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Post by skrapheap on Oct 26, 2014 21:26:50 GMT -6
Article in today's Journal Sentinel seemed to me to identify the Milwaukee Theater/Panther Arena site as a prime site, although the article was vague.
As I said before, but only half seriously at the time, they can have the site of they pay to build the Panthers a replacement arena.
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Post by PantherU on Oct 27, 2014 9:18:24 GMT -6
Which is what's exactly NOT going to happen. We all need to get with it that this plan doesn't include our future. If we could build an arena on campus we would. We don't have the money and they don't care.
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Post by BBFran on Oct 27, 2014 11:02:43 GMT -6
Correct. At best -- and it's a TERRIBLE option for us -- the planning for the mega-arena would include some wishy-washy suggestion of a second playing venue in the facility. So if you want to be playing in the little room down the hall from where the big boys play, feel free to fall for that. More likely that second facility would fall out of any actual construction for cost reasons and we'd be looking for a chair when the music stopped playing. Or told that for an exorbitant rent we can have Sunday nights and Wednesday afternoons - gotta accommodate the Bucks/Admirals/Giggles/concerts/revivals first -- in a hall three times bigger than we need.
The Panther signs are up on the Milwaukee Panther Arena and it looks fantastic. We have to fight for this.
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Post by kingsteve on Oct 27, 2014 11:26:41 GMT -6
Fran and Jimmy,
So many things involved which we will never totally be informed of. Journal Sentinel behind the scenes manuevering to get a sweetheart deal on their building. Aldermen involvement. Developers. Longer range plans from unknown sources on open land near BC. Tax Incremental District financing considerations. At the end of the day though life isn't fair becausee if it was, this would be a no-brainer. What is th big deal building on the vancant land near the existing BC which would then be torn down. We have two beautiful albeit older facilities which are historic and part of our civic fabric and heritage. They have been signfiicantly renovated and in excellent shape. So it would be IMO ugly and horrible to see a wrecking ball destroy these for the sake of one NBA glitzy new facility which is needed and fine but what is the big deal about leaving the Arena and auditorium standing and having the shiny new palace one lousy block north?? the new facility can not handle all the activities currently occuring at these facilities?? What am I missing here? Just seems so stupid. Is the prevailing logic that these buildings create some sort of physical or psychological barrier between downtown such as it is and the new palace??? Gimme a break... welcome your comments. Steve
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Post by BBFran on Oct 27, 2014 11:54:00 GMT -6
By the way, I was told that the Arena Circle seats (the temporary seats on both sides of the court) are also being changed from blue to black before the season begins. That's great news. With the new video scoreboards, the new signage and the seat recovering the Arena is really going to feel like home for the first time.
Don't underestimate how much certain partisans in town HATE the idea that an iconic Milwaukee building downtown has our name and logo on it in lights, by the way, and that they will have to walk past it on their way to the BC or the new arena if it's built north of the BC property.
One other point. No matter where the new place is built, the BC simply has to come down. There would be no reason to continue to pour money into that facility, which would compete with and make the economic model for a new place all the worse.
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Post by GB BB is Back! on Oct 27, 2014 11:57:32 GMT -6
Which is what's exactly NOT going to happen. We all need to get with it that this plan doesn't include our future. If we could build an arena on campus we would. We don't have the money and they don't care. I just don't understand how UWGB can build the Kress Center, Chicago State can build the Jones Convocation Center, but school the size of UW-Milwaukee can't build something in between. I'm also shocked that the Admirals are part of the discussion for the new arena. They don't draw well enough to matter.
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Post by skrapheap on Oct 27, 2014 12:17:23 GMT -6
Which is what's exactly NOT going to happen. We all need to get with it that this plan doesn't include our future. If we could build an arena on campus we would. We don't have the money and they don't care. I just don't understand how UWGB can build the Kress Center, Chicago State can build the Jones Convocation Center, but school the size of UW-Milwaukee can't build something in between. I'm also shocked that the Admirals are part of the discussion for the new arena. They don't draw well enough to matter. And what about the extra money in seg fees that students are paying? Wasn't the increase supposed to be earmarked for an on-campus arena?
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Post by PantherU on Oct 27, 2014 12:37:59 GMT -6
Which is what's exactly NOT going to happen. We all need to get with it that this plan doesn't include our future. If we could build an arena on campus we would. We don't have the money and they don't care. I just don't understand how UWGB can build the Kress Center, Chicago State can build the Jones Convocation Center, but school the size of UW-Milwaukee can't build something in between. I'm also shocked that the Admirals are part of the discussion for the new arena. They don't draw well enough to matter. Both buildings you bring up were finished in 2007. The recession happened the following fall. Not only did money become tight, but the public's idea of using taxpayer dollars for sports facilities has completely changed. They didn't like it before, hate it now. the Kress was largely paid for out of state taxpayer dollars, the Jones Convocation Center was paid entirely out of the state budget. I mean, the whole mentality of government changed. Before there was a feeling that building those buildings would help universities. Now, unless those projects are paid for in a big part by donors, state taxpayers are completely against the idea of helping out. And it's not just in building projects. The athletic department, like all state entities, had to cut and trim its budget everywhere. They had to "streamline" the department. Knowing that, I sincerely doubt the university would be willing to try and spend tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to build a facility. Especially when it's so much more expensive - the $33 million Kress Center could cost upwards of $60 million now. In short, the university didn't want to alienate people by asking for a bunch of money for a basketball arena. I do, however, believe that something would happen should the new Bucks arena get put on the land occupied by the UWM Arena. I don't believe a secondary building would be attached; I think the people putting together the project would try and win some goodwill by donating towards an on-campus facility for the Panthers. $30 million may get the Klotsche enough as far as dropping the floor and gutting it, a la Loyola's Gentile Arena. The university could dip into some of the $25 athletics fee for that. But who knows. In a perfect world, we'd be gunning for the Wisconsin Paperboard Corporation land and building Joe Rice's dream scenario. That facility would vault Milwaukee Basketball to unbelievable heights. But that thing could cost as much as $200 million, a number we could never even scratch. By the way, if you want to see what the Marquette fans think of the arena scenario, check out this thread on the Bucks section of the BrewCityBall forums. Obviously mixing Panther fans and Marquette fans is going to cause some friction: Link: Arena Talk
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Post by BBFran on Oct 27, 2014 13:33:56 GMT -6
Ugh. Followed that link and was certainly not surprised.
Marquette has tremendous donor support and can often get 10,000 fans for conference games, even more for big games. It makes them a great program by objective measure against the rest of the D1 landscape. But those big games will be fewer and farther between in the NBE. In a weaker, less attractive league they are counting on Wojo to keep them in the discussion as a national player. I expect he will do it, at least in the short term. But everything -- everything -- at MU is directly affected by the fortunes of its hoops team. That tends to make them extremely paranoid about their place in the order of things. The truth is, we are not a direct threat to them right now; even less so since they cancelled the series. But you can bet they are glancing over their shoulder at the huge, politically influential university in the same city and wondering. And that's what has changed. Fifteen years ago they didn't need to give us a second thought. Our hoops history was inconsequential. We were barely a D1 program. Fifteen years later our program has been to the tournament 4 times -- and now we have a major, well signed presence just down the road from their campus.
Panther fans get frustrated by the seeming fits and starts at our program, but from MU's perspective there may be an unwelcome potential giant stirring a little too close for comfort. With that worldview, a new venue for MU that also removes the downtown irritant of the Milwaukee Panther Arena would be a huge win-win for them.
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Post by Pounce Needs Pals on Oct 27, 2014 14:18:59 GMT -6
Which is what's exactly NOT going to happen. We all need to get with it that this plan doesn't include our future. If we could build an arena on campus we would. We don't have the money and they don't care. I just don't understand how UWGB can build the Kress Center, Chicago State can build the Jones Convocation Center, but school the size of UW-Milwaukee can't build something in between. I'm also shocked that the Admirals are part of the discussion for the new arena. They don't draw well enough to matter. Admirals pay rent. That's what matter for over 30+ dates a year. They do average almost 6,000 per game for the year. That's not too bad for a AHL hockey team. Plus, the link on Brew City Ball. Having 5 people on that topic isn't a big number in mixing "fans".
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Post by BBFran on Oct 27, 2014 14:30:17 GMT -6
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Post by FTA1982 on Oct 28, 2014 9:50:35 GMT -6
Don't think we have to worry about tearing down Panther Arena. I was just at the Bucks press conference (my company will be sharing the Stockhouse with them in January) and Lasry was asked about the new owners of the Grand Avenue Mall and he basically said they bought it without actually saying they bought it. "The people who bought it, got a pretty great deal". Sounds like a new arena announcement will be coming in the next 30-60 days. My $ would be on the Grand Ave. site.
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Post by Pounce Needs Pals on Oct 28, 2014 11:03:14 GMT -6
Don't think we have to worry about tearing down Panther Arena. I was just at the Bucks press conference (my company will be sharing the Stockhouse with them in January) and Lasry was asked about the new owners of the Grand Avenue Mall and he basically said they bought it without actually saying they bought it. "The people who bought it, got a pretty great deal". Sounds like a new arena announcement will be coming in the next 30-60 days. My $ would be on the Grand Ave. site. If, true you are sitting on pretty big news for everyone needs. Why do you think his quote means the Bucks bought it, just because he thinks the owners got a great deal?
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Post by Pounce Needs Pals on Oct 28, 2014 11:50:57 GMT -6
James Carlton @jimmycarlton88 · 2h 2 hours ago Lasry on arena location: "As soon as I know -- well, I know -- but as soon as I can say it, we'll announce where it is." #Bucks 0 replies 13 retweets 2 favorites Reply Retweet13 Favorite2 More James Carlton @jimmycarlton88 · 2h 2 hours ago Marc Lasry was asked today if #Bucks had bought Grand Avenue Mall. He smiled and said "Whoever bought it probably got a pretty great deal." 0 replies 19 retweets 5 favorites Reply Retweet19 Favorite5 More James Carlton @jimmycarlton88 · 2h 2 hours ago #Bucks owner Marc Lasry today on new arena: "We'll hopefully be able to announce the location over the next 30-60 days, if all goes well."
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Post by ghostofdylan on Oct 28, 2014 12:50:40 GMT -6
Called the Journal-Sentinel and they said they didn't know, but proudly revealed that they did win a Pulitzer Prize in 2008.
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