Economic Impact

The Ford Center will create jobs, bring new business and pride to the whole City, improve our quality of life and establish itself as a community asset that will attract additional development in the Downtown area and beyond.

The Ford Center will be, in effect, a Downtown magnet for growth.

According to an economic impact study commissioned by the Evansville Regional Business Committee, construction alone should create 670 jobs. Local contractors are being used when feasible for all phases of this project from architecture and engineering through construction.

Once the arena opens, another 530 permanent jobs will be created, as a result of the Ford Center, meaning millions in wages. That’s an increase of about 230 from the employment resulting from Roberts Stadium.

According to the economic impact study, prepared by Convention Sports & Leisure International, the Ford Center will support approximately 135 events every year, including basketball and hockey games, concerts, family shows, community events and more. The direct spending on these events is estimated to increase by 70 percent over spending resulting from events at Roberts Stadium.

What’s more, 40 to 60 percent of the attendees at these events will come from outside Evansville, spending money in stores, restaurants and hotels in addition to the Ford Center itself.  All this activity will be good for businesses in and around Downtown and throughout the City.

The location of the Ford Center close to the Evansville Auditorium and Convention Centre will create a synergy that will create new potential for larger events and increase the City’s attractiveness as a convention and conference destination.

Beyond the numbers, the Ford Center will bring a new quality of life to the City. That quality will be expressed as more activities for City residents, more features to attract and retain an educated workforce, and a stronger reputation as a sports and entertainment center.