Despite what the executive director of the Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau says, no conflict exists between the bureau and Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel, the president of the bureau’s board said today.
The day before,
Marilee Fowler, executive director of the bureau, announced she was resigning, largely because of a disagreement with the mayor over the priority to be placed on proposals to build new baseball and softball fields in the city. Fowler, who has accepted a position as president of the Cedar Rapids Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, said Weinzapfel wanted officials to concentrate their work on a new arena Downtown. She said she and others at the bureau saw the baseball and softball fields as important also.
Fowler couldn’t be reached for comment today.
In a press release, Joe Vezzoso, president of the bureau’s board, denied that conflict exists between the bureau and the mayor.
“The idea of a sports complex is still being pursued and the CVB believes it will be a wonderful asset for Evansville,” he said. “The Evansville CVB is excited about the new arena and the prospects it will open up for our community.”
Vezzoso couldn’t be reached for further comment. Neither could Weinzapfel.
In early 2008, the mayor rejected a plan to have new baseball and softball fields in Wesselman Park. He said he made the decision in response to hundreds of complaints from citizens who were worried the effect of the fields on the nearby nature preserve, golf course and neighborhoods.
“I still support the construction of the baseball-softball complex,” Weinzapfel said. “I think it’s important to this community. I think it’s important to tourism business.”
At the time, Fowler said the board would look into other options. The possibility of building the fields at Wesselman Park arose again at a meeting in June.
The board set aside $25,000 to secure land needed for the project. One option mentioned by members was the Roberts Stadium site.
“It all depends on the mayor’s long-range plan and what he wants to do,” Fowler said then.
Vezzoso said the bureau’s board has long wanted to put the fields near Wesselman Park and Roberts Stadium. But members had to hold off from giving weight to that option until they knew where the new arena would be, he said.
The location was suggested by Don Schumacher & Associates, a consultant hired to study the county’s sports venues. The company’s other recommendations called for doubling the number of soccer fields at Goebel Soccer Complex from 10 to 20 and adding to the number of tennis courts at Wesselman Park.
To help pay for the projects, the rate of the local innkeepers tax was raised from 6 percent to 8 percent in Sept. 2007. The tax is placed on the bills of guests of hotels, motels and inns.
Several months later, the Vanderburgh County Council approved spending $425,000 to hire an architect to design the baseball and softball fields.
Michael Schopmeyer, who was the attorney of the visitor’s bureau board for nearly 20 years, said Fowler will be missed. She was one of the best executive director’s he worked with, he said.
“She met all of our expectations,” Schopmeyer said. “I credit her for our focus on youth sports.”
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