RealGM

OK, first off there are some underlying political issues which we should avoid discussing here.


But I do find it very interesting that the City of Milwaukee is soliciting Chinese investors for the Pabst Farms redevelopment project.

It appears as though our civic leaders are actually thinking outside the box about getting something done to revitalize downtown.

The shuttered 21-acre Pabst Brewing Co. complex, perhaps the most conspicuous symbol of Milwaukee's urban decay, could receive a share of its redevelopment funding from an unexpected source: the Chinese.

Milwaukee-area foreign-investment zone that business leaders created last year under an obscure federal program has shown signs in recent weeks that it gradually could start to bear fruit.
Pabst is one of three projects to date that is soliciting international investment within the zone, which encompasses the seven counties of southeastern Wisconsin. Investors who win security clearance from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services are granted legal residency rights in the United States in exchange for a $500,000 investment in distressed or rural areas within the zone.

"This is one way to revitalize the greater Milwaukee area," said Stephen Yale-Loehr, who teaches immigration law at Cornell University and is an authority on the sort of EB-5 Immigrant Investment Zones that metro Milwaukee has created.

Planners at the Pabst want to create a Milwaukee International Trade Center. The proposed Pabst trade center, which is still in the planning stages, will lease exhibition space to foreign firms that want an import-export presence in the investment zone.

It aims to get its funding from a private equity fund that Milwaukee entrepreneur Robert Kraft is launching in order to bring funds into the EB-5 zone. Kraft said he's been traveling regularly to China and expects a formal announcement of the funds creation within weeks. Many Chinese aspire to U.S. residency rights, Kraft noted, even if they lack an immediate investment objective.

I have to believe that if they can be successful with this project through foreign, especially Chinese investments, that there is hope for other downtown projects

The tie in with Yi and the Milwaukee Bucks and the looming arena issue is not lost on me.

If Herb really, really wanted to leave a legacy for the Bucks it should be this.

Find a way for the Bucks to build a new stadium, their own stadium, and ensure the Bucks are in Milwaukee forever.

Fans would love him for it and he would realize his dream of keeping the Bucks in Milwaukee, long after he is gone.

Another sign for those who are keen on trading Yi that it is MUCH more complicated than just the on-court stuff.

paul wrote:Another sign for those who are keen on trading Yi that it is MUCH more complicated than just the on-court stuff.

Pretty ridiculous, but that is the way the world works.

Over the past two weeks or so I've noticed workers knocking the old windows out of the brewery windows leaving big holes in the side of the building and the addition of a LED billboard on the north side of the building. Anyone know what else they're doing?

I edited the title....Pabst Farms is the development outside Oconomowoc off I-94.

Interesting tie in though.....

But it all goes back to Yi actually being a good player. He's got to develop into something here to hold the interest.

It would make far too much sense for the Bucks to build a new arena in Pabst City as part of an entertainment district filled with restaurants, clubs, and hotels.

WEFFPIM wrote:It would make far too much sense for the Bucks to build a new arena in Pabst City as part of an entertainment district filled with restaurants, clubs, and hotels.

I've been saying that for years. And yet during the whole time that the original Pabst City plans were discussed, and ultimately voted down, never ONCE was there ANY talk of including a new arena as part of that development.

How much interest will the Chinese have in Milwaukee in two years when Yi is still nothing more than a bench player?

Typical small-thinking Milwaukee with the vote-down of Pabst City. Miller Park should've been downtown too.

And for funding a new arena, I'm guessing sales tax would have to be increased a tenth of a percent, and I'll bet nobody bites on that. Like that makes any difference whatsoever.

I disagree about Miller Park. Tailgating is a 50+ year baseball tradition here.

As a baseball fan I would much rather go to a Brewer game 3 hours early and tailgate in 75 degree weather, set up the grill and drink with my friends than park in a ramp and sit in a crowded bar buying over priced beers.

And you're right, there is no way there will be a tax increase for a new arena. Not going to happen. Financing will have to be creative, which leaves out all of the local political and business leaders. They haven't had a creative idea... EVER.

Yeah, I foolishly overlooked the tailgating tradition.

I think Milwaukee does this small-thinking thing to themselves. Whenever free agency's discussed, it's always like, "Oh, but they'll never want to come here..." And we buy into that inferiority complex.

Why can't FAs come here? Do what it takes to turn this place into a cleaner, less-crime ridden, slightly smaller version of Chicago, in terms of "coolness". Why are we synonymous with farms and cheese? It kills me.

I think the questions about Yi's development make it all the more important the city and team capitalize now on the Chinese interest. I wouldn't be surprised if the Bucks' advertising deals have an out clause in case Yi leaves, but obviously the more general investment in Milwaukee from China doesn't. And if you build legitimate business ties with China then that can carry on without Yi in the future.

I think we allow the team's losing tradition to bleed into the separate issue of whether people want to play for a team in Milwaukee. If you're a losing team in a small market then it's always going to be tough. But free agency isn't going to magically cure anything anyway...more often than not you overpay for average players rather than find the next Steve Nash. If you build the team smartly through the draft and trades then maybe you can cherrypick a solid FA signing somewhere along the line to improve the roster, but thinking free agency is a cure in and of itself is fool's gold IMO.

The Bucks' reputation as an organization wouldn't be great no matter where we played. Our market adds a degree of difficulty, but look at Boston. While it's a major city, a year ago you still had people talking about whether black athletes wanted to play there. Then they get KG and Ray Allen and all of a sudden everyone wants to play there.

paul wrote:Another sign for those who are keen on trading Yi that it is MUCH more complicated than just the on-court stuff.

It was always a ridicuous concept to think of trading Yi anyway.. That kid isn't going anywhere. He's struggling right now, but no other rookie from his draft has really playeed the amount of basketball that he has in the past year so I'm not disappointed or upset with his lack of production.

Yi will be just fine. He isn't a bust. And if the Bucks even consider trading him then they have completely lost what little mind I know they have.

fam3381 wrote:I think the questions about Yi's development make it all the more important the city and team capitalize now on the Chinese interest. I wouldn't be surprised if the Bucks' advertising deals have an out clause in case Yi leaves, but obviously the more general investment in Milwaukee from China doesn't. And if you build legitimate business ties with China then that can carry on without Yi in the future.

I think we allow the team's losing tradition to bleed into the separate issue of whether people want to play for a team in Milwaukee. If you're a losing team in a small market then it's always going to be tough. But free agency isn't going to magically cure anything anyway...more often than not you overpay for average players rather than find the next Steve Nash. If you build the team smartly through the draft and trades then maybe you can cherrypick a solid FA signing somewhere along the line to improve the roster, but thinking free agency is a cure in and of itself is fool's gold IMO.

The Bucks' reputation as an organization wouldn't be great no matter where we played. Our market adds a degree of difficulty, but look at Boston. While it's a major city, a year ago you still had people talking about whether black athletes wanted to play there. Then they get KG and Ray Allen and all of a sudden everyone wants to play there.

Agree with all of that regarding Yi and building this team.

And on a side note, with or without Ray Allen and KG... I would not want to leave anywhere near Boston as an African American person. They could win another Championship and I still wouldn't come for a visit. We just helped move a segment of my family out of the Boston area due to some racial issues there.. and I'm happy they are finally out of there. Anyway.. that was just a side note though..

Even aside from the Bucks in particular, there's this odd stigma of backwardness when non-Milwaukeeans think of Milwaukee. Being in Boston, you've probably seen it. I live in DC, and I usually get this, "Whoa! What's there to do there? Was it tough to adapt here?"

Think of our stereotypes. Fat people and accents. Our buddy Bill Simmons perpetuates it too. It's become synonymous with Milwaukee.

In view of that stigma, who WOULD want to come to Milwaukee? That's why something needs to be done to give us a more urban and modern image.

carmelbrownqueen wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

Agree with all of that regarding Yi and building this team.

And on a side note, with or without Ray Allen and KG... I would not want to leave anywhere near Boston as an African American person. They could win another Championship and I still wouldn't come for a visit. We just helped move a segment of my family out of the Boston area due to some racial issues there.. and I'm happy they are finally out of there. Anyway.. that was just a side note though..

True that. Boston is very racist. In this day and age, that's really surprising, especially for a "northern" city.

MickeyDavis wrote:How much interest will the Chinese have in Milwaukee in two years when Yi is still nothing more than a bench player?

More than you'd think. The trade deficit leaves China and Chinese investors with an overabundance of American dollars and they need a place to put them. We can't expect them to keep buying treasury bonds, so I think we will see more and more foreign investment in securities and real estate as the years pass. It may be that Yi raised awareness of Milwaukee, but I think all major US cities will be noticing an increase of foreign investors.

th87 wrote:Even aside from the Bucks in particular, there's this odd stigma of backwardness when non-Milwaukeeans think of Milwaukee. Being in Boston, you've probably seen it. I live in DC, and I usually get this, "Whoa! What's there to do there? Was it tough to adapt here?"

Think of our stereotypes. Fat people and accents. Our buddy Bill Simmons perpetuates it too. It's become synonymous with Milwaukee.

In view of that stigma, who WOULD want to come to Milwaukee? That's why something needs to be done to give us a more urban and modern image.

Whenever I travel and tell people that I was born and raised in Wisconsin, they are typically astonished.. most believe that there aren't very many Racial Minorities in the state, that we all drink beer, and the only other thing they know is Jeffery Dahmer... Oh and snow. They don't believe anything else happens here.

carmelbrownqueen wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

Whenever I travel and tell people that I was born and raised in Wisconsin, they are typically astonished.. most believe that there aren't very many Racial Minorities in the state, that we all drink beer, and the only other thing they know is Jeffery Dahmer... Oh and snow. They don't believe anything else happens here.

Yup, I'm South Asian, and EVERYONE'S like "Holy crap, they have those there?"

It's perpetuated everywhere. Remember when Yi was holding out, and all the reports said "only 1200 Chinese people in Milwaukee." How did they not account for the 10,000+ Chinese people living in the suburbs? I think they overlooked that on purpose. Just to perpetuate this garbage stereotype. We really need to do something about this.

I wish Coo Coo Cal didn't get addicted to crack and put us on the map, that dumbass.

Its ironic, Milwaukee is now viewed as Cleveland was viewed 10 years or so ago, the mistake on the Lake.....Cleveland was able to turn around there image but Milwaukee has no where the city or state leadership it takes to do that, that is a big shame because this area is centrally located and has endless potentital.

xTitan wrote:Its ironic, Milwaukee is now viewed as Cleveland was viewed 10 years or so ago, the mistake on the Lake.....LeBron was able to turn around there image but Milwaukee has no where the city or state leadership it takes to do that, that is a big shame because this area is centrally located and has endless potentital.

Fixed