31-01-2025
Local business leaders push for new $100 million sports facility
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) — Indiana State House Bill 1451 could open the door for the city of Evansville to bring a $100 million multi-purpose sports and entertainment facility.
'The private sector group felt that Evansville could present an interesting opportunity for a minor league baseball location,' United Companies executive chairman Ron Romain said.
The bill would increase the amount of money the city of Evansville can take from the Indiana state house using sales tax and state income tax money.
Currently, the amount is capped at $1.2 million and that money is used to pay off the debt at Ford Center. But House Bill 1451 would increase that cap to $5 million so the city can spend on Ford Center and potentially help fund a new $100 million baseball stadium.
'In essence, it's really just going to bring back dollars that local tax payers are already paying to the state,' Evansville mayor Stephanie Terry said. 'We are just clawing it back to benefit the residents and projects both current and future that we want to see in the city.'
Business leaders like Ron Romain and Old National Bank CEO Jim Ryan said a new multi-purpose sports and entertainment facility could be a home run for the city.
'These are amazing downtown revitalization tools,' Ryan said. 'We anticipate the same in Evansville. A 5,000 seat facility that can be used for minor league baseball, but it's also so much more. It's going to come with new housing, restaurants, retail that will surround the facility.'
The group hopes to bring in an affiliate of the potential expansion Major League Baseball team in Nashville, one that Mattingly has pushed for.
But all of this isn't new to Evansville.
Back in 2002, Mayor Russ Loyd pushed for an MLB affiliate in the city, but was met with harsh criticism. One of the concerns was for the future of the Evansville Otters and Bosse field.
A concern that still exists today.
'Do you think a city like Evansville is big enough to support both the Otters and a potential minor league affiliate? No,' Evansville Otter owner Bill Bussing said.
Bussing has been involved with the Otters for 25 years. He says there is no animosity between him and the group looking to bring the affiliate to the city, but he will continue to work with the Otters.
'We are going to go about our business,' he said. 'Try to win the frontier league championship this year and next, provide affordable family fun for the community at an exceptional level, and whatever else happens is out of my control.'
Mayor Terry said her administration is taking a much slower approach to the proposal than the city did 23 years ago, while also getting community input.
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