This is what passes for action in the Milwaukee Bucks arena squabble: Top Democratic legislators in Wisconsin will be getting a meeting with top Republican leaders, after griping that they were being asked to vote for the arena deal without having any input on it. No sign, though, that Bucks representatives will be present, so this doesn’t appear to be actually so much a seat at the table in negotiations as just a briefing on what they’re being told to vote for. (What they’re being told to vote for, as a reminder, is $328 million in city, county, and state cash plus $180 million in property tax breaks to help two billionaires pay for a $500 million arena to replace a building that’s just 27 years old.)
Meanwhile:
Republican leaders are still finalizing a draft of the arena proposal to be released to legislators and the public, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said Wednesday, adding that he thinks a majority in his caucus supports the proposal “to some extent.”
That’s not exactly overwhelming confidence there. It’s still possible something can get worked out at the last second that a majority of the legislature will actually vote for, but I wouldn’t bet big money on it at this point.
The state could easily slip its arena deal funding scheme into the budget at the last minute and get enough GOP votes to pass it without anyone even reading the bill (not uncommon, apparently…) Not even a draft has leaked yet. Of course, the state would only borrow $55M. But it appears they can also force the state-chartered Wisconsin Center District to borrow $93M, without anyone from their staff or board getting to say a peep about it. All courtesy of County Exec Abele and his state GOP pals…
The Bucks named their new MKE development company “Head of the Herd,” in case anyone’s not sure who’s in charge here. They will be “master developer” of 25-30 acres of prime real estate. The Bucks will hold the “master lease” for the new arena and will reportedly negotiate the Marquette U lease (not the Arena District, which will nominally manage the new arena). MU’s current lease with the Bradley Center already gives most of the concession/merch income they generate (outside the gate) to the Bucks. So they should be fleeced even more to make up for the Admirals getting the boot. But maybe the Bucks will somehow try to raid all income at the UWM Panther Arena too, since they’ll all be under a new “super-arena-district” umbrella. They deserve all those revenue streams more than public & nonprofit universities…After all, what would MKE be without the Bucks?
The Bucks, not the Arena District, will also get to keep all naming rights. It just keeps adding up.
But some say “No price is too high to keep the Bucks” so that price could easily climb much higher before they’re done dealing…