Clark County (The Evening News)
Nations Baseball meets with local hoteliers
Economic impact discussed at Friday meeting
Officials from the city of Jeffersonville, members of the Nations Baseball Park, local hoteliers and a few members of the Clark-Floyd Counties Convention and Tourism Bureau met Friday afternoon to discuss a proposed baseball facility in Jeffersonville.
The purpose of the meeting was to show the possible economic impact the $25 million, 25-field baseball complex, built on about 100 acres, would bring to Southern Indiana. Louis “Coach” Presutti, owner of the Cooperstown, N.Y., Dreams Park, made a presentation to the group, but The Evening News was asked to leave the meeting when he began to speak.
Tension has surrounded the city’s bid for the project, as there was a perceived lack of support from the tourism bureau by the city. It was also marred by an unsuccessful attempt to oust Jim Keith, executive director of the tourism bureau.
After a contentious meeting Sept. 30, the tourism bureau has since committed $120,000 per year for the next three years to help promote the Nations Baseball Park development, if Jeffersonville is chosen for the complex.
Before The Evening News was asked to leave — the meeting did not have a quorum of tourism board members and, thus, did not have to be public — the economic possibilities for the proposal were discussed.
According to previous reports, the park could bring in as much as $35 million in economic development, account for 95,000 hotel and motel room rentals and bring at least 500 jobs, many seasonal.
An area near the Clark Maritime Center has been mentioned as a possible location, which Jeffersonville would lease to Nations Baseball for development after the city secured the land.
“I think it’s pretty obvious that the impact of a park like this coming to town is pretty significant,” said Jon Robinson, with Nations Baseball, while introducing one of two videos shown to those in attendance during the first part of the meeting.
“I think from a hoteliers standpoint, one thing that Cooperstown doesn't have is a lot of hotels, but it is about 80,000 room nights across the summer,” he said.
“The great thing about a project like this is people come and visit, they spend their money, they enjoy the community and they leave. You don’t have to build extra schools, you don’t have to put on more fire departments, you don’t have to put a lot of infrastructure in — and so that’s the best form of economic development.
“That's why a lot of communities are vying for projects like this.”
According to a press release from the tourism bureau, 19 other communities in eight states were courting developers, including Louisville.
- Clark County (The Evening News)
-
- Springdale Drive resident sues Jeffersonville
-
Baron Hill to support health care bill
U.S. Rep. Baron Hill says he will vote in support of a bill overhauling the nation’s health care system.
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to consider the long-debated Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on Sunday. -
Census 2010: Stand up and be counted
With budget cuts affecting everything from school closings to roads getting fixed, filling out the census form may mean more than just being counted.
It can mean more dollars in Southern Indiana. -
Reserve funds gone for Clark County
The Clark County Council entered its meeting Friday afternoon with a plan to cover the $3 million gap between the budget it submitted and the certified budget that came back this month from the state Department of Local Government Finance.
It was going to use the $3,185,750 left in the county’s rainy-day fund to cover the difference. Even after the council agreed to move forward with that plan, $96,393 remained in the fund, which the council promptly spent. -
3 Parkview employees facing termination
Parents of students at Parkview Middle School who are potentially affected are being notified that a portion of their child’s ISTEP test may be invalidated because of allegations of inappropriate test procedures and protocols by one teacher. That’s according to Marty Bell, chief operating officer for Greater Clark County Schools.
And that’s not all. Bell said a separate internal investigation found that two people, a counselor and a dean, whom Bell would not identify by name, had significant inappropriate use of the district’s technology system and breached the acceptable use policy. -
Trying to find e-Harmony
Sunshine Week is a nationwide initiative by media outlets around the country to open a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information.
To do its part, The Evening News requested access to e-mails sent by 10 public officials during the month of January. The exercise was less about reading e-mails and more about seeing what would be released. -
What are the rights to public access in Indiana?
In Indiana, state code IC 5-14-3 ensures that the public will be able to access governmental records and IC 5-141.5 is an open door-protection allowing the public to attend governmental meetings.
-
Public access bill again dies
An Indiana House Bill that would have imposed fines on public officials who knowingly violated the state’s open records and open door laws did not pass this year.
-
New Washington native to compete for Miss Kentucky title
Melanie Brison may call herself a small-town girl, but the New Washington native is preparing to take center stage, competing for the title of Miss Kentucky.
-
A parade of information at Parkview
- More Clark County (The Evening News) Headlines
