks Department and the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau work together to make the development of the Softball Complex a successful venture?

The Evansville Parks Department have had discussions related to how best to coordinate activities at the Softball/Baseball Complex to create best and optimal use of the facility. The largest coordination efforts of this facility between the Evansville Parks Department and the Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau will involve the coordination of schedules between adult softball league play and Out of Town Youth Tournaments. Since most Out of Town tournaments are generally booked a year or two in advance, both groups believe that it will be relatively easy to coordinate these schedules through good open communication.

What are the costs to the Taxpayers of the City of Evansville?

There is NO cost to the City of Evansville and to its taxpayers to develop the Softball/Baseball Complex. The Softball/Baseball Complex will be developed through the use of Innkeeper Tax funds that are paid for by hotels in Vanderburgh County. In addition to the development of the Softball/Baseball Complex, these funds will also be used to tear down Roberts Stadium, prepare that site for the complex, and to reconstruct basketball, sand volleyball and handball courts that will be relocated in the development of the Complex.

What are the estimated costs to the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau to complete these projects?

The estimated costs to the Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau are estimated to be 13 - 14 million dollars for the following:

  • Softball/Baseball Complex
  • Roberts Stadium Demolition
  • Reconstruct Basketball Courts
  • Reconstruct Sand Volleyball Courts
  • Reconstruct Hand Ball Courts
  • Renovate the Current ADA Playgrounds

Who will manage the Softball/Baseball Complex?

The Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau will manage the proposed Softball/Baseball Complex. The management of this complex will include the hiring of a Sports Management firm that specializes in the promotion, sales and maintenance of facilities such as these. The management of the Softball/Baseball Complex will be done in cooperation with the Evansville Parks Department in order to coordinate best uses and schedules of the complex to balance use between community related functions and out-of-town tournaments booked into the facility.

Who will pay for the operation of Goebel Soccer Complex?

Discussions are currently under was with the City of Evansville to determine the best ways to optimize the use of the Goebel Soccer Complex. No decisions have been made at this time related to the operation of that facility.

Who will pay for the operation of the Evansville Softball Park?

The Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau will be ultimately responsible for both the development and operational costs of the Softball and Baseball Complex.

Are there opportunities for naming rights to these complexes?

There will be naming rights opportunities for the Softball/ Baseball Complex. Details have yet to be worked out.

How will tourism be generated from these facilities?

It is estimated that once fully operational, the Softball/ Baseball Complex will generate anywhere from between 10 and 18 million dollars of direct spending per year.

Who will own the complex?

The City of Evansville will own the property as it does currently. The property that the Softball Complex will be situated will be leased by the City of Evansville to the Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau.

What devastating impact will the Evansville Nature and Recreation Area Master Plan have on the wildlife at Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve?

Within this preliminary plan, designs have incorporated natural barriers, state of the art directional lighting and other attributes that we believe will create less impact on the Nature Preserve than is currently caused. Furthermore, once the large Roberts Stadium events are transferred to the new Evansville Arena, overall traffic within this venue may actually decrease from prior levels. We are fully engaged in the development of this facility to focus on “Green” development alternatives that will create a positive synergy with this restoration and the other stakeholders in The Park. The Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau is working closely with the Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve to mitigate any potential concerns on the impact on this unique Urban Forest.