State of the City Address Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel Presented to Rotary Club of Evansville March 17,...

State of the City Address

Mayor Jonathan WeinzapfelPresented to Rotary Club of Evansville

March 17, 2009

State of the City Address | Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel | March 17, 2009

Considerable Progress in 2008• Road Paving• Sidewalk

Replacement• Pigeon Creek

Greenway Passage• Bike Lanes on City

Streets• Education Roundtable• Southwest Indiana

College Access Network

• Bellemeade and Howell Parks Pools

• Boys & Girls Club Partnership

• Museum Expansion Project

• Front Door Pride Progress

• New Downtown Restaurants & Shops


THE ECONOMY IS THE TOPIC OF THE DAY .


January 2009 UnemploymentRate Number

State of Indiana 9.9% 319,801City of Evansville 8.8% 5,142

United States 8.5% 13,009,000

Source: Indiana Department of Workforce Development, www.in.gov/dwd


Closings, Layoffs, Job Reductions, Salary and Benefit Reductions


Local Government Finances• City budget affected by:

– Increased fuel costs– Increased utility costs– Increased health insurance costs– Decreased revenues

• Result of State property tax reform


Local Government Finances• City budget balanced for 2009

– 5th year in a row• Could never have predicted

what has happened with the economy

• In a good position to handle it because of changes made over the past five years

• Have demanded that our City operate more efficiently

• Have looked for partnerships that allow us to make good use of our resources


Streamlining Local Government• Partnership with USI Center for

Applied Research and Technology– Evaluated issues related to

city-wide parking enforcement


Streamlining Local Government

• Cooperative Purchasing Organization (CPO)– Cut costs – Create efficiencies– Leverage increased

purchasing power

• New online time and attendance system


Streamlining Local Government• 12 City positions

eliminated in all– No employees put

out of work• $553,000 annual

savings*• Able to provide the same level of service

*Based on 2008 salaries and benefits


Streamlining Local Government• Haven’t had to take

actions that other Indiana communities have, such as:– Laying off large numbers

of employees– Making drastic cuts to

essential services– Increasing income taxes


Private Sector Relatively Stable• Local financial services relatively stable

because of conservative lending practices

• Evansville’s unemployment rate is a full percentage point below the State average

• Ft. Wayne, Gary and South Bend have unemployment rates above 10%


Job Creation, Business Expansion

• Mead Johnson Nutrition: – Investing $26 million to

build new R&D Technology Center

• Berry Plastics:– Investing nearly $21 million

for new global headquarters in Evansville

– Hiring at least 250 new workers


Job Creation, Business Expansion

• American General:– $35 million expansion

nearing completion– 150 new full-time positions

will soon be filled

• Vuteq (Toyota parts supplier):– Adding 50 jobs


Reality of the Economic Situation

• These are challenging times

• It will take a lot of hard work and collaboration to turn things around

• We need to be patient


THE ECONOMY DIDN’T REACH ITS CURRENT CONDITION

OVERNIGHT, AND IT WILL TAKE TIME IT TO RECOVER.


National Recovery Process• Federal government taking steps to speed

up the recovery process• Not “Wall Street” vs. “Main Street”• Taking action on multiple fronts to:

– Create jobs– Put people to work– Put money back into the economy


Meeting with President Obama


Meeting with President Obama• Had the honor of traveling to Washington,

D.C. to meet with President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and several cabinet secretaries at the White House

• Meeting took place right after Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act


• Will create or save millions of jobs

• Invest billions of dollars in the nation’s infrastructure

• Help reinvigorate neighborhoods

• Invest in clean energy technology

American Recovery & Reinvestment Act



• President Obama urged us to use this money wisely

• That’s what the City of Evansville intends to do



Amount Source Use$795,964 Community Development

Block GrantsRevitalize older neighborhoods (Build, revitalize and/or demolish homes)

$1.2 million Homeless Prevention Funds Keep people in their homes and fund the services necessary to support them

$5 million Highway/Bridge Infrastructure Funds

Modernize Downtown traffic flow and signalization; construct Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage, Industrial Corridor, Phase 2

$388,019 Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program

Prevent and control crime

$2.6 million Federal Transit Administration

Buy 3 more hybrid buses, bringing total to 11; retrofit existing facilities and buses to use 20% biodiesel (B20)



• States and cities can compete for billions of dollars in grants, such as:– $2 billion available through the

Neighborhood Stabilization Program for redevelopment projects

– $5 billion available for home weatherization– Will pursue funding to continue work dealing

with flooding on the southeast side• We are carefully monitoring grant

opportunities



• We are not waiting for the Federal government to bail us out

• Have our own stimulus projects which will put hundreds of people to work and pump more money into our local economy


EVSC Construction Projects• EVSC spending $150 million to:

– Build new North High School/Middle School complex

– Renovate other schools• Work is underway• All projects should be complete

by fall 2011


EVSC Construction Projects• Timing is ideal• Bids for have come in well

under budget– Due to reduced material

and borrowing costs• Projects will:

– Improve our children’s education– Cost less– Create jobs– Stimulate the ecoomy


New Arena to Stimulate Local Economy


Hundreds of New Jobs for Our Community

• Economic impact study commissioned by the Evansville Regional Business Committee estimated that:– 670 jobs created during construction period– 530 jobs created after arena is complete– New restaurants, new businesses need

hundreds of workers


Spin-off Economic Development• Browning Investments

is committed to building a 250-room hotel

• City issuing an RFP in the next few weeks

• Just the beginning of the investment and jobs that will be created in our community by a new arena


Deciding to Build a New Arena• Has been a long and thorough process• Started talking about what to do with

Roberts Stadium years ago– Built in 1956– Renovated in 1990– Has served our community well

• Have known for several years that the facility needs a massive upgrade


Public Involvement• Formed Roberts Stadium

Advisory Board, with members representing:– Business– Labor– Neighborhood associations– Universities– Government

• Hired experts like The Gateway Group to help us sift through all the data


Public Involvement• Roberts Stadium Advisory

Board held 13 public meetings over the course of 18 months

• Invited the community to participate and speak at each opportunity


Advisory Board Recommendation

• Roberts Stadium Advisory Board unanimously recommended building a new arena downtown

• City Council endorsed recommendation• County Commissioners, County Council

endorsed use of Food & Beverage Tax to help fund it


Facts Supporting Recommendation

• According to Gateway, we will need to spend up to $17 million over the next 3 – 5 years to keep Roberts Stadium open


Roberts Stadium Deficiencies• Would cost a total of

$40 million to correct deficiencies– Concourses too narrow– Aisles too narrow– Seats too small– Concession areas and kitchens inadequate– Not enough restrooms– Restrooms not up to code– Facility not ADA compliant


Roberts Stadium Structural Problems

• Would $90 million to fix major structural problems– Rigging can’t support

equipment weight– Floor not regulation size

• Too small for ice shows, arena football, hockey, and any other event that uses a standard floor

– Undersized truck docks and marshalling areas


Renovating Roberts Stadium: Bottom Line

• Would cost us at least $90 million to renovate Roberts Stadium to make it lasting and competitive

• In essence, we would have to build a new facility


Building on Same Site• If build downtown, can take advantage of

tax increment financing (TIF) district• TIF funds NOT available to use at current

Roberts Stadium site• Would need to increase property taxes by

about $60 million to build a new facility at the current site


Building on Same Site• No other economic

development taking place in that area

• None has occurred in the past 50 years…


Building on Same Site• Would have to

shut down the whole area for almost two years to allow the intensive construction to take place


Downtown is the Best Choice• Can finance construction with

sources of revenue that are only available downtown– Food & Beverage Tax– Gaming Proceeds– TIF District

• Can finance a new arena and provide excellent coverage on debt obligations without raising taxes


More Bang for our Buck• Will see economic

development take place downtown because of this project

• People will walk to downtown businesses and restaurants

• Retailers and developers already telling me they can’t wait for a new arena


Asset for Attracting Conventions• Arena will be located

right next to The Centre• The two facilities can

be used in tandem• Will allow our community

to attract even larger conventions and events


Roberts Stadium Parking


Parking Comparison: Downtown vs. Roberts Stadium

Downtown*:5,296 spaces

Roberts Stadium:3,000 spaces

* Within a five-minute walk of the intersection of Fourth St. and Locust St.


Downtown ParkingCity Garages

Sycamore St.: 588Locust St.: 378Third St.: 613TOTAL: 1,579

Private Garages420 Main St.: 150Executive Inn: 600Old National: 600One Riverfront: 425Fifth Third: 400TOTAL: 2,175

Surface LotsTOTAL: 1,542

Total Parking: 5,296 Spaces** Within a five-minute walk of the intersection of Fourth St. and Locust St.


Planned Downtown Traffic Changes


Access Points to Downtown


Access Points to Arena Area


Access Point Comparison: Downtown Site vs. Roberts Stadium

Downtown Evansville

Roberts Stadium


Funding Plan• Funding for new arena will not take away

from City services• Relies on completely different funding

sources: Downtown TIF, Gaming Receipts, and Food & Beverage Tax– Cannot be used for things like salaries and

benefits– Can only be used for capital projects

• Does not touch current allocation of revenue for existing projects


WE CAN PAY FOR AN ARENA AND STILL HAVE MONEY TO INVEST IN THE

CAPITAL NEEDS OF THE CITY AND OTHER DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY.


Arena Project Director• John J. Kish

– Former Executive Director of the Indianapolis Airport Authority

– Responsible for all aspects of $1.1 billion Midfield Project

– Completed on time and on budget


Food & Beverage Tax• Working to get the State legislature to

approve use of the local Food & Beverage Tax as a revenue source for the arena– State law must be changed

• Proceeds currently paying off bonds on The Centre– Once paid off, all proceeds will go to arena

• House approved the bill unanimously• Now being debated in the Senate


Property Acquisition

• Discussions taking place with property owners

• Making progress


Next Steps• Secure site• Food & Beverage Tax change• Construction to begin this summer• Opening date: Late summer of 2011


No Better Time to Build a New Arena

• Create community pride• Improve quality of life• Attract more prestigious and visible events

to Evansville


Our Own Stimulus Package

• Put hundreds of people to work• Support more economic development

downtown• No Property Tax Increase


Community Pride• I am proud that this

community continues to move forward with projects like the arena – even in this frightening economy

• We really have no choice• We must move forward and build on the

momentum we have going here


National Economy Will Present Challenges

• But here in Evansville:• We’re tough• We’re smart• We know how to work together


Please Do Your Part• Talk to your friends

and neighbors about the new arena and how important it is

• Tell people that we are on track to lead the state out of the economic challenges we face


SHARE YOUR PRIDE AND OPTIMISM THAT EACH OF US HAS IN OUR COMMUNITY…

NO MATTER WHAT WE MIGHT FACE.


Thank You!


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State of the City Address Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel Presented to Rotary Club of Evansville March 17,...

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