The Milwaukee Mile is for sale -- at least part of it: Section of bleachers goes up for auction online
WEST ALLIS -- The Milwaukee Mile is for sale -- at least part of it! An ad has appeared online, and if you're in need of seating for 1,000 people, this may be the deal for you.
Bleachers at the Milwaukee Mile
If metal could talk, the aluminum along "Turn Four" of the Milwaukee Mile would have its fair share of stories to tell.
"Most of the accidents happen right here," Rick Frenette said.
The latest talk regarding the Milwaukee Mile isn't about what's happening on the pavement, but rather, what's happening on the internet.
"It went up for a dollar. We would have taken a dollar, as long as it doesn`t cost us anything," Frenette said.
Rick Frenette
Frenette, the CEO of State Fair Park says the online ad isn't a hoax. The northern-most section of bleachers will go to the highest bidder.
"You can get this pretty cheap if you have the trucks and the construction people to tear it down, and move it, and build it again. I think you could have a pretty nice situation to enhance your seating at your place," Frenette said.
The bleachers were built in 2003. Since then, it's been a struggle to fill the seats. In fact, officials say they can't remember a single event that has sold out.
Bleachers at the Milwaukee Mile
Frenette says they want to free up more space for the Wisconsin State Fair.
"We`ve grown from 800,000 in attendance to over a million in the last five years," Frenette said.
Others feel this sale is a sign of dark days for racing at the Milwaukee Mile.
"It is kind of unfortunate given the history of the track," Tim Osterbeck said.
Osterbeck runs the group "Save the Mile." He pointed out that there are no NASCAR events at the track, and IndyCar has left town.
Bleachers at the Milwaukee Mile
"My fear is now that section YY is gone, what`s to say the next section in line doesn`t go?" Osterbeck said.
Whomever the buyer ends up being, they should know that the bleachers' history will be included for free.
State Fair officials say they're not giving up on racing. They still hold near 30 events on the track per year.
Bleachers at the Milwaukee Mile
As for the bleachers, officials have received calls from across the country.
As of Tuesday night, the current bid was $856.
The auction ends on March 17th at 9:00 p.m.
CLICK HERE for more information or to made a bid.
Bleachers at the Milwaukee Mile