Arena Construction - Make pitch for ASG in 22/23. pg 95

[MickeyDavis]

Regardless of whether it's a good idea or not I'm not a fan of the way they went about it. They took it out in order to get the bill passed last summer and now try to get it passed quickly with no public hearings or debate.

[trwi7]

So last summer Abele wanted to pay the counties portion via debt collecting. That didn't fly so it was removed from the arena deal and the state legislature passed the bill. Now all of a sudden it's back as a stand alone bill.

Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele could seek to pay for the county's share of a subsidy for the planned Milwaukee Bucks arena by turning county debtors over to state officials, under a plan going before an Assembly committee Tuesday.

Facing determined opposition from some Democrats, including members of the Milwaukee County board, lawmakers dropped this plan last summer from the overall proposal under which the state, a local board, Milwaukee County, and the city of Milwaukee will pay for half of the $500 million Bucks arena.

Now in recent days a bipartisan group of lawmakers has brought back the Milwaukee County debt plan as a separate bill, AB885, to help pay for the county's $55 million share of the arena, which comes to a total of $80 million over 20 years after adding the interest.

The bill is up for a lightning hearing and vote Tuesday in the Assembly Committee on State Affairs and Government Operations, with a floor vote tentatively scheduled in the Assembly on Thursday.

But the proposal still faces sharp criticism from some Milwaukee Democrats who say it backtracks on the earlier compromise that led to the passage of the arena proposal.

"I think it's pretty sneaky," said Rep. Christine Sinicki, who supported the Bucks proposal last summer but is leaning toward opposing this latest bill.

"They got the Bucks bill through by taking (the debt collection) out. Now suddenly they're bringing it back," she said.

The controversy over the debt plan has added overtones for the April election in which Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, a supporter of the proposal, faces state Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee), an opponent.

Larson and other critics of the debt plan have said it amounts to funding an arena for the Bucks' billionaire owners in part by taking more money from people who often aren't able to pay their current debts. They're also worried about the effect it could have on county offices linked to these debts. Currently, most of this debt is the responsibility of County Treasurer David Cullen and Clerk of Courts John Barrett, who both oppose the legislation.

Abele has said that blocking the debt plan amounts to penalizing people who are paying their property taxes or court fines to help those who aren't.

Under the bill, Abele could act without county board approval to pass most county debts over for collection to the state Department of Revenue, which has additional collections tools.

This is exactly why I hate politicians. They're all underhanded, conniving little twats. Abele should just get daddy to fund the county portion. **** ****.

[mcfromage]

Can anyone with an understanding of local politics explain to me if/how an Abele loss tonight might affect the arena situation? Abele has been such an important cog so far...

[MickeyDavis]

Well it was just a primary. But it doesn't matter. The county is on the hook for their portion regardless of who the county exec is

[Stoltz3]

I just cannot wait for this arena to get started. I am seriously going to take a lawn chair, a lunch and a beer downtown and sit and watch construction unfold.


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[MickeyDavis]

I just looked it up and it was over year from the time Miller Park was approved until the groundbreaking (10/6/95 to 11/9/96). It''s larger than a basketball arena but the location was all set for construction and there wasn't any other development to go with it. So I guess this project isn't really lagging all that much. But it sure seems like it is since we still don't have the actual drawings/plans.

[VooDoo7]

I'm really itching to see some renderings of this thing. But as long as it's ready for the 2018-19 season, that's all that really matters to me.

[MadBlueEdwards]

Can anyone with an understanding of local politics explain to me if/how an Abele loss tonight might affect the arena situation? Abele has been such an important cog so far...

As mentioned, it won't have any bearing on the arena.

I know we can't talk politics here, but I thought it was worth mentioning (at least in this thread) that Chris Larson also voted in favor of the arena.

[DickCunningham]

I'm really itching to see some renderings of this thing. But as long as it's ready for the 2018-19 season, that's all that really matters to me.

I won't be surprised if it's 2019-2020. On a project this size, they're going to run into unexpected obstacles. Hope I'm wrong.

[MickeyDavis]

I think the arena itself will be fine. It will be ready in October 2018. The rest of the development I think is the wildcard.

[nmeurett]

Anyone else find it weird that we have not seen anymore details ie pictures of the exterior and interior of the new arena?

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[trwi7]

Anyone else find it weird that we have not seen anymore details ie pictures of the exterior and interior of the new arena?

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No, because they've done a piss poor job the entire time of releasing details.

[EastSideBucksFan]

Anyone else find it weird that we have not seen anymore details ie pictures of the exterior and interior of the new arena?

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City has to receive application for Bucks design approval on March 1. Then they have 2-3 weeks to submit the actual plans for approval. Which means we'll be lucky to publicly see the details before the end of the season. The Bucks will probably wait until the last game to release them for fan night (just a guess) to spring board the arena momentum as the season concludes.

[Stoltz3]

Anyone else find it weird that we have not seen anymore details ie pictures of the exterior and interior of the new arena?

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City has to receive application for Bucks design approval on March 1. Then they have 2-3 weeks to submit the actual plans for approval. Which means we'll be lucky to publicly see the details before the end of the season. The Bucks will probably wait until the last game to release them for fan night (just a guess) to spring board the arena momentum as the season concludes.

Maybe it will be set up like the one earlier this season back in November, but with more emphasis on the released renderings.

[MickeyDavis]

The "big" news for March 1:

Madison-based J.H. Findorff & Son Inc. has been selected as the construction manager for the parking structure that will serve the Milwaukee Bucks' new arena, the team announced Tuesday.

The 1,250-space, six-level parking structure will be built in the Park East strip, east of N. 6th St. It will be owned by the city and operated by the basketball club, which will split the revenue. It will include commercial space on the street level.

Also, the Bucks and the city announced that GRAEF and American Design Inc., both based in Milwaukee, will be the project's design team.

"This is another important step forward in our vision for this public-private partnership to transform a previously underutilized portion of the city," Bucks President Peter Feigin said, in a statement.

[VooDoo7]

We need parking structures that connect to the arena via skywalks/tunnels.

[Stoltz3]

My buddy's dad had a meeting with Peter Feigin and a representative from Johnson Controls the other day. Johnson Controls offered $10 million for naming rights but Feigin and the Bucks said no way.

[VooDoo7]

My buddy's dad had a meeting with Peter Feigin and a representative from Johnson Controls the other day. Johnson Controls offered $10 million for naming rights but Feigin and the Bucks said no way.

They're just gonna name it Marc's and Wes' Party Hut.

[trwi7]

My buddy's dad had a meeting with Peter Feigin and a representative from Johnson Controls the other day. Johnson Controls offered $10 million for naming rights but Feigin and the Bucks said no way.

$10 million a year? There's no way they offered that much or that the Bucks turned them down if they did.

[chonestown]

My buddy's dad had a meeting with Peter Feigin and a representative from Johnson Controls the other day. Johnson Controls offered $10 million for naming rights but Feigin and the Bucks said no way.

Jesus, right in the middle of job losses? That's tone deaf.