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THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION MAY DIFFER SLIGHTLY FROM THE PRINTED VERSION.CAN THE CBA FLY IN NORTHWEST INDIANA?
He flips on the television and watches thousands of fans walk to Chicago's Comiskey Park, enjoying a baseball game amid the backdrop of South side public housing developments.It leads him to think about the neighborhood surrounding Gary's Genesis Convention Center, where the Continental Basketball Association may field a team this time next year.
Given the choices, businessman Jewell Harris, who heads the local investment group aiming to land a CBA franchise, likes Gary's chances for success.
'I remember a long time ago when they said people wouldn't visit (Comiskey) because of its location,' Harris said. 'Fans thought differently, they built a new stadium, and people are still going to Comiskey Park.'
While Gary residents will provide a ticket base, most recognize the team won't survive without help from residents from all over the area.
That, some say, may prove to be the easy part.
The image problems associated with a city that in previous years has earned the distinction of being the 'Murder Capital of America' are sliding away, local leaders say.
Events like the city's Fourth of July Festival, the Blues Festival, success at casino boats and throngs that line Miller's beachfront each summer have defied stereotypes some hold on the city, they say.
'Gary's image is changing,' said Speros Batistatos, head of the Lake County Convention and Visitor's Bureau. 'It's a safe community, but like any urban area, I can walk to a map and show you where you shouldn't be.
'But the same is true of South Bend, Michigan City and Indianapolis - any urban area will have some pockets in it that are different from the city itself.'
Mayor Scott King has enlisted support of Batistatos and the Northwest Indiana Forum, anticipating a marketing push that will spread 30 to 45 miles outside the city.
That's how far the city expects people might drive to experience a professional basketball game.
Should they do that, expect restaurants, hotels and stores to follow, King said, pointing to the changes on Chicago's West Madison Street upon opening of the United Center.
'That street was historically known as skid row - the worst of the worst on the west side,' King said. 'But with the stadium - and obviously it's a different scale than the CBA - but drive down West Madison now, and the changes are remarkable.
'It's something of a proven commodity that a sports event does draw residents and non-residents alike into the inner-city, and that's what's driving this administration.'
Challenges elsewhere
Indianapolis faced similar hurdles when the Simon family purchased the Pacers in 1983.
Making the package a combination of sports and entertainment allowed the team to find the thriving success it has in recent years, officials said.
'We struggled with the perception of 'India-no-place' for a long time and that perception was chronicled and re-hashed, much to our chagrin,' said Pacers spokesman David Benner. 'But when people came downtown, they found it's a good place to attend an event, and it spurred growth.
'When people from the city, from the business community and team investors pitch in so people feel safe, find a parking spot and have a good time, you can really make a go of it.'
Harris says he's been contacted by local investors and owners of other Midwestern minor league sports teams, who've shown an interest in the possible Gary team. A CBA representative again will be in Gary this week to discuss strategies with those investors.
It is a plan Batistatos has been longing for since the early '90s, when the area nearly landed minor league baseball and basketball teams.
But the franchises instead chose a pair of Michigan cities for their teams, where they have flourished, despite being in downtown areas of Lansing and Grand Rapids.
The right amount of sports mixed with an equal amount of entertainment - along with a sense of security - leads Batistatos to agree with King that a Gary team can find similar success.
'It is something of a 'Field of Dreams' mentality -'build it and they will come' sort of strategy,' King said. 'But I say that and point to the casinos. When people want that kind of entertainment, they come in by the droves.'
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