Arena Discussion Thread-Tear down the BC/Arena! pg 18

[Steve210]

Bucks owners hope to pick site for new arena by year's end

http://www.jsonline.com/news/bucks-owne ... 47641.html

[paulpressey25]

Bucks owners hope to pick site for new arena by year's end

http://www.jsonline.com/news/bucks-owne ... 47641.html

Great article. I liked the fact that there is a faction in place that wants to tear down the Journal Building and the old Mecca and creating an Old World 3rd street entertainment district.

Hard to read what Edens quote below means, but to me the lot north of the BC and the 4th and Wisconsin don't necessarily fit the bill of what he's describing below.

I'm optimistic that there are several that could work, and one or two that appear to be more ideal. They are centered where the people are, where the activity levels are. That's where we want to build."

[MickeyDavis]

When I see

They are centered where the people are, where the activity levels are. That's where we want to build."

That means no 4th/Wisconsin/Grand Ave. That area is dead.

[paulpressey25]

Someone in the power structure is liking the site advocated here last month:

http://saveourbucks.com/what-to-build-a ... -build-it/

Otherwise we wouldn't have this blurb in tonight's Don Walker piece.

While the Journal Communications building may not be big enough for an arena, sources say it would be ideal if the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, formerly known as the U.S. Cellular Arena, is demolished, creating even more open land. Franklyn Gimbel of the Wisconsin Center District board, which owns and operates the UWM Arena, is opposed to demolishing the 64-year-old structure.

[EastSideBucksFan]

Someone in the power structure is liking the site advocated here last month:

http://saveourbucks.com/what-to-build-a ... -build-it/

Otherwise we wouldn't have this blurb in tonight's Don Walker piece.

While the Journal Communications building may not be big enough for an arena, sources say it would be ideal if the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, formerly known as the U.S. Cellular Arena, is demolished, creating even more open land. Franklyn Gimbel of the Wisconsin Center District board, which owns and operates the UWM Arena, is opposed to demolishing the 64-year-old structure.

[HaroldinGMinor]

When I see

They are centered where the people are, where the activity levels are. That's where we want to build."

That means no 4th/Wisconsin/Grand Ave. That area is dead.

Let's be honest...there aren't too many lively areas downtown. I mean relative to say Green Bay then yes, sure. But relative to a lot of big cities then no.

<ducks under desk>

[paulpressey25]

I'm biased on this, but during the Nov-April period downtown, I see the most "people" activity going on in an area that sort of radiates out from the PAC, Red Arrow Park, some nights it goes down Water/3rd street bars.

[TripGs]

Bucks owners hope to pick site for new arena by year's end

http://www.jsonline.com/news/bucks-owne ... 47641.html

I hope they avoid demolishing the UWM arena if they choose to use the Journal block.

I added my proposal in the comments for that story as well.

[WEFFPIM]

Journal site is the best of all worlds now that Park East is out. I like your plan, TripGs, I just don't know if it's feasible to build a new arena there without knocking down the MECCA. Best way to spur more development around an arena is to give it as much space as possible to sell plots of land. Keep the God forsaken Milwaukee Theatre to throw Gimbel an unnecessary bone, let UWM go back on campus and rid of the aging redundancy. That way, the new arena gets a block-and-a-half between Kilbourn and State, plus the land to the north where the BC currently is to work with. And you're dead on with Third Street, and not just the stretch to the north but the stretch south to Wisconsin, as well. The restaurants on Plankinton along the river benefit, too.

I also think, in your plan, it'd be best to just wipe out that one block stretch of 4th Street and not worry about tunneling underneath the arena.

I like where your head's at. You can stay.

[WEFFPIM]

When I see

They are centered where the people are, where the activity levels are. That's where we want to build."

That means no 4th/Wisconsin/Grand Ave. That area is dead.

I see that more as the empty lot north of the BC, since there is literally nothing there.

[VooDoo7]

Off topic. WEFFPIM, who is your avy of? I always think Sammy Sosa whenever I see it, but I doubt it's him.

[randybreuerfan]

I like how the Journal site could tie a new arena into other downtown redevelopment. While it is silly to think the arena alone will turn the fortunes of downtown, it is even more silly not to coordinate the building of the arena with a coherent, concrete plan for downtown. Old World 3rd Street really could be Milwaukee's Beale Street. It could be a living Streets of Old Milwaukee - for families during the day and adults at night. It would be really exciting to see someone's renderings of a new Old World 3rd Street with 21st century amenities - in particular some sort of protection from cold and precipitation.

I think it's possible for an arena on 3rd-4th/Wisconsin or undeveloped riverside sites south of downtown to impact all of downtown positively. I'm not sure how a Park East site can tie into any coherent downtown plan. It would be great for parking and driving and St. Louis Cardinals-style entertainment. (I was there for the Ballpark Village's opening night. The complex may look good on tv, but it's underwhelming in person. Aside from its design, it does not feel connected at all to the rest of downtown. And it's in the middle of acres of parking lots. I hope L&E do much better.)

What to do with the Bradley Center site: combine it with the dormant Park East land and develop a new urban park - with parkways extending west along Winnebago/Vliet to MLK park and McKinley Ave northwest to Johnson's Park. Something like this could be grand like Millennium Park or more modest. But if it's done well, it raises the property values all around it. And unlike arenas, urban parks are widely accepted to raise property values and spur other growth.

[WEFFPIM]

Off topic. WEFFPIM, who is your avy of? I always think Sammy Sosa whenever I see it, but I doubt it's him.

It's Sammy, from his Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/sammysosamr609 ... pinterest/

[EastSideBucksFan]

Gary Grunau (local real estate exec) touts Park East & site north of Bradley Center....dismissive of 4th & Wisc site.

http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/ne ... t&page=all

[MickeyDavis]

“I don’t think they’re the best site — maybe there are other sites that are better,”

Like where Gary?

I like these quotes

The Fourth and Wisconsin site would require costly and time-consuming demolition of nearby structures including the building that houses the downtown Boston Store and the headquarters of its corporate parent The Bon-Ton Stores Inc., Grunau said. Zilber Ltd. and HGA architects Milwaukee office recently floated a plan to build the arena there and possibly tear down the Boston Store building to create the site and boost the West Wisconsin Avenue area.

“I think it’s full of a myriad of problems,” Grunau said of the site.

“I only offer these sites up as two potential sites that are clean and they’re ready and can be built more economically,” Grunau said. “I think, though, if somebody else can come up with a way to do it some other place, God bless ‘em.”

[EastSideBucksFan]

Went down to Doors Open at the Bradley Center and Mecca and went on both tours. Haven't been in Bucks locker room since I was a kid. Forgot how small it is. Got some intel that we resurfaced the court again. I asked about slippage from last year. She said they still never figured that out, but did the same thing this summer that they did to fix it last fall when they had the slippage issues.

While touring the boiler room some old cantankerous fellow literally blurts out "Screw the Bucks. I don't care if they leave. This building is fine and the NBA is trying to screw over Milwaukee taxpayers." I spoke up for the tour guide lady who was taken aback. It was literally like having JS Comments read to my face. Kinda made me sad. I was like "Why are you here if you don't care about this building?".....he was on the outer edges of sanity, but I know too many have those view points.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/brewcitypaul/status/513399205470040064[/tweet]

[chile]

http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/ne ... s-tax.html

Surprised this wasn't posted yet. The tax amount proposed (.5%) is a big jump from the .1% but it only lasts 6 years and is for Milwaukee County only. I always thought it would be beneficial if Milwaukee did something like OKC did. Should be easier to pass instead of including all counties. I would like to see a surcharge (maybe a buck or something) if you aren't a Milwaukee county resident. That would go to tickets at the BC or zoo.

In his explanation, the street car connects UWM and Marquette (better routing than before) which would run through downtown and go to the lakefront. Hopefully it would go near the arena as well.

If they can get that much money for the convention center, I could see them expanding it to the north in that empty parking lot. Put the arena in the Journal Communication block/US Cellular and then connect the two by skywalk. That would boost the downtown economy and put the arena in the best location possible.

With a larger convention center, a new arena and the street car going through.... that should boost West Town. I would be shocked if a lot of private dollars don't follow.

[EastSideBucksFan]

Rolling it all into one is the only way to make a sales tax referendum.

I like the idea, but have no idea if that has a chance of passing or not.

[A Diddy2231]

I was also at the Open Doors event. First time seeing Bucks locker room, was cool to see the two young guys lockers by each other. Also was funny that the Marquette locker room is nicer than the Bucks locker room.

[MickeyDavis]

Wouldn't the additional sales tax, even if it's for just one County, require state approval? You'd think that would pass easily since it only affects one county but you never know. I agree that if there is a sales tax it's going to have to cover more than just a new arena. The problem is if you do decide to expand beyond an arena you'll have a boatload of groups lobbying for a piece of it.