The state Building Commision agreed to provide $5M for improvements to the building.
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/94277229.html State building panel backs aid to Bradley Center
By Don Walker of the Journal Sentinel
May 19, 2010 |(26) Comments
The state Building Commission on Wednesday agreed to release up to $5 million to the Bradley Center for improvements to the building.
The vote was 6-2. The $5 million grant comes in the form of state bonding.
Steve Costello, the Bradley Center's president and CEO, said he and his board were appreciative of the commission's action.
“Every penny generated by the Bradley Center – which was built and operated for more than two decades with no public funding – has been invested back into the facility, its tenants and the community," Costello said in a prepared statement. "Yet today, the need for capital repairs and building system replacements has outpaced the Bradley Center’s ability to pay for them. We have an aging structure that presents physical challenges, and must function in a rapidly changing sports and entertainment industry that presents significant business and economic challenges."
In his statement, Costello also raised the question of whether the Bradley Center, first opened in October 1988, should be replaced. While little discussion on that topic has occurred, Costello said the state funds would help keep the Bradley Center a "viable economic engine."
“We appreciate that some are asking questions about the Bradley Center’s future," he said. "Some have suggested it may be time to consider a new arena, but community discussion is at its very earliest stages, and there is little consensus on the idea. The Bradley Center needs attention and help now to succeed, thrive and continue to benefit the people of Wisconsin."
