[MJS Blog] Milwaukee could take a lesson from Louisville

[MJS_Says]

Milwaukee could take a lesson from Louisville
               



Louisville - Just outside my hotel window is the KFC Yum! Center, home of the Louisville Cardinals. In a few hours, No. 25 Marquette will play No. 12 Louisville there.

               

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/189565591.html
               

[chapman]

Yes Mike Hunt, Milwaukee should build an arena that is hemhoragging money and is on the verge of bankruptcy just like Louisville.  As long as you think it looks cool.   

[Pakuni]

Yes Mike Hunt, Milwaukee should build an arena that is hemhoragging money and is on the verge of bankruptcy just like Louisville.  As long as you think it looks cool.   

In all fairness, the reason the Louisville arena is in trouble is because of woeful mismanagement and a ridiculous lease arrangement the center's operators made with UL.
Neither of those things are/would be inherent to a stadium in Milwaukee.

[Dawson Rental]

Yes Mike Hunt, Milwaukee should build an arena that is hemhoragging money and is on the verge of bankruptcy just like Louisville.  As long as you think it looks cool.   

I'm sure that Mike will take your criticism to heart, and downgrade his recommendation to Milwaukee building something similar to the Pyramid in Memphis.

[Avenue Commons]

The idea that the BC can't be updated and a new stadium is "necessary" is absurd. Get creative. I hate that cities don't repurpose or rebuild buildings.

[strotty]

In all fairness, the Yum! Center is the nicest arena I've ever been to or covered a game at, and I don't even know what second place would be.

[Ari Gold]

The idea that the BC can't be updated and a new stadium is "necessary" is absurd. Get creative. I hate that cities don't repurpose or rebuild buildings.

We should repurpose the bc into a parking structure. Repurpose the airlines center and the cell into rubble and rebuild an arena

[martyconlonontherun]

The idea that the BC can't be updated and a new stadium is "necessary" is absurd. Get creative. I hate that cities don't repurpose or rebuild buildings.

They could renovate it but to get it to a point where it is a viable Nba arena, your better off financially to build a stadium. If you aren't worried about making it an nba arena why waste the money on it at all.

[Dawson Rental]

In all fairness, the Yum! Center is the nicest arena I've ever been to or covered a game at, and I don't even know what second place would be.

Evidently, the key to getting such an arena is to not have it paid for by ticket holders, but instead by taxpayers after the bankruptcy.

[ShannonSmith]

I know the BC is old, but it's aged nicely. I think it's great. Great seats, big concourses, beautiful windows, nice jumbotron, luxury boxes? Why does everyone complain about it?

[Nukem2]

I know the BC is old, but it's aged nicely. I think it's great. Great seats, big concourses, beautiful windows, nice jumbotron, luxury boxes? Why does everyone complain about it?

And, many of the luxury boxes are empty.  Not so sure that a Yum! type omplex would bring many more folks to Downton MKE....?  Why not tear down the Arena and expand the Delta Airlines Center while connecting those to an upgraded BC while adding other amenities.  Accomplish the same thing and spend far fewer $$$.

[GGGG]

I know the BC is old, but it's aged nicely. I think it's great. Great seats, big concourses, beautiful windows, nice jumbotron, luxury boxes? Why does everyone complain about it?

Well, many of the seats aren't that great.  Yeah it was built for hockey...so was the Kohl Center.  And the Kohl Center has better seating for basketball.  I think architects simply got better at designing things.

Second, there are plenty of luxury boxes at the BC...as many as Miller Park.  It could use some club seating...a "mid priced option" between the regular seats and the boxes.  

[honkytonk]

What would make the BC a "viable" NBA arena?

- More luxury boxes? Is there actually demand for more? Why build more if they will only be sold at a steep discount?

-more premium seating? Seems to me that Bucks tickets are a bit over-priced as it is. Again, is the demand there?

-more restaurant space? Just curious...does the TGIF do well inside Miller Park? ...and that's a restaurant that at least over-looks a baseball field. Do people actually want to look at a basketball floor...or a hockey rink?

-more capacity? I think the Bucks have plenty of unsold seats right now as a potential play-off team.

[We R Final Four]

I know the BC is old, but it's aged nicely. I think it's great. Great seats, big concourses, beautiful windows, nice jumbotron, luxury boxes? Why does everyone complain about it?

Ive never heard the windows are a top 3 asset to the BC.  Great views of Turner Hall and scalpers no doubt.

[wiscwarrior]

Ive never heard the windows are a top 3 asset to the BC.  Great views of Turner Hall and scalpers no doubt.

Having been been to MSG, I understand understand the value of beautiful windows, or any windows.

[mu_hilltopper]

There is one reason, and one reason alone a new arena gets built:  TO SEPARATE MORE MONEY FROM THE PUBLIC.

It's not to give you better sight lines, or shorter lines in the bathroom, or more low-sodium food choices. 

It's to get more money out of John Q. Public.

I'm entirely fine with the Bradley Center, thank you.  It fills Marquette's needs perfectly.

[jsglow]

In all fairness, the Yum! Center is the nicest arena I've ever been to or covered a game at, and I don't even know what second place would be.

Really strotty?  Sure it's a huge building that's nicely appointed but the traffic flow for the lower bowl is absolutely terrible.  The place doesn't hold a candle to the United Center in my opinion.  Now of course even being in that league is an accomplishment for a city not unlike Milwaukee.

And I personally remain a fan of the Bradley Center.  Count me in the crowd of those who do not favor a new arena in MKE.   

[MUBurrow]

There is one reason, and one reason alone a new arena gets built:  TO SEPARATE MORE MONEY FROM THE PUBLIC.

It's not to give you better sight lines, or shorter lines in the bathroom, or more low-sodium food choices. 

It's to get more money out of John Q. Public.

I'm entirely fine with the Bradley Center, thank you.  It fills Marquette's needs perfectly.

I don't get what you're saying Topper - to separate more money from the public for the benefit of who?  Herb Kohl? Government contractors? cui bono?

[MU82]

All I interpreted Hunt as saying was that if Milwaukee does build a new arena as has been the discussion, the Yummy-Yum-Yum Palace would be a great model as a building. He did not get into the finances of it, nor should he have because that is not his area of expertise.

He has been to dozens of arenas and he says this one is among the best; he is qualified to make that assessment.

[Avenue Commons]

Evidently, the key to getting such an arena is to not have it paid for by ticket holders, but instead by taxpayers after the bankruptcy.

Exactly. That's the problem. So the citizenry is to take on massive debt just so a stadium can be less old?

It's be one thing if it was falling apart like Comiskey Park or Tiger Stadium. This is something else entirely.

[honkytonk]

Maybe the Bucks can just move to Louisville - It would solve a problem for Milwaukee and solve another one for Louisville. Perfect.

[🏀]

Maybe the Bucks can just move to Louisville - It would solve a problem for Milwaukee and solve another one for Louisville. Perfect.

+1

[muwarrior69]

Where did the Kentucky Colonels play for the old ABA? Louisville or Lexington?

[GGGG]

Where did the Kentucky Colonels play for the old ABA? Louisville or Lexington?

Louisville.

[connie]

What would make the BC a "viable" NBA arena?

- More luxury boxes? Is there actually demand for more? Why build more if they will only be sold at a steep discount?

-more premium seating? Seems to me that Bucks tickets are a bit over-priced as it is. Again, is the demand there?

-more restaurant space? Just curious...does the TGIF do well inside Miller Park? ...and that's a restaurant that at least over-looks a baseball field. Do people actually want to look at a basketball floor...or a hockey rink?

-more capacity? I think the Bucks have plenty of unsold seats right now as a potential play-off team.

All good questions that are never really answered, and points that are never refuted.