6B(4) Staff report on Coveleski Stadium improvements

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• Unmatched durability and drainage - better than natural grass • No need for pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, and fungicides • No watering - protect our precious natural resources • Low maintenance and upkeep • Reduce emissions from mowing, weed- eating, and edging • Maximizes playing time for increased playability • Increases revenue generation potential • Turf has a proven, durable and safe history • Provides a consistent surface for superior all- around performance • Minimizes abrasions, neural and joint injuries • Contributes to less time lost to injury - compared to natural grass How planning for artificial turf has increased our community partnerships We can now partner with travel youth baseball and softball organizations for extended tournaments • Once travel baseball communicates that some of the games played in the tournaments will be on a professional baseball stadium field, the teams competing will travel in from all over the country, the level of competition increases and the length of the tournament with overnight hotel stays increases. In 2010, we had no outside youth baseball tournaments due to field conditions. So far, in 2011, we have twelve dates involving over one - hundred and fifty teams that will be spending night in our hotels, eating in our restaurants and visiting the many attractions from our Zoo to the museums in South Bend. • These tournaments will continue well into September and October with artificial turf. 2. Bike the Bend 2010 was the first year for the communities' newest family biking event. The event was started to showcase the many great biking paths created to establish South Bend as one of the top "bike friendly" communities in the country. With over 1,800 bikers in 2010, the goal for 2011 is 5,000 with 10,000 bikers in future years. The South Bend Silver Hawks can now open up the stadium and field as field turf allows more of our community's events access to our field on non -game days. Plans for 2010 are to have an all day festival at the Cove as families and bikers can begin and end their rides at the Cove and then stay for the all day festival. Music will be playing, picnics with families and the field will be alive with children playing kickball, softball and the concourse activity endless with new splash pad for kids, stage for music groups, fire pit for atmosphere, and a new kids zone for safety, security and fun. 3. Urban Adventure • 2009 was the first year for the community's newest race, the Urban Adventure. The race was started by the Convention and Visitor's Bureau as a way to draw attention to the many great sites and attractions in our community. Teams of two biked from one end of town to the other, stopping at our museums, restaurants, the Zoo, East Race and many other locations to perform some kind of physical or