Practice facility in limbo

[mkehoops]

UWM athletics has been formulating basketball-practice facility plans for several years to relieve crowding at the existing Klotsche Center and Pavilion buildings on the north end of the campus. The basketball teams share the space with other teams, other student activities and physical education classes.

University officials approved the costs for pre-design work by HGA Architects, which also designed the previous version of the project, athletic director Amanda Braun told the Milwaukee Business Journal.

The latest iteration of the project will address questions including eliminating the use of state funding “so we can find a way,” Braun said.

“I’m optimistic,” Braun said. “I’m encouraged.”

While the previous proposal would have included funding from state-issued bonds, the new proposal would be paid for with contributions and student segregated fees, she said.


The latest proposal eliminates the previous plan to include offices, which will remain in the Pavilion, and shrinks the project size from 31,000 square feet to 15,000 to 16,000 square feet. The estimated cost is now $6 million to $7 million, Braun said.

One other change involves the site. Previous designs showed an area east of the Klotsche Center now used as a surface parking lot. The designers also will consider an area south of the Klotsche Center that includes land now occupied by the Norris Health Center, which is closing and relocating to the old Columbia St. Mary’s site, Braun said.

HGA will complete its pre-design work later this spring, Braun said. UWM will then submit its new plan to the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, she said.

If the regents sign off on the project concept, UWM would be on the calendar for final approval from the regents in July 2019, Braun said.

Construction would run for 18 months at the most, so the facility could be open in time for the 2020-2021 college basketball season, she said.

The UWM men's team plays its home games at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena downtown under a long-term lease with the arena's owner the Wisconsin Center District. The women's team plays its home games at the on-campus Klotsche Center.

[steveisback]

I will say this about MS Braun. If she has done something worthwhile it may be in the facilities areas. I strongly supported the naming rights and Arena situation downtown. When we start winning and lifting the profile again attendance will increase. Just look at Loyola. A few years ago they were having 10 kids in the student section per Porter Moser. Although the baseball facility is far from campus it is still a positive development for the program and overall profile . Lastly, if she finally finds a way to get this basketball facility done then we that is another positive. Remaining issues are tennis and track and field total lack of facilities but to her credit she seems to be getting these done one at a time. Given our administration's lack of support amazing that any of this has happened so I guess credit is due where it is due.

[ghostofdylan]

Isn't she in line for a promotion or something?!?! How about AD emeritus?

[73withharoldlee]

I talked to Braun at the UIC game in Chicago. I mentioned that type facility would be great for the Panthers. We talked about the practice facility and she seems very optimistic it will happen. The main idea was to create something affordable given the political environment. Funding doesn't need to come from Walker. Her naïveté in this area was surprising to me but she has come to know the right people in order to get things done. She is learning. Finally if I were to build a baseball program it would be on 76th and Rawson. That is where the game is played , by suburban kids. It is across town where many students and alumni live, maybe 30 minutes from campus at most. Speaking of that UIC game I left Northern Lake County At 5:30 and arrived just as the game started at 7pm. You are very lucky people in Milwaukee. GPs time was 40 minutes.

[73withharoldlee]

I talked to Braun at the UIC game in Chicago. I mentioned that type facility would be great for the Panthers. We talked about the practice facility and she seems very optimistic it will happen. The main idea was to create something affordable given the political environment. Funding doesn't need to come from Walker. Her naïveté in this area was surprising to me but she has come to know the right people in order to get things done. She is learning. Finally if I were to build a baseball program it would be on 76th and Rawson. That is where the game is played , by suburban kids. It is across town where many students and alumni live, maybe 30 minutes from campus at most. Speaking of that UIC game I left Northern Lake County At 5:30 and arrived just as the game started at 7pm. You are very lucky people in Milwaukee. GPs time was 40 minutes.

[mkehoops]

Regents should approve UWM facility


5 hours ago
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee leaders have been trying for several years to convince UW System leaders of the need for a basketball practice facility on its east side Milwaukee campus.

Let’s hope a new proposal that would reduce the cost of the $14.5 million project by 50 percent and eliminate the need for state funding finally allows the much-needed project to move forward for the university’s Division I NCAA men’s and women’s basketball teams.


The UWM men’s team plays its home games at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena in downtown Milwaukee under a long-term lease with the arena’s owner the Wisconsin Center District. The women’s team plays its home games at the on-campus Klotsche Center.


UWM athletics has been formulating basketball-practice facility plans for several years to relieve crowding at the existing Klotsche Center and Pavilion buildings on the north end of the campus. Unlike most colleges where the basketball teams have their own practice facilities, the teams share the space with other teams, other student activities and physical education classes.

The UW System Board of Regents should approve the project because it would provide a needed boost to the basketball programs and help them compete for players against other schools who have much nicer facilities.