American Family Field lease agreement; Brewers staying through 2050
American Family Field, Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE - The Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District voted on Wednesday, Dec. 18 to approve a new lease agreement for American Family Field.
The agreement ensures the Milwaukee Brewers will remain in Wisconsin through 2050.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers issued the following statement on this move:
"This is a home run, and it’s a great day to be a Wisconsinite and a Brewers fan. I am incredibly proud of the good, bipartisan work that has gone into getting to today to ensure future generations of Wisconsinites can grow up rooting for our home team. The Brewers have long been a critical part of our history and our heritage in Wisconsin with billions of dollars in annual economic impact and hundreds of local, family-supporting jobs. This is our crew!"
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Brewers survey fans on American Family Field's future, new amenities
It's their home for the next 25 years, and now the Milwaukee Brewers are asking fans what they should do to make American Family Field better.
Since opening its doors in 2001, American Family Field has generated $2.5 billion in total economic output for the state, according to the governor's office.
Reaction
Senator Duey Stroebel (R – Cedarburg)
"The Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District board has the responsibility to not only ensure the long-term future of Brewers baseball in Milwaukee, but to also ensure the best deal possible for Wisconsin taxpayers. As someone with extensive experience in the real estate industry, I do not believe that the law firm selected to lead this effort (Godfrey & Khan) was the best equipped or most experienced option to lead this effort from the perspective of Wisconsin taxpayers. There were several more qualified and experienced options to choose from when the request for proposal went out at the initial meeting of the District Board this year, however a majority of the board opted to go in a different direction.
Because of my concerns over the District’s legal representation and potential pitfalls of this proposed agreement, I opted to vote against the approval of the new Brewers lease. As a supporter of 2023 Wisconsin Acts 40 and 41, I understand the need to consider the economic benefits that the Brewers bring to our local economy while also considering what is best for taxpayers during a complicated and very specialized lease negotiation. I fear that this deal could lead to unintended negative consequences for taxpayers and the State of Wisconsin in the future.
As a Brewers season ticket holder and a supporter of the benefits the team brings to the State of Wisconsin, there was nothing more I wanted than to vote for this proposed agreement. However, given these concerns, I was unable to support this proposed version of the lease."