Milwaukee Admirals "break ground" for new locker room at UWM Panther Arena

MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Admirals and the Wisconsin Center District held a ceremonial groundbreaking at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panther Arena on Friday morning, June 17th. It's to kick off $6.3 million in upgrades and renovations to the building.

"So some of the changes you'll see include a rounded look, which you'll see in a lot of NHL locker," said Harris Turer, Milwaukee Admirals CEO.

The keystone project to the renovations will be the addition of a new locker room for the Admirals, as well as a new locker room that will be used by the Milwaukee Wave Soccer team and visiting hockey and basketball teams.

"We're making a fan experience that is going to be second to none," Russ Staerkel, Wisconsin Center District President.

The arena will include new seats, plus an eight-person seating area planned on the glass between the Admirals bench and the opponents bench.

"This will offer a unique setting for fans to sit in watch the game, and probably hear a few words exchanged between the teams," said Turer.

A new scoreboard and LED lighting, new food items, larger team store, WiFi access points in Arena Bowl, and much more.

"I think that it will be a tremendous 'wow factor,'" said Staerkel.

The Admirals will return to the UWM Panther Arena after playing at the Bradley Center since 1988. They're going for a fan-friendly, intimate atmosphere -- with a seating capacity of 9,000 instead of 17,000.

"When you fill up a building it is so much louder and so much more exciting and that is what we are looking forward to," said Turer.

JP Cullen Construction, which is based out of Janesville, will oversee the projects which are scheduled to be completed this fall in advance of the Admirals home opener on October 29th.

Rendering of new Milwaukee Admirals locker room

Here is a complete list of projects to be completed this summer:

New Admirals/Wave locker room floor plan