Advisory Board Breaking Down the Numbers

The Roberts Stadium Advisory Board is collecting it's final information before deciding what to do with the aging building. The board is 5 months behind schedule but says the extra time will help make a better decision. Numbers are what the advisory board is looking at right now. Gateway consultants brought in a marketing firm from Minneapolis to let the board know what the future of Roberts stadium will cost and how the city can pay for it. It's the final information the Roberts Stadium advisory board needs before they make their recommendation. Consultant Tom Chema told the board tonight. A renovated stadium could cost anywhere from 40 to almost 92 million dollars. Building a new stadium where the current one stands could cost 86 million dollars. A new stadium in a new location with 10 thousand seats will cost 93 million - add on four thousand more seats and the price goes up to about 166 million dollars. There are credits the city can get and that's where the price goes down. The board is looking at knocking about 35 million dollars off the price of a renovated stadium or a new stadium built in the same spot. For a new arena in another location no matter how many seats Chema says Evansville can find 111 million dollars in credits. That knocks the price of all the options down but it also means credits for a 10 thousand seat stadium downtown may not cost a thing. He also warns these prices and credits have a disclaimer because you need the final plans before you know the final cost. The next public meeting is April 1st. That's when the board hopes to have a tentative recommendation for Roberts Stadium. They will meet again in March and plan to make their recommendation to the city in May.