Brewers 'Beer District:' Stadium funding bill leaves door open
MILWAUKEE - The latest American Family Field funding deal leaves the door open for a "Beer District" outside the ballpark.
American Family Field has 13,000 parking spots – 2,000 more than Disney's EPCOT – that sit empty most days of the year. Brewers President of Business Operations Rick Schlesinger balked at the idea of developing some of that land last month, but based on the legislation, the team might have to at least look into it.
"They have a lot of parking," Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said last month. "I think they’re smart enough to figure out how to incorporate development over at American Family Field, and still keep enough parking for people to be able to tailgate."
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The mayor called for things like possible apartments, restaurant or hotels there. He pointed to examples including the Bucks' Deer District and the Packers' Titletown.
"They are all very interesting," Schlesinger said last month. "I’m very protective of our tailgating culture. We have some of the largest parking lots of any Major League stadium, and that’s important for fans. I want to make it easier for fans to come here and tailgate and park. I don't want to make it tougher."
American Family Field
In Madison, the latest change to the ballpark funding bill would require research into possible developments. That report would have to be finished in two years.
"It’s a positive development, but the timetable for them just to get together and talk about it is way too long," said Robin Palm, a professional urban planner based in Milwaukee. "It’s two years just to talk about something we already know. We know that development is popular and feasible and will bring real cash dollars to both the team and the county and the city."
The legislation would also require the Stadium Park District to work with the city, county and team to study the feasibility and options.
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"The mayor wanted it, the county exec wanted it, the Brewers wanted it, to form a working group," said State Rep. Robert Brooks (R-Saukville). "There are so many obstacles to building there. It is a brownfield site in some spots, utilities are lacking especially parking areas, so there’s a lot of hurdles to overcome."
Is it time to put a cork in the "Beer District" idea? There is a property tax exemption for the land outside the ballpark, so development may not boost that money – but it would create jobs and extra business.
"We have an opportunity with land that technically the public owns, but we can’t make it happen, and we’ve signed away it to the Brewers so they can make $12 million a year in parking fees. It just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense," said Palm. "They only pay $1.2 million in rent, and they get more money than that in the parking revenue on public land."
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"The possibility of a ‘Beer District’ is, I think, jumping the gun. We don’t know what that’s going to look like right now, we’re talking about economic developments surrounding the stadium," said State Rep. Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee). "When we did Fiserv Forum, nobody expected that development around Fiserv. And we expect, hopefully, in the years to come, we’re going to see the same type of development around AmFam field."
A 2020 Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce study found how much people going to Brewers games were spending outside the ballpark. The average city fan spent $6.39, compared to averages of $12 for fans from elsewhere in Wisconsin and $142 for out-of-state fans.
There is also fresh debate over how much money could come with a "Beer District." The New York Mets owner said this week he wanted to develop land around that stadium, including possibly a casino.