EVANSVILLE | Downtown Arena | Completed [Archive]

AmericanDirt

August 23rd, 2009, 10:03 PM

new location! apparently the city and the ford dealership couldn't come to terms on a price. now the arena will take out the old executive inn site and will remodel part of the hotel into a new development by browning investments. the arena will be built on the rest of the site and land heading toward main street. images to follow in another post.

Do any of you know the status on the old Executive Inn that apparently will be demolished? Is it a structure older than 50 years? Is it an underutilized or even dilapidated property?

The reason I ask is because a partnership with Browning Investments could be a red flag. Though they have produced some reasonably okay hotel developments, they often partner with Dora Brothers Hospitality Corporation, whose specialty is interstate exit ramp hotel models, but in cities where they routinely fail to vet projects for good urban design (such as Indianapolis) Dora will just as easily replicate its suburban model in a downtown setting. Horrible for pedestrians and the urban environment in general. I would keep my eyes open.

randella

August 24th, 2009, 01:34 AM

the plan is to tear down the ten story tower, conference rooms, and pool areas and refurbish the remaining eight story tower into either a marriott or hilton which will be directly connected to the arena. i haven't seen any renderings for the hotel portion yet, but the executive inn was an eyesore. a major hotel chain like marriott or hilton will be a nice improvement. here is a site plan where you can see the hotel at the end of the arena:

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2009/08/19/20090819-231218-pic-787403785_t607.jpg

CorrND

August 24th, 2009, 01:48 PM

I finally had a chance to digest these plans. If I was an Evansville resident, I sure wouldn't be happy with the way this arena is layed out. I mean, it's plopped down right next to MAIN STREET, yet they've got the arena curving back away from the street (the brick one in the above siteplan). Who the hell thought that was a good idea? And if I'm not mistaken, they're planning to tear down a stretch of what looks like very old storefronts and replacing them with......well, nothing. That's where the corner entrance "plaza" is planned. The red outline below:

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s289/corrnd/eville_main.jpg

I'm not saying a new arena isn't a great idea, but I think a LOT more sensitivity to Evansville's Main Street is in order.

randella

August 24th, 2009, 04:04 PM

i really liked the original site that was selected (the ford dealership just west of the executive inn) because it would take out a car dealership with little or no demolition of existing buildings. i'm not happy about the four or five historic buildings that will come down with the new location, but i have to say the new location has grown on me.

first, the entrance plaza is directly facing main street which is a pedestrian friendly avenue that will lead right to the arena (and connect with the new hotel and convention center). main street has suffered over the years with all of the new development along the riverfront and that end of main needed something like this to draw people into the city. anyone going to the casino complex on the river can easily walk down main street right to the arena.

although this site wasn't originally one of the three finalists, the head of populous was quoted as saying that if he could have selected any site in the city, this one would have been it.

CorrND

August 24th, 2009, 05:31 PM

The main failure of arena design is when they only consider how it functions when an event is hosted. Arenas of this sort lie dormant FAR more often than they are used for an event -- even a major arena like Conseco Fieldhouse in Indy is only used 80-ish days a year -- so it's important to consider how something like that entrance plaza interacts with the surroundings when it isn't chock full of people. That plaza is probably going to be a boring dead zone when nothing is going on, so what could the designers have done to make this special pedestrian space -- it's important to recognize that Main Street frontage is a limited, precious resource -- more interesting the rest of the time?

In the simplest case, they could have saved all those all store fronts and instead put the entrance plaza at the corner of Main and DMLK, which, according to google maps, currently has nothing on it. Even more creative, they could have integrated a sports bar or something into the arena at that corner and put the main entrance at a set-back plaza at mid-block, saving the old structures. That plaza could then have been used for outdoor seating for the sports bar or the building on the other side of the plaza when an event wasn't using the arena (remember, that will be frequent). Or the main entrance could have been on 6th St. instead, activating that street as well. There are lots of alternatives.

The current plan just doesn't seem to recognize the context, specifically the importance of the pedestrian experience of one of the prime pedestrian walkways in all of downtown Evansville. With just some simple tweaks, this plan could be a really, really great asset to Main Street. Instead, it seems like a failed opportunity, and a very expensive one at that.

randella

August 24th, 2009, 06:28 PM

CorrND

August 24th, 2009, 06:51 PM

i saw a news report where the mayor was asked about the location of the plaza area and he responded that it was located there because of the ability to host events and close off main and sixth to vehicle traffic. although i understand what you are saying, i actually like how the plaza is oriented toward the river and opens up the building toward main street. it seems more approachable and inviting.
Yeah, the mayor's line is exactly my point. He's viewing design decisions from the perspective of events (I don't know what they're shooting for, but maybe 50 events a year?), as opposed to year-round, 365-day usage. It's not necessarily wrong, it just isn't likely to be the best use of the space.

Anyway, I hope it turns out well for Evansville -- you really do have a great downtown there.

randella

August 24th, 2009, 07:30 PM

i would say the city could expect over 100 events a year... we currently have about 75 events a year with concerts and basketball games, but they will also be adding hockey and additional convention and exhibition business (one of the reasons they attached it to the convention center). time will tell, but glad you added your observations because they are still working everything out.

Indymac

August 26th, 2009, 06:55 AM

CorrND,

I believe they oriented the main entrance towards 6th and Main St so it would face the rest of downtown. Main St essentially ends at MLKB since they built the Civic Center Compound through the middle of it. The big problem I have is where will people park? Are they planing to build a garage adjacent to the arena? There doesn't seem to be anywhere to put one. Do they expect people to use the Civic Center lot? Sadly, that's probably asking too much for most people in Evansville.

As for the buildings there now, can't say I'll miss them much, though I'd gladly replace a few of the buildings on Franklin St. with them.

Indymac

August 26th, 2009, 07:07 AM

CorrND,

I believe they oriented the main entrance towards 6th and Main St so it would face the rest of downtown. Main St essentially ends at MLKB since they built the Civic Center Compound through the middle of it. The big problem I have is where will people park? Are there plans to build an adjacent garage? There doesn't seem to be anywhere to put it. Do they expect people to use the Civic Center lot? Sadly, that's probably asking to much for a lot of people in Evansville.

As for the buildings there now, can't say I'll miss them much, though I'd gladly replace a few of the buildings on Franklin St. with them.

CorrND

August 26th, 2009, 01:14 PM

CorrND,

I believe they oriented the main entrance towards 6th and Main St so it would face the rest of downtown. Main St essentially ends at MLKB since they built the Civic Center Compound through the middle of it.
Perhaps you've misinterpreted me. I'm not against having a main entrance on Main St., I'm against their treatment of Main St. The presence of the Civic Center and the fact that it prematurely ends Main St. does not justify pulling back the effective end of Main St. another block. In fact, just the opposite: the Civic Center's location should make it that much more important that Main St. look like an inviting and interesting pedestrian space (no, an arena is not interesting when nothing is going on).

Evansville should view the DMLK/Main intersection as the thing that grabs people from the Civic Center and makes them want to explore Main St. Think big -- San Diego's Gaslamp District could be a template. You even have an arch as an attention-grabber and entrance marker, like San Diego:

http://www.randomsandiego.com/images/san-diego-gaslamp-quarter.jpg

It's less than a mile from the Civic Center to the river -- make people want to take the walk.
The big problem I have is where will people park? Are there plans to build an adjacent garage? There doesn't seem to be anywhere to put it. Do they expect people to use the Civic Center lot? Sadly, that's probably asking to much for a lot of people in Evansville.
See randella's earlier post:
here is a map to the parking plan:
http://www.evansvillegov.org/download/mayors/Vicinity%20Map%202(2009-06-24)%20ORANGE.jpg (http://www.evansvillegov.org/download/mayors/Vicinity%20Map%202%282009-06-24%29%20ORANGE.jpg)

note: this plan doesn't include metered parking or other surface lots and garages in the downtown area.

As for the buildings there now, can't say I'll miss them much, though I'd gladly replace a few of the buildings on Franklin St. with them.
To each his own.

AmericanDirt

August 27th, 2009, 04:33 AM

CorrND raises some excellent points. This arena is going to be an uninviting blank wall even when the place is PACKED inside. Does the smallness of those existing buildings on Main Street make them seem expendable? Would there be more of a protest if they were six or seven stories? What is the current use? The fact remains that they have a far more versatile array of potential uses, even if they're blighted or vacant now. It would be great if the city could buy them and ride it out because some entrepreneur will eventually see potential in those buildings, regardless of the arena. Whether for commercial, retail, or even residential, those uses have the opportunity to generate more consistent pedestrian traffic, even if the overall volume will pale in comparison to the arena at peak times. Consistency is crucial for retail; a strip mall doesn't spring up in Noblesville outside of Deer Creek/Verizon Wireless simply because of the traffic on concert nights--strip malls spring up on the heavily traveled arterials.

A good example of where an arena has failed to enhance an old commercial artery can be seen in Memphis. Beale Street--or at least four blocks of it--remains sort of intact as a testament to the city's blues heritage. (I say "sort of" because it is dotted with none-too-subtle infill and facadectomies, including some where just the facade is standing through careful bracework, while the rest of the building opens to a courtyard or parking lot.) On either side, the neighborhood that helped transform Beale Street into a cultural treasure is more or less gone, sacrificed to make way for the Toyota Arena, FedEx Forum, and the parking structures to serve these two arenas. No doubt it appeared a wise decision in terms of helping Beale Street to flourish after major events. But my suspicion is people would have gone to Beale Street anyway (tourists, at least). Now the rest of the city is in search of a hub and Beale Street feels more like a theme park grafted into a pedestrian no-man's-land that surrounds it.

Compare this to Bourbon Street in New Orleans, perhaps even more tawdry than Beale Street but really one of the most vibrant Main Streets in America. Granted, its much longer than Beale Street (or at least that part of Beale Street that hasn't been ripped apart for urban redevelopment). No redevelopment has taken place along Bourbon because it serves as the historic commercial artery of the French Quarter, and the neighborhood around it is almost completely intact. I could wax about notions of authenticityand how Bourbon feels "real" because it's still part of a neighborhood, but that is just my own personal taste. The truth is, people go to Bourbon Street regardless of major events; they'll walk the 4 blocks from the convention center or the 12 blocks from the Superdome. The Evansville arena will serve its own purpose and may catalyze other development, but humble, incremental development of the type to fill those Main Street storefronts will only flourish on its own terms and can scarcely hope to freeload off of spillover crowds from the arena.

I'm not saying that building a downtown arena is a mistake. But an arena is almost inherently an intrusion that is hostile to pedestrians. I think less emphasis should be spent in site selection in terms of how it relates to the buildings around it, and more should be spent on the architectural value and long-term utility of the structures that might otherwise be sacrificed. (Keep in mind from Indianapolis' history that arenas don't necessarily have the greatest staying power; expansion is frequently and adaptive re-use is always impossible.) The arena will draw crowds on event days regardless of where it's located...at least until it becomes dated or old-fashioned in 20 years. Main Street Evansville will wake up on its own terms, and it will happen through the accretion induced by small buildings such as those in the photo. In this case, the car dealership seems like a better spot for an arena, simply because it's an old dealership. And it would most likely be cheaper to demolish as well.

randella

August 27th, 2009, 05:02 PM

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2009/08/19/20090819-231218-pic-531732083_t607.jpg

i disagree about it being an 'uninviting blank wall' with all of the glass and curved areas utilized in the design. it's a wonderful design for any arena... and populous (formerly hok) knows a thing or two about arenas. the bottom line is the city needs a new arena and they are building it at that location because they can connect it to the convention center.

as i have said before, i think the ford dealership would have been the perfect location, but that wasn't a possibility in the end. given that reality this was the best location possible. the four or five buildings that will be taken down are all that remain on that city block (they are surrounded on three sides by a parking lot). it's a small price to pay for such a substantial development that is sure to help restore the rest of main into a vibrant pedestrian corridor.

keep in mind that downtown in general will benefit because it will enable people to take advantage of the casino, restaurants, and bars in the area. evansville is not indianapolis... we had our last arena for over 50 years so this puppy will be around for a while.

CorrND

August 27th, 2009, 06:19 PM

....we had our last arena for over 50 years so this puppy will be around for a while.
All the more reason to make this one perfect! ;)

AmericanDirt

August 31st, 2009, 05:09 AM

Thanks for responding, Randella, and you're right that all that glass should help mitigate the "blank wall" effect. However, I stand firm that an arena is not a very reliable catalyst for a downtown rebirth, especially if the arena is destroying the sort of humble storefront architecture that is usually most amenable to pioneering urban retail. In those puny two-story buildings, rents are cheap, gross leasable area is small, and tenants will often have heavy bargaining rights if a landlord thinks he/she can secure a lease. Thus, the low cost allows entrepreneurs with no more than two coins to rub together to experiment, offering exactly the sort of non-chain specialty goods or services that people are looking for when promoting their downtown as "revitalized". These small buildings may have heavy turnaround, with businesses coming and going every 6-9 months at first, but they are still the stuff that a good retail corridor is made of and can help improve DT through accretions more than an arena will.

An arena simply is not the same as an anchor tenant in a mall, though it seems that people persistently perceive them as such. Department stores are open usually at least 65 hours a week; arenas don't come close. As CorrND said, arenas bring people downtown for special events, but during the 70-80% of the time that nothing will be going on in that arena, the glass will not be much better than a blank wall from the pedestrian perspective. People aren't going to peer in the same way they would with a retail storefront. If anything, sports arenas have one distinctive value in smaller cities that have long suffered from moribund downtowns: they are a guaranteed draw for their events, and they might get people walking around the DT area (for the first time in years for some Evansvillians) precisely to DISCOVER those other two-story buildings that are worth taking a risk for some start-up business. In general the old car dealership still seems like the vastly superior option--you know Evansville far better than I do (I haven't been in over a decade) so you're probably aware of the existing activity around locations A and B--if the dealership seems better to you from an activity standpoint, I can almost guarantee it's also better from a building salvageability standpoint.

For your sake, I hope Evansville isn't Indianapolis: Indy sacrificed a lot of good architecture to build both Conseco Fieldhouse and (I suspect) Market Square Arena before it. And now there are rumblings that the Pacers might leave town! My suspicion is a city such as Evansville, which isn't trying to attract or retain the big-ticket sports teams, will get to see its arena last quite a bit longer than a city like Indy.

randella

September 6th, 2009, 01:04 AM

the fact that evansville is about to embark on a new downtown arena is amazing... it is the only other city in indiana to have a venue like this outside indianapolis. i know that other cities like south bend and forth wayne have built downtown baseball stadiums, but they can't be used year round or for much more than baseball! i think when this is all said and done it will be a tremendous boon for the city.

randella

September 16th, 2009, 04:38 AM

the city has commissioned $10k to study the main street properties to see how much of the buildings can be preserved. personally, i think they should save the facades and use them to fill in the holes on main street, but i will wait to see what the study suggests is the best solution.

http://www.14wfie.com/global/story.asp?s=11136450

randella

September 24th, 2009, 07:14 PM

negotiations on the land continue, but the city is preparing to move forward with the new arena... this week they were testing soil samples for the foundation. street closures will occur at the beginning of october and demolition of the executive inn is expected by mid october.

randella

November 11th, 2009, 10:09 PM

the executive inn is closing this coming weekend and demolition is expected within weeks. here is the full article from the courier and press:

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/nov/11/11web-ExecInn/

randella

December 4th, 2009, 06:10 PM

the architects involved with the project have released some interior designs for the club room, concourse bar, and suites.

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2009/12/03/arena002_t607.JPG

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2009/12/03/arena003_t607.JPG

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2009/12/03/arena004_t607.JPG

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2009/12/03/arena005_t607.JPG

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2009/12/03/arena006_t607.JPG

ragerunner1

December 7th, 2009, 08:26 PM

This is going to be a great addition to downtown Evansville. It is really nice to see some other significant projects taking place in Indiana's other cities besides Indy. Fort Wayne got the new ballpark and a potential entertainment complex and Evansville is adding the arena. Hopefully these projects will lead to more positive development and redevelopment in both cities in the future.

randella

December 28th, 2009, 05:07 AM

demolition of the south tower of the executive inn is scheduled to begin monday... demolition work on smaller buildings and the executive inn's conference rooms and pool areas has already been completed. here is a local television report:

http://www.14wfie.com/global/story.asp?s=11735675

randella

January 14th, 2010, 05:24 PM

here is a live cam of the demolition work on the hotel:

http://www.klenckcompany.com/index_files/Page977.htm

randella

March 10th, 2010, 04:11 PM

the arena is now officially under construction! they recently wrapped up the demolition work on the hotel and now they are starting on the foundation work. here is a photo from the arena project site:

http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/main-aspect-switcher/26294_1390189517827_1324782966_1031077_537162_n.jpg

randella

March 31st, 2010, 06:23 AM

the arena project web site has a new web cam... it looks like they have it mounted on the 420 building on main street. be sure to click on the time-lapse feature!

http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/content/arena-webcam

randella

April 10th, 2010, 08:35 PM

here are some additional interior renderings:

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2010/04/09/arenahockey_t607.jpg

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2010/04/09/arenaview_t607.jpg

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2010/04/09/arenaconcoursemlk_t607.jpg

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2010/04/09/arenaconcourse6thst_t607.jpg

socrates#1fan

April 25th, 2010, 08:35 PM

randella

May 26th, 2010, 02:43 AM

wow. i just pulled up the evansville arena project web site and got a 'bandwith limit exceeded' message! guess a lot of people are tuning into the construction cam? it's shocking how far along they are right now. they are still working on weekends which tells me they want this thing done sooner rather than later.

http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/

ps: the 'demolition' cam still works: http://www.klenckcompany.com/index_files/Page977.htm

randella

May 27th, 2010, 02:01 AM

update: construction cam restored! :)

randella

June 15th, 2010, 09:13 PM

thought i would post a construction update... here is a photo from today's evansville courier press (view of the entrance area from main street). the structural steel continues to go up and the arena should be fully enclosed by the end of the year. the arena is expected to be completed in late 2011.

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2010/06/14/20100614-232727-pic-440778873_t607.jpg

SpiderMonkey

June 16th, 2010, 07:08 PM

Evansville Arena spurring other developments nearby.

http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?id=42197

randella

June 19th, 2010, 03:14 AM

Evansville Arena spurring other developments nearby.

http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?id=42197

i figured this would have a positive effect on downtown... just didn't expect to see anything so soon. the old hilliard tower on main street is now going to become apartments and a new sports bar and a new tapas restaurant have already opened in older buildings that were vacant! this is exactly the kind of life the arena was intended to bring back downtown. a bunch of empty old buildings don't mean anything unless people use them.

bradyusi

June 19th, 2010, 06:28 AM

@randella: do you have a link to any information on the old hilliard tower renovations?

socrates#1fan

June 19th, 2010, 06:58 AM

a bunch of empty old buildings don't mean anything unless people use them.

That is a bizarre statement.
A bunch of old empty buildings mean history, heritage, and POTENTIAL.

vidgms

June 19th, 2010, 07:07 AM

That is a bizarre statement.
A bunch of old empty buildings mean history, heritage, and POTENTIAL.

We are dealing the same issues here in Riverside, except I agree with the statement that empty old buildings only mean something unless people are using them. Better to tear them down and build something that is going to be useful to humanity, history or not.

There is a project here called Fox Plaza that there was a lawsuit because enough of the building wasn't used in the redevelopment but it is just an old building that no one is using. And the "history" that people talk about a building that just because it is old doesn't exactly mean that it is "historical".

randella

June 19th, 2010, 09:15 PM

@randella: do you have a link to any information on the old hilliard tower renovations?

i don't have the link, but the kunkel group bought the building and they intend to turn it into apartments. they are the same group that converted two old department stores on main street into condos. not sure about their timetable for it, but i hope to see them move forward on it this fall.

randella

June 19th, 2010, 09:21 PM

That is a bizarre statement.
A bunch of old empty buildings mean history, heritage, and POTENTIAL.

well, i've seen main street in evansville sit with 'potential' for decades. now main street is actually realizing its potential with condo conversions, apartments, bars, and restaurants. i would much rather see all the historic buildings actually being used than continue to sit empty.

socrates#1fan

June 19th, 2010, 09:24 PM

We are dealing the same issues here in Riverside, except I agree with the statement that empty old buildings only mean something unless people are using them. Better to tear them down and build something that is going to be useful to humanity, history or not.

There is a project here called Fox Plaza that there was a lawsuit because enough of the building wasn't used in the redevelopment but it is just an old building that no one is using. And the "history" that people talk about a building that just because it is old doesn't exactly mean that it is "historical".

Of course not, but at the same time, many of our old buildings are. Also, in an area where a great deal of historic buildings have been destroyed, it is important to preserve "old" buildings.

vidgms

June 20th, 2010, 05:43 AM

Of course not, but at the same time, many of our old buildings are. Also, in an area where a great deal of historic buildings have been destroyed, it is important to preserve "old" buildings.

But if they are sitting empty as I am just going to assume that they are (please correct me if i'm wrong, i'm ok with being wrong haha), and more value can be had from building something new, then wouldn't that be the best thing to do. Besides, there is differences between preserving the building where say an international treaty was signed vs. the first autoshop in the area.

socrates#1fan

June 20th, 2010, 10:07 PM

But if they are sitting empty as I am just going to assume that they are (please correct me if i'm wrong, i'm ok with being wrong haha), and more value can be had from building something new, then wouldn't that be the best thing to do. Besides, there is differences between preserving the building where say an international treaty was signed vs. the first autoshop in the area.

A building sitting empty isn't always a sign for need of replacement. Many of the grand historic neighborhoods across our country were once in far worse condition but people saw beyond empty structures.
But this isn't an auto shop, these are 19th and early 20th century commercial structures in typical American styles of that time, some very intact with most (if not all) of their original details and ornamentation. Historical importance is relative, so no, these structures are not as significant as say the Parthenon, but locally they are. Also, often with historic preservation it isn’t about preserving one single structure where such and such happened as much as it is preserving an urban fabric, neighborhoods, etc in their historical atmosphere and traditional styles.

randella

June 21st, 2010, 01:35 AM

A building sitting empty isn't always a sign for need of replacement. Many of the grand historic neighborhoods across our country were once in far worse condition but people saw beyond empty structures.
But this isn't an auto shop, these are 19th and early 20th century commercial structures in typical American styles of that time, some very intact with most (if not all) of their original details and ornamentation. Historical importance is relative, so no, these structures are not as significant as say the Parthenon, but locally they are. Also, often with historic preservation it isn’t about preserving one single structure where such and such happened as much as it is preserving an urban fabric, neighborhoods, etc in their historical atmosphere and traditional styles.

i think most people agree that it is a good idea to preserve historic buildings... especially if they are architecturally significant. but main street in evansville has struggled since the first mall was built in the early 1960s. since then, main street has endured a half century of vacancies and decay. how long should the buildings sit empty until something is done? how long until the buildings are condemned or cave in?

there are a total of seven city blocks of historic buildings on main street. with the arena, we lost half a block of buildings that were either empty or being used for storage (see the photo below). but what does the city get in return? the rest of main street has now been given a second lease on life, including a historic 12-story tower that will now be apartments instead of dead office space. i hear what you are saying about maintaining historic fabric, but there is a little give and take. cities are always evolving and growing.

would you prefer to see all of main street die, or find a way to bring it back to life? focus on the positive that is coming from this development. new lofts and condos, restaurants, and bars are now filling the rest of main street. what else do you think would save seven blocks of historic low-rise buildings? decades of hopes and prayers? evansville has done a bold move here and it will save the downtown and all the remaining historic buildings.

http://www.vpsarch.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/1-use-500x375.jpg

socrates#1fan

June 21st, 2010, 03:36 AM

i think most people agree that it is a good idea to preserve historic buildings... especially if they are architecturally significant. but main street in evansville has struggled since the first mall was built in the early 1960s. since then, main street has endured a half century of vacancies and decay. how long should the buildings sit empty until something is done? how long until the buildings are condemned or cave in?

there are a total of seven city blocks of historic buildings on main street. with the arena, we lost half a block of buildings that were either empty or being used for storage (see the photo below). but what does the city get in return? the rest of main street has now been given a second lease on life, including a historic 12-story tower that will now be apartments instead of dead office space. i hear what you are saying about maintaining historic fabric, but there is a little give and take. cities are always evolving and growing.

would you prefer to see all of main street die, or find a way to bring it back to life? focus on the positive that is coming from this development. new lofts and condos, restaurants, and bars are now filling the rest of main street. what else do you think would save seven blocks of historic low-rise buildings? decades of hopes and prayers? evansville has done a bold move here and it will save the downtown and all the remaining historic buildings.

http://www.vpsarch.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/1-use-500x375.jpg

I am not opposed to progress, but they could have found a way to incorporate these structures. Besides, a city shouldn't give away its history like a street walker at the first sign of hope. Having old buildings doesn't mean a lack of development, you can reuse, restore, etc these structures and give them a new life. Besides, hasn't Evansville already lost plenty historic buildings? Just a few here and there wouldn't hurt, now would it?

randella

June 21st, 2010, 06:04 AM

I am not opposed to progress, but they could have found a way to incorporate these structures. Besides, a city shouldn't give away its history like a street walker at the first sign of hope. Having old buildings doesn't mean a lack of development, you can reuse, restore, etc these structures and give them a new life. Besides, hasn't Evansville already lost plenty historic buildings? Just a few here and there wouldn't hurt, now would it?

you obviously live in a fantasy world... completely out of touch with reality! how many years should a city wait for your dream date? do tell me how many more years you think the city of evansville should sit waiting for your fantasy? tell me please your plan?

focus on the positive that is coming from this development... new lofts and condos, restaurants, and bars are now filling the rest of main street. or are you completely blind? you have to be an idiot if you don't see the good that is coming from this development.

socrates#1fan

June 21st, 2010, 06:28 AM

you obviously live in a fantasy world... completely out of touch with reality! how many years should a city wait for your dream date? do tell me how many more years you think the city of evansville should sit waiting for your fantasy? tell me please your plan?
What is fantasy is to blindly destroy everything in the name of "progress" expecting no long term damage to the city's heritage. What would be insane is trying to preserve every aspect, like the gas station on the corner, but no, it isn't "fantasy" to demand that our history is preserved, anything less is unacceptable.

focus on the positive that is coming from this development... new lofts and condos, restaurants, and bars are now filling the rest of main street. or are you completely blind? you have to be an idiot if you don't see the good that is coming from this development.
They said the same thing about the Indianapolis Courthouse, and to this day we still mourn the loss of the old courthouse. I see the benefits, but my question is at what cost and if such benefits couldn’t be achieved without the destruction of the historic buildings.

randella

June 21st, 2010, 06:47 AM

socrates#1fan

June 21st, 2010, 06:52 AM

thought i would remind everyone why this thread exits... feel free to talk about the new arena. if you want to start a thread on historic preservation, i suggest you start your own thread. otherwise, please don't hijack this one.

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2010/06/14/20100614-232727-pic-440778873_t607.jpg[/QUOTE]

It isn't a hijacking, the destruction of the structures is a major part of this development.

It isn't as if we are discussing global warming or crime in Cincinnati.

CorrND

June 21st, 2010, 02:24 PM

I believe Socrates is talking about the main street frontage on this arena, therefore it is relevant to the thread.

No one is saying that Evansville shouldn't have built an arena. The issue is the way the arena interfaces with Main Street. The design that is being built is extremely poor. If you were to look at that site from the perspective of good urban design theory, the arena shouldn't have come anywhere near Main St. If you were to compromise, those old buildings should not have been razed and the entrance for arena should have been placed on the vacant northern half of that block of Main Street (if you even want an entrance on Main, the case for which is dubious). In that case, you'd be getting all the "new lofts and condos, restaurants, and bars are now filling the rest of main street" PLUS you'd have all the old store fronts available to be refurbished. If the arena is good for everything else around there, it would have been good for the store fronts as well.

EVEN IF you want to argue that it was a good idea to raze those structures because they are outdated and in need of serious repair, the arena should have been designed with replacement store fronts. Plain and simple: pedestrian corridors need store fronts. What you're getting does not and that is a glaring omission.

randella

June 21st, 2010, 05:36 PM

bradyusi

June 22nd, 2010, 02:15 AM

Ok, this is about the best thing Evansville has going for it. I'm sure we can compromise and say it was sad to see the half-block of buildings on Main be demolished. But, when it's all said and done you will have a pretty nice entertainment district in downtown Evansville: The Victory, unnamed Arena, The Centre & Convention Center all surrounding a new hotel (we hope). I think that sounds pretty good, despite losing the old buildings. Add restaurants, bars & night clubs on the Arena section of Main, as well as the residential that's already there.. and Evansville is well on its way to a recovery.

that's just my .02

randella

June 22nd, 2010, 07:25 PM

CorrND

June 22nd, 2010, 07:29 PM

that's a fair assessment :)
So..... you're not opposed to people who continue to "hijack" this arena thread by commenting about the old buildings, you're just opposed to people who disagree with your opinion.

randella

June 22nd, 2010, 07:52 PM

So..... you're not opposed to people who continue to "hijack" this arena thread by commenting about the old buildings, you're just opposed to people who disagree with your opinion.

are you for real? go pester your mother...

CorrND

June 22nd, 2010, 08:59 PM

are you for real? go pester your mother...
I am 100% real. You are a thread-hawk, attempting the route conversation only into your pre-approved opinions. I do not agree with you about this arena but I accept that you have a differing opinion. That you do not afford me or Socrates or anyone else on this forum the same courtesy is unacceptable.

randella

June 22nd, 2010, 09:18 PM

I am 100% real. You are a thread-hawk, attempting the route conversation only into your pre-approved opinions. I do not agree with you about this arena but I accept that you have a differing opinion. That you do not afford me or Socrates or anyone else on this forum the same courtesy is unacceptable.

i've done nothing of the kind. you and socrates have previously posted your opinions and people have commented and debated about it. no one is stopping you. but if you want to rehash previous posts or steer the conversation to historic preservation then i'm gonna call you out on it. i'm trying to keep the thread moving forward with news and updates.

CorrND

June 22nd, 2010, 09:49 PM

i've done nothing of the kind. you and socrates have previously posted your opinions and people have commented and debated about it. no one is stopping you. but if you want to rehash previous posts or steer the conversation to historic preservation then i'm gonna call you out on it. i'm trying to keep the thread moving forward with news and updates.
This conversation is clearly related to the arena and is perfectly legitimate to be brought up again. Socrates didn't comment originally and I was defending his right to say what he wanted to say. Enough said.

And just to be clear, I don't care too much about those old buildings. I think they probably should have been kept, but you'll notice that I never once have used the term "historic" in this thread. Far more important is the incredibly bad way that the arena -- THE ARENA, topic of this thread -- interfaces with arguably the prime pedestrian corridor in all of Evansville. The shops were a good interface and if they weren't kept, something else with interest to pedestrians should have replaced it. I'm not militant about historic preservation, I simply think keeping the old shops would have been the cheapest and simplest way to maintain pedestrian interest.

Mark my words: once the luster of the new arena wears off, the windows are going to be B-O-R-I-N-G.

And to give you a win on this day, I promise that's the last you're going to hear from me on that point.

randella

June 23rd, 2010, 10:50 PM

Far more important is the incredibly bad way that the arena interfaces with arguably the prime pedestrian corridor in all of Evansville.

i'm sure you have the design team from populous shaking in their boots with self doubt. :)

AmericanDirt

June 24th, 2010, 09:12 PM

randella

June 25th, 2010, 07:59 AM

CorrND and I acknowledged that we're basically in complete agreement about this development, back when I blogged about it (http://dirtamericana.blogspot.com/2010/02/rethinking-behemoth-preseving-banal.html) a few months ago. From what I recall, the decision was mostly a political one, and Mayor Weinzapfel agreed to salvage a car dealership instead of these old buildings. From a fundamental real estate perspective, that makes sense: the Car Dealership was successful and generating far more revenue (as well as property tax for the city) than a row of mostly vacant buildings.

But the existence of a car dealership in DT Evansville is a consequence of depressed real estate. Premium downtowns do not have car dealerships because a dealer could never afford the amount of horizontal surface that he or she needs. Chicago and Manhattan have no car dealerships downtown. Not even the much cheaper DT Indy has car dealerships in the immediate downtown. If downtown Evansville were ever vibrant again, you can rest assured that those old buildings would be fully occupied, and D. Patrick would be happy to sell his land for a premium and move to the exurbs where he can stretch out at no great cost.

I hate to be cynical, but trust me that it really is (as is the case with Socrates and CorrND) out of a desire to see this stuff succeed....but what if this new arena is not the silver bullet its advocates are hoping for? Based on an observation of the street grid, it would appear that other parts of Main Street were sacrificed to build the Civic Center, and it hasn't done much to revitalize the street. It might be hard to research to find out if those blocks had good historic commercial architecture, but they very well could have. For the sake of Evansville, I hope this arena offers a different scenario. But who's to say that in ten years, a developer might propose the Evansville Aquarium on a depressed part of DT real estate--which, let's face it, is most of the city. Would we continue to argue to sacrifice more of the city's old commercial buildings for a new big-ticket item, just with the hope that it will bring pedestrian traffic to the historic commercial artery? How much more can we sacrifice? I know the city boosters don't want to keep waiting, but time has proven all over the country that these old commercial buildings are finding a second life through a collective newfound appreciation for older architecture.

The decision has been made--all is said and done, and there is no use weeping for those demolished buildings. But I hope this at least fosters a culture of concern for what makes really great downtown living, and those buildings would have far more to offer in the long term than a car dealership (which would cost virtually nothing to demolish). I like the design Populous is offering, and the fact that it will be LEED certified is an added bonus. But urban design also has to involve site selection, and while the Evansville Arena design may get a B-plus or higher, the site selection still rates a solid D.

I hope that time proves me (and CorrND and Socrates) wrong. But we base our observations on urban design principles, which largely derive from observed failures and successes elsewhere. If the arena proves to revitalize the rest of Evansville's Main Street, then it probably is best to retire the discussion and move on. But if not...?

first, you are incorrect in your assessment that it was a political decision relating to the location. it was financial. i agree, as did the site selection committee, that the d-patrick site was the best choice for a new arena. but the original site owners wanted a lot more money than the hotel site as well as 'relocation' fees for the dealership. did you also know they already owned dealerships on other sides of the city and have no interest in those locations? perhaps they know they can sell the land for more when the arena is done?

as to the existence of a depressed real estate market... whether space is used for a car dealership or a surface parking lot i think we can all agree there are much better uses for land downtown. but have you taken a good look around downtown indianapolis? it is filled with acres of parking lots in and around downtown. seriously, take a good hard look around the one america tower building and the city county building. those empty lots have sat vacant for decades are are a disgrace. don't toss stones if you live in a glass house.

you also don't need time to see the 'silver bullet' as there is already proof that the arena is having a positive impact on downtown. older buildings are getting tenants and others are being renovated. downtown evansville has sat idle for decades and is now finally seeing some true signs of recovery. i look forward to seeing the continued revitalization that the new arena is bringing and the new life that it brings to the downtown. i'm at least glad you are open to the positives that the project will bring to the city.

ps: you should probably do more research for your blog since you had the oreintation of the d-patrick site completely wrong. it was east-west.

AmericanDirt

June 25th, 2010, 04:09 PM

first, you are incorrect in your assessment that it was a political decision relating to the location. it was financial. i agree, as did the site selection committee, that the d-patrick site was the best choice for a new arena. but the original site owners wanted a lot more money than the hotel site as well as 'relocation' fees for the dealership. did you also know they already owned dealerships on other sides of the city and have no interest in those locations? perhaps they know they can sell the land for more when the arena is done?

ps: you should probably do more research for your blog since you had the oreintation of the d-patrick site completely wrong. it was east-west.

The Evanston Arena decision was indeed financial. But it was also political. If a mayor gets involved (and they nearly always do for these sort of activities) then the decision involved some negotiations in which political interests were at stake--it's inescapable. I'm familiar with D. Patrick because I have family members that work for the company. If you had read my entire blog post as well as the comments (no small feat mind you) I talk about how Mr. Patrick could very easily making a killing down the road by refusing to sell this branch until later--clearly a savvy speculator.

My blog was delineating the actual location of the D. Patrick dealership, which is most definitely the original site for the arena. My thorough research did not clearly indicate which side of Walnut was going to have the construction (after all, it is a rejected site, so the media hardly dwells on it), but D. Patrick is indisputably on both sides of Walnut. It did seem impractical that they'd build while going across a major street like Walnut, but I did the best I could given the inability to visit the site in person. There are only two options for the orientation, and perhaps I got it only half-right; my identification of the D. Patrick parcel is still correct. (Family members also did not notice an incorrect delineation of the site, FWIW.)

I'm well aware of the hyper-abundance of surface parking in Indianapolis and have been critical of the prevailing culture that supports it, which you'd see in my blog. Comparing land use in Evansville to Indy or Chicago, though, is not casting stones. By no means am I inflating Indianapolis, nor putting Evansville down--I'm just establishing points of reference for evaluating land use markets.

What puzzles me is how you seem to interpret any criticism of the decisions behind the arena relocation as a personal attack. I hold true to the sentiments expressed in the first sentence of the third paragraph of my previous post: I want DT Evansville to flourish. Or are any design suggestions from a bigger city to a smaller one seen as paternalistic and patronizing? Ideally, I originally blogged about this because I hoped that Evansville could learn from some of Indy's most obvious mistakes in design and site selection.

randella

June 25th, 2010, 05:27 PM

My blog was delineating the actual location of the D. Patrick dealership, which is most definitely the original site for the arena. My thorough research did not clearly indicate which side of Walnut was going to have the construction (after all, it is a rejected site, so the media hardly dwells on it), but D. Patrick is indisputably on both sides of Walnut. It did seem impractical that they'd build while going across a major street like Walnut, but I did the best I could given the inability to visit the site in person. There are only two options for the orientation, and perhaps I got it only half-right; my identification of the D. Patrick parcel is still correct. (Family members also did not notice an incorrect delineation of the site, FWIW.)

i happened to run across your blog when searching for news on the arena, and found a lot of what you posted interesting. but the location for the d-patrick site was well published by the local media. in fact, populous released their initial rendering and site design based on it. just do an image search on google for 'd-patrick evansville arena location' and a full site plan with the streets comes up. unfortunately, when i realized you had the site wrong, it raised a credibility issue. i don't mean that as a personal attack, but want to explain how that impacted me as a reader.

I'm well aware of the hyper-abundance of surface parking in Indianapolis and have been critical of the prevailing culture that supports it, which you'd see in my blog.

then you have to admit it was a poor choice for an example of 'premium' downtown land use. again, i think we can all agree there are much better uses for land than parking lots and car dealerships in a downtown. as i've said before, the d-patrick site was my favorite and i regret that the city and the family could not work out a deal. however, i do think the final location has some intriguing advantages.

randella

July 11th, 2010, 04:47 PM

the courier has an interesting article today about the impact of the new arena on downtown. a new neighborhood association will examine how the tens of thousands more people who will come to events at the city's new arena and to programs adjacent to the arena will affect the residents and businesses in the area. here is a photo and link to the full article:

downtown growing pains
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/jul/11/downtown-growing-pains-blend-of-residential-for/

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2010/07/10/20100710-233641-pic-45807888_t607.jpg

randella

August 4th, 2010, 08:15 PM

two major developments were announced today...

the first is that the executive inn renovation has hit a snag. browning investments was unable to secure financing and will be returning the hotel ownership to the city. it also looks likely that the entire structure and the nearby parking garage will be demolished and a new convention hotel and parking garage will be constructed.

executive inn article:
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/aug/04/city-get-back-ownership-former-executive-inn/

the second is the official announcement that the hilliard-lyons building, a 1916 neoclassical tower, will be converted to 44 luxury apartments by the kunkel group. the conversion is to start later this summer or fall and will open in 2011.

hilliard-lyons article:
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/aug/04/hilliard-lyons-building-become-downtown-apartments/

Toxic Toast

August 5th, 2010, 02:55 PM

the second is the official announcement that the hilliard-lyons building, a 1916 neoclassical tower, will be converted to 44 luxury apartments by the kunkel group. the conversion is to start later this summer or fall and will open in 2011.

hilliard-lyons article:
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/aug/04/hilliard-lyons-building-become-downtown-apartments/

Great news! I love the development that is occuring around Main Street.

randella

August 27th, 2010, 04:32 PM

some recent construction photos i found on flickr (all photos by mpfender):

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4097/4885856148_279f74ff92_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4097/4885858304_cce8c10049_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4076/4885863070_ac0bb6bc18_z.jpg

randella

September 9th, 2010, 03:15 PM

construction update... from the webcam you can see the roof support beams are being added. also, the photos below from the courier shows the aluminum side panels are now being added. appears to be a lot more color variation in the facade than what the renderings originally showed.

arena webcam:
http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/content/webcam-and-photos

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2010/09/08/20100908-231211-pic-348704281_t607.jpg

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2010/09/08/20100908-231211-pic-986619092_t607.jpg

randella

September 22nd, 2010, 05:36 PM

fox news is reporting that three minor league hockey leagues submitted proposals for the new arena: the central hockey league, the united states hockey league, and the east coast hockey league. a decision on which league will occupy the new arena is expected next month.

http://tristatehomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=199355

randella

September 30th, 2010, 04:01 PM

the courier posted an article today about the hockey proposols. no new information outside the three leagues mentioned earlier, but they did post this picture of the arena under construction. i'm assuming the blue color is from the roof insulation and protective covering over the side aluminum?

ps: the proposals for the new hotel are due tomorrow.

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2010/09/30/093010mainphoto1_t607.jpg

randella

October 2nd, 2010, 01:26 AM

the initial convention hotel proposals are in and four developers are interested in building a new hotel that will connect to the arena and the convention center. the developers consist of browning investments, kunkel group, white lodging, and woodruff hospitality. these initial proposals will be narrowed down and the developers will then be asked to complete a more detailed proposal.

evansville courier press article:
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/oct/01/kunkel-browning-submitting-proposals-replacing-exe/?comments_id=813363

randella

October 20th, 2010, 09:38 PM

new aerial photos from the arena web site. below is a link to the photos page which has all of the official construction photos:

http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/content/photos

http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/main-aspect-switcher/IMG_0009.jpg

http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/main-aspect-switcher/IMG_0013.jpg

http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/main-aspect-switcher/IMG_0015.jpg

randella

October 22nd, 2010, 06:17 AM

some early video of the construction from the inside... looking good.

http://www.news25.us/global/story.asp?s=13368530

randella

October 23rd, 2010, 05:42 AM

more photos from the arena construction tour... these are from the courier and press:

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2010/10/21/1022_met_arenatour139_t607.jpg

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2010/10/21/1022_met_arenatour189_t607.jpg

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2010/10/21/1022_met_arenatour260_t607.jpg

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2010/10/21/1022_met_arenatour302_t607.jpg

randella

November 16th, 2010, 04:22 AM

topped out! the roof is now in its final stage. when this awful 'recession' is over, it will be nice to see this puppy come to life and breathe new life into the downtown.

http://tristatehomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=217536

ragerunner1

November 22nd, 2010, 08:44 PM

randella

December 2nd, 2010, 05:09 PM

I really like this arena. Great location, good connectivity with its urban surroundings, and the architecture adds a nice modern addition to downtown evansville. Hopefully the hotel will get underway soon.

this location has grown on me quite a bit. i like how it connects the convention center to main street. the hotel proposals are talking about a hyatt place or courtyard by marriott, so i'm not expecting much. but the city should be announcing something soon.

randella

December 2nd, 2010, 05:12 PM

here is another photo i found on flickr (this one by deemer):

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/5130190201_974d582c73_z.jpg

randella

December 21st, 2010, 06:32 PM

ragerunner1

December 22nd, 2010, 11:28 PM

the mayor's office announced the new hotel this morning... it's going to be a hyatt place and it will be built on the site of the old executive inn garage. both the old inn and the garage will be demolished. the hotel will be six stories with 220 rooms and an underground parking garage. the design will be pretty consistent with the new hyatt place designs you see around the country (see the link below to one in san antonio for an idea).

http://www.hyatt.com/hyatt/images/hotels/satzs/gallery_31.jpg

Clearly not the most stunning piece of architecture, but that design might fit with the arena. The real issue is going to be the layout of the hotel. It needs built the street corner and not have a suburban parking lot in front of it.

randella

December 23rd, 2010, 04:20 AM

Clearly not the most stunning piece of architecture, but that design might fit with the arena. The real issue is going to be the layout of the hotel. It needs built the street corner and not have a suburban parking lot in front of it.

i don't know if it fits with the new arena architecturally, but it's definitely better than a courtyard by marriott! i've seen the one in san antonio and these hotels are quite nice. i'm reading that the one in evansville will front martin luther king and walnut street. apparently, this hotel will be larger than most hyatt place hotels and will have two wings. it will have some surface parking on the backside as well as additional parking in an underground garage. i do think this was the best proposal of the bunch and that it will be a huge improvement over the old executive inn.

randella

January 12th, 2011, 04:41 PM

the finalists for the arena plaza art were announced tuesday. the front runner appears to be 'vibrant river' by california artist roger stoller. it would actually wrap around the corner tower of the building rather than be in the plaza. the three finalists are definitely interesting and i want to let them stew around in my head before i pick a personal favorite, but i thought i would post them up so everyone can take a peek.

full article (with poll):
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/jan/11/river-bend-themed-sculpture-favored-for-arenas/

'vibrant river' by roger stoller:
http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2011/01/11/20110111-225514-pic-25953183_t607.jpg

'standing light sphere' by philip vaughan:
http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2011/01/11/20110111-225514-pic-308518674_t607.jpg

'triumphal arch' by david prete:
http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2011/01/11/20110111-225514-pic-621673867_t300.jpg

randella

February 1st, 2011, 06:24 PM

here is an article and some photos from the courier today about the arena progress. the arena should be completely enclosed by march with a november opening date.

courier press article:
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/jan/31/now-just-picture-the-crowds/

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2011/01/31/0201_met_Arena_0170_t607.jpg

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2011/01/31/0201_met_Arena_0163_t607.jpg

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2011/01/31/0201_met_Arena_0122_t607.jpg

Toxic Toast

February 9th, 2011, 07:36 PM

I was in Evansville over Christmas, very impressed at the progress. I am even more encouraged that SMG is not going to be managing the arena.

randella

March 11th, 2011, 05:30 PM

more construction photos from the arena site (www.evansvillearenaproject.com)...

http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/main-aspect-switcher/IMAG0270.jpg

http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/main-aspect-switcher/IMAG0265.jpg http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/main-aspect-switcher/IMAG0269.jpg

http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/main-aspect-switcher/IMAG0266.jpg http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/main-aspect-switcher/IMAG0271.jpg

randella

April 18th, 2011, 06:39 AM

a recent aerial photo of the arena (from the courier press). the old executive inn garage and hotel in the foreground will be torn down starting monday. some verizon cell towers on top delayed demolition until verizon relocated them. i've always hated that old executive inn garage... it's ugly and was too big for a city this size. the site of the old garage will be the new hyatt place hotel which will have an underground parking garage.

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2011/04/17/20110417-192448-pic-187848582_t607.jpg

GarfieldPark

April 19th, 2011, 07:16 PM

Looks good. When is the first event supposed to be held there? This Summer? or Fall? Thanks for keeping us posted on the progress of this project over the past two years, or so.

randella

April 19th, 2011, 08:36 PM

Looks good. When is the first event supposed to be held there? This Summer? or Fall? Thanks for keeping us posted on the progress of this project over the past two years, or so.

thanks! good to know people are keeping up with the project. the arena is scheduled to open in november.... right now they have butler battling the aces in the first game of the season on november 12th. no concert dates have been announced, but they hired a new management firm to tackle that so i hope to hear something soon.

GarfieldPark

April 20th, 2011, 05:14 AM

Hmmm.... should be a good revenge game for Butler after losing to Evansville at Hinkle Fieldhouse this past season. Hope they get some decent concerts coming through Southwest Indiana.

randella

May 3rd, 2011, 10:03 PM

here are a couple of new aerial shots posted at the official arena site. you can see the old hotel and garage under demolition. the garage is completely down now and they are getting ready to excavate the site for the new hyatt place hotel and an underground garage.

http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/main-aspect-switcher/IMG_8670.jpg

http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/main-aspect-switcher/IMG_8665.jpg

randella

May 19th, 2011, 07:18 PM

the 'vibrant river' sculpture has been selected as the plaza artwork for the new arena. the announcement was made late last month but i missed it in the local media. i actually liked all of the finalists so i'm sure this was a tough decision by the committee. the city is also working to secure the 'standing light sphere' for the interior of the arena (possibly as a hanging sculpture in the main lobby).

full press release:
http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/content/public-art-piece-selected-new-evansville-arena

'vibrant river' by roger stoller:
http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2011/01/11/20110111-225514-pic-25953183_t607.jpg

'standing light sphere' by philip vaughan:
http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2011/01/11/20110111-225514-pic-308518674_t607.jpg

randella

June 22nd, 2011, 05:57 AM

looks like some changes for the hotel development. the kunkel group has taken a leadership role on the project since the original developer was having issues with financing, but an agreement has yet to be reached. technically, woodruff still has the contract until the end of the month. if they fail to work out a deal, the city is opening up the bidding process so that kunkel can secure an agreement free and clear of woodruff (kunkel claims to have over $30 million in financing). all the drama aside, the new proposal is very interesting. it would have a curved seven-story hotel facing the arena, a parking garage on the backside, along with a restaurant and plaza connecting it to the arena. here is a site plan i saw on wfie 14. i will post more as it becomes available.

http://wfie.images.worldnow.com/images/14952663_BG1.jpg

randella

June 22nd, 2011, 09:40 PM

channel 14 added a rendering online for the new hotel. it's a very different approach, but still following design cues from hyatt place. the building also looks like it is eight stories rather than seven.

http://wfie.images.worldnow.com/images/14952663_BG2.jpg

IndyYeah

June 24th, 2011, 02:40 AM

randella

July 20th, 2011, 03:32 AM

it's come down to two companies vying for the hotel contract now... the kunkel group with the rendering from earlier has submitted their own proposal free of woodruff hospitality. also, one of the other woodruff investors has formed a new group called prime lodging that has also submitted a proposal. both of the hotels would be the hyatt place brand and offer a total of 220 rooms. the various investors of woodruff failed to come to an agreement and move forward with one of these proposals. now it's up to the redevelopment commission to figure out which one they prefer and/or who is more qualified to build the hotel. both developers claim to have financing in place and are prepared to continue moving forward with the project.

kunkel group's rendering:
http://wfie.images.worldnow.com/images/15103232_BG3.jpg

prime lodging's rendering:
http://wfie.images.worldnow.com/images/15103232_BG1.jpg

indymidlander

July 20th, 2011, 04:12 AM

i definitely prefer the kunkel group's rendering.

indymidlander

July 20th, 2011, 04:12 AM

***looks like a hell of a lot less eifs...

randella

July 20th, 2011, 04:27 PM

i like both renderings, but am tending to lean towards prime lodging at this point (but i would definitely appreciate other people weighing in with their thoughts so i can get some other perspectives.) the reason i'm liking it better is that both the arena and the convention center have curved faces on their fronts and i like the contrast of a straight wall facing walnut street. also, the rendering doesn't do justice to what their design will really look like. here is a shot of one from san antonio. the one in evansville would be very similar but have two more floors. thoughts?

http://cls.cdn-hotels.com/hotels/4000000/3420000/3411200/3411197/3411197_12_b.jpg

randella

July 20th, 2011, 04:42 PM

if you want to think about the hotel in context, click the link below. the hotel will be built on the now empty lot at the back (across the from the library). the front of the hotel will be facing walnut street directly across from the arena.

http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/content/webcam-and-photos

joezierer

July 21st, 2011, 11:28 AM

Kunkel owns half of Evansville (it seems) so I would almost guarantee them winning the contract.

randella

August 17th, 2011, 10:07 PM

it was made official today that the new arena will be called ford center. ford will pay $4.2 million for the naming rights over a ten year period. here is the release from the city:

http://www.evansvillegov.org/Index.aspx?page=9&recordid=1039&returnURL=%2findex.aspx

randella

August 22nd, 2011, 08:19 PM

the first events at the arena have been set. the evansville icemen will play the fort wayne komets on november 5th and the first concert will be bob seger playing on november 9th. more to come!

joezierer

September 6th, 2011, 04:01 AM

Here's a video from July showing the interior of the arena.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IFhYQ_juf0

randella

September 17th, 2011, 08:17 PM

venuworks is beginning to announce some additional concerts for the new arena. reba mcentire and the trans-siberian orchestra were both announced in the last week. they're promising a well-rounded concert schedule so hopefully they will be adding some pop or alternative acts to the schedule, but it looks like the arena is pretty well booked through the end of the year:

concerts:

nov. 9th: bob seger
nov. 11th: reba mcentire
dec. 7th: trans-siberian orchestra

special events:

nov. 24th: hadi shrine circus
nov. 25th: hadi shrine circus
nov. 26th: hadi shrine circus
nov. 27th: hadi shrine circus

hockey:

nov. 5th: evansville vs. fort wayne
nov. 13th: evansville vs. dayton
nov. 17th: evansville vs. fort wayne
nov. 18th: evansville vs. missouri
dec. 4th: evansville vs. bloomington
dec. 9th: evansville vs. dayton
dec. 11th: evansville vs. bloomington
dec. 16th: evansville vs. fort wayne
dec. 18th: evansville vs. missouri
dec. 23rd: evansville vs. texas
dec. 27th: evansville vs. dayton
dec. 30th: evansville vs. fort wayne
dec. 31st: evansville vs. wichita

basketball:

oct. 20th: ue vs. depauw (exhibition)
nov. 4th: ue vs. illinois-springfield (exhibition)
nov. 12th: ue vs. butler
nov. 16th: ue vs. indiana
nov. 19th: ue vs. oakland city
nov. 29th: ue vs. alabama state
dec. 3rd: ue vs. tcu
dec. 10th: ue vs. north carolina a&t
dec. 17th: ue vs. tennessee tech
dec. 29th: ue vs. southern illinois

randella

September 27th, 2011, 09:18 PM

the arena is nearly finished... looks like they are wrapping it all up and doing some finishing touches. here are some photos posted by the new evansville arena project:

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/307692_287158677976841_158808414145202_1175697_1305592613_n.jpg

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/299515_292474494111926_158808414145202_1197100_1781268270_n.jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/296248_292472540778788_158808414145202_1197090_346941482_n.jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/294301_292470500778992_158808414145202_1197079_1474087639_n.jpg

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/307692_287158674643508_158808414145202_1175696_1883862400_n.jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/294483_287160117976697_158808414145202_1175715_739726258_n.jpg

joezierer

October 12th, 2011, 09:18 AM

http://i.imgur.com/fH4b2.jpg
Uploaded by the U of E Women's B-Ball team. Better look of the seating.

randella

October 21st, 2011, 02:07 AM

the new arena can now add lady antebellum to the list of concerts coming to the river city. they will be playing the ford center on february 26th. i know there is a lot of buzz about the caliber of concerts that are being announced: bob seger, reba, trans-siberian orchestra, and now lady antebellum.

http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1672734/lady-antebellum-reveal-2012-tour-dates.jhtml

randella

October 31st, 2011, 01:27 AM

here are a couple of photos from a preview put together by the courier and press (along with a link to see more). i'm going to the first hockey game at the new arena next weekend and looking forward to seeing it for real.

http://www.courierpress.com/photos/galleries/2011/oct/23/ford-center-preview/?partner=popular

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2011/10/23/420111022224733001_t607.JPG

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2011/10/23/420111022223332001_t607.JPG

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2011/10/23/420111022223407001_t607.JPG

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2011/10/23/420111022223519002_t607.JPG

http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2011/10/23/420111022223523001_t607.JPG

joezierer

October 31st, 2011, 05:15 PM

randella

November 1st, 2011, 02:16 AM

I was there for the Aces' Hoopsfest and it was a really nice stadium. They had the upper deck curtained off which made it seem small, and the hockey boards were still up, but overall a major major upgrade over Roberts Stadium.

i was wondering how curtaining off the upper deck would look. i think they also plan to do that for hockey games, but i would actually like to see it all open. i think they expect to get anywhere from 3,000 to 6,000 for hockey games, but they don't really know because this is the first year for the new league and the new arena.

randella

November 4th, 2011, 05:28 AM

the courier is reporting that arena officials are expecting a near sell-out crowd for the opening icemen game on saturday. they sent out a reminder about access and parking. i already have my tickets in the lower section, but ticketmaster is now selling seats in the upper deck. even the owner didn't expect that. amazing.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/nov/03/arena-officials-issue-reminder-about-parking-ford/

ps: cirque du soleil is also coming!

joezierer

November 6th, 2011, 03:17 PM

Reported attendance for the hockey game was 8000. Me and my friends were really shocked at how many people went to the game. Was a good one too.

randella

November 8th, 2011, 05:23 AM

Reported attendance for the hockey game was 8000. Me and my friends were really shocked at how many people went to the game. Was a good one too.

yeah, it was a lot of fun. they announced attendance at 8,722, but i think actual attendance was closer to about 8,000. we got up after the first quarter and wandered around the arena (a lot of other people did the same thing and went exploring the different levels).

there was a really fun vibe in air and you could tell people were genuinely impressed with the new arena. it was nice to see downtown come alive after dark. the casino hotels were sold out and downtown was filled with people. all in all, a very fun night!

randella

November 8th, 2011, 06:38 AM

here are a couple of shots from the game...

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6212/6325028398_bb5192e0f9_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6051/6325026618_415f7464e6_z.jpg

GarfieldPark

November 10th, 2011, 09:07 PM

Very nice. Looks great. That'll really help bring some more good events to SW Indiana - and pull in folks from southern Illinois, Western Kentucky and other places out of town. It'll be good to see some photos of how it is set up for basketball games. I think Butler is playing Evansville there pretty soon, aren't they?

unvrsty07

November 11th, 2011, 01:55 AM

randella

November 11th, 2011, 06:52 AM

I went here last night for the bob segar concert. Very nice venue but way too tight along the outside for the walking areas. The whole stadium in general was not very ergonomically designed to deal with a packed house in my opinion with people moving in and out of the stadium and their seats. Overall a very nice addition to the downtown area of Evansville but more thought into the moving of people around the stadium should have been put into the design of the building.

the concourse levels are actually really wide, but i noticed it was hard to walk around certain areas. i think it has more to do with the concession areas, beer stations, and souvenir stands. they shouldn't allow beer stands or souvenir stands near the concession areas because of the lines that form there. also, once the workers get more experience they will hopefully move the lines a bit faster. it was frustrating trying to squeeze through that area.

ps: don't buy those 'bottoms up' budweiser light cubs! i saw two of them break on these guys and they got all wet and wasted their beer. also ran into another guy in the bathroom who was trying to clean one up that spilled on him.