City leaders pass changes to arena plan, but Bucks say it's time to regroup

MILWAUKEE -- Just outside the proposed new arena, there could be a couple of changes -- changes the Milwaukee Bucks do not like. A Common Council committee voted on Tuesday, September 15th -- and passed those changes. The Bucks say, it's time to regroup.

Members of the Milwaukee Common Council's Zoning Committee say they are not backing down -- even if the Bucks don't like the changes approved Tuesday.

"If they want to take their ball home and open this up to a complete range of re-negotiations, that may not be the end of the world. It may have been what should have been done in February, March or April, frankly," said Alderman Robert Bauman.

Two key changes to the project involved 4th St. outside the arena -- and a new parking garage. The committee voted Tuesday to allow the city to keep any money from a naming rights deal for the garage. Aldermen also voted to keep 4th St. open to traffic outside the arena. The original design calls for the street be be paved over as part of a year-round plaza.

"There's a variety of engineering and architectural modifications that can be made to 4th Street, which can accommodate special events, which can turn it into a plaza by night. But it remains a street owned by the City of Milwaukee by day," said Bauman.

"I think it forces us to sit back down and it forces us to collaborate some more because we're not on the same page," said Peter Feigin, Milwaukee Bucks President.

In the audience, members of the public brought in signs expressing concern that bars and restaurants in the arena district will be too generic.

"We don't know if there's going to be very much local business in that bar mall at all. It could be almost completely chain restaurants, chain whatever -- boring as hell," said Pat Small.

As it stands, the agreement calls for 25 percent of the district's new retail to be locally-owned.



Despite the disagreements, the committee ended a five-hour meeting by approving the city's proposed $47 million contribution to the arena project. The committee also passed a motion that called for 40 percent of the initial construction labor to be city residents -- with an emphasis on unemployed or under-employed residents.

The entire city funding package, including the recommended changes, will go before the full Common Council on Tuesday, September 22nd. Both Bucks officials and city officials say they plan to meeting between now and then.