Bucks arena project still faces uncertainty

Aldermen Jim Bohl, Willie Wade, Robert Bauman and Jose Perez voted in favor of the arena project funding. They will vote on the city’s $47 million contribution to the arena Tuesday.

Under the current plan, the street would be closed and turned into a pedestrian plaza.

The committee also added an amendment to allow the city to collect any naming rights revenue from a $35 million parking structure that the city will build near the arena. The Bucks say, it’s time to regroup.

“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”.

“The Common Council makes policy in the city of Milwaukee”, Bohl said.

“Our keeping the basic right of way under our control gives us options moving forward, and I think the city should be interested in options, rather than willy-nilly throwing it away for nothing”, Milwaukee Alderman Bob Bauman said.

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

This summer the state approved its own funding package that covers nearly half the cost of the half-billion dollar arena, which the N-B-A wants for a mid-2017 opening.

The Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee voted 4-1 Tuesday to recommend approval to the full council, which will review the proposal at its September 22 meeting.