Sports Teams Seek To Create Vibrant Spaces For Non Game Days

[M II A II R II K]

MILWAUKEE BUCKS ENTER THE PLACEMAKING BUSINESS


January 29, 2017

Page 1: http://www.moderncities.com/article/...aking-business

The Milwaukee Bucks advance plans to construct a community gathering space adjacent to the new Wisconsin Entertainment & Sports Center that will serve as a year-round hub for activity in downtown Milwaukee. Following the lead set by other franchises, professional sports teams are becoming real estate developers seeking to create vibrant places that attract commerce on non-game days.

- The Milwaukee Bucks are set to break ground on an ambitious, mixed-use development in downtown Milwaukee adjacent to the new Milwaukee Entertainment & Sports Center, A new entertainment block is the centerpiece of the master design plan spearheaded by Bucks ownership to transform 27-acres of mostly vacant property around the new arena into a vibrant retail and entertainment district. --- The entertainment block portion of this development will feature an active, outdoor gathering space designed for year-round community use surrounded by a mixture of dining, entertainment and retail activations. The block is designed in such a way to serve as an important connection between the new arena and existing commercial activity along Old World Third Street.

- The entertainment block was designed by Gensler and Milwaukee-based Rinka Chung Architecture, with landscape design services from the Office of James Burnett (OJB). Brookfield-based Hunzinger Construction will manage the construction of the new entertainment block, while New Berlin-based Veit & Company, Inc. is currently overseeing the preparation of the site including demolition of the existing parking structure. The entertainment block is expected to be completed in time for the opening of the new area in the fall of 2018. --- “This new space will be a transformational addition to the community and a year-round hub for activity in downtown Milwaukee,” Bucks President Peter Feigin said.

- “Our ownership had a bold vision for a flexible space that will connect the neighborhood, spur additional development and empower additional local businesses to partner with us in revitalizing this portion of the city. Our fantastic design partners on this project have brought that vision to life and we’re beyond excited to see this project taking shape.” --- “Broadly, we want this area to be a tremendous asset for the community as a hub for activity year-round. We believe it will help connect surrounding neighborhoods and be a catalyst for future development,” said Jake Suski, senior vice president of communications and broadcast.

- The design for the entertainment block aims to create a new urban destination in Milwaukee that will drive activity downtown while celebrating the city’s unique local and regional experiences. At the center of the project is a large public plaza, which will serve as a “living room” for the city and be activated year-round by a wide-ranging scope of events that could include farmer’s markets, outdoor concerts, festivals and even a seasonal skating rink. The space also includes a promenade along the arena featuring public art, gardens, a signature water feature and event lawns. --- The series of structures incorporated into the entertainment block design will cater to a variety of dining, retail and entertainment activations, including a year-round beer garden and an outdoor media wall in the covered pedestrian walkway that will link the arena with Old World Third Street.

- The block is designed to promote activity both at the pedestrian level as well as vertically through balconies, terraces and rooftop spaces. The overall architecture of the project is envisioned as a modern interpretation of the industrial history of the city, with exposed steel, aluminum, wood and brick all featuring prominently in the design. --- “The design of the entertainment block strives to connect the surrounding community, acting as a catalyst for the development and evolution of the district and downtown Milwaukee through an active and inspiring environment for people to live, work and play in the heart of the city. This is a space for everybody,” said Matt Rinka of Rinka Chung Architecture.

.....

[mrnyc]

and they could give blimp rides on off days inside the mammoth new vikings us bank stadium.

but seriously, i suppose some of the developments they want to put in around citifield after they finish taking out the eastern end iron triangle auto joints and really get rolling on it could be considered similar for nyc. i think there is even a mall that is supposed to go in just west of the ballpark, where shea was?

[mhays]

These places tend to do ok during events, and struggle the rest of the time.

KC's Power & Light District (I haven't been there since it opened) is apparently failing to attract crowds most of the time, though they also lack a team so far.

I walked through LA Live a couple times during the day in April, including once at lunch. It was an absolute mausoleum both times, as was the movie theater (I was one of four people watching the latest Star Wars). Presumably it does ok during events at the arena or convention center.

The best option might be to locate event centers together so the event schedule hits a critical mass. Maybe it's ok that restaurants are slow most of the time if they're busy for 100 event nights a year.

[Steely Dan]

the cubs are currently turning a former surface parking lot west of wrigley field into one of these "event plazas", along with several other large developments in the immediate vicinity that will include hotels, a cine-plex, bowling alley, new restaurants, blah, blah, blah.....

because wrigley sits right smack dab in the middle of a very densely populated city neighborhood that already is a nightlife hotspot, it will probably be more successful than some of these other "sports entertainment venues" that are seen more as downtown revitalization silver bullets.

here's an aerial of all the construction currently taking place around wrigley. the new event plaza will be immediately to left of the stadium in the image below.

[Crawford]

I hate these cheesy "stadium zones". I've seen them in Cincy, KC and Indy, and they all suck.

Loads of crappy chain restaurants, the mall-like piped-in music, and dead except for events.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by mrnyc

but seriously, i suppose some of the developments they want to put in around citifield after they finish taking out the eastern end iron triangle auto joints and really get rolling on it could be considered similar for nyc. i think there is even a mall that is supposed to go in just west of the ballpark, where shea was?

Yes, and now the Islanders supposedly want a new arena next to Citifield.

I REALLY hope that development doesn't have a cheesy feel; they should ignore the surrounding stadia and build something more organic by just extending downtown Flushing westwards.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Crawford

Yes, and now the Islanders supposedly want a new arena next to Citifield.

it still boggles my mind that, with the 100's of millions of dollars that were spent on building barclays center, it wasn't designed to truly accommodate an NHL rink.

[M II A II R II K]

Should be interesting to see how big of an impact the District Detroit version of this has on it's downtown and surrounding areas.

[Shawn]

This plays to one of Gillette Stadium's only strengths: Patriot Place does quite well all year round - because it's in the middle of the suburbs. I would never want to see a Patriot Place anywhere in Boston proper, but right off Rt 1, the pseudo-New Urbanism mega complex draws steady traffic throughout the week.

Again, NOT a model to try and insert into true urban form.

[xzmattzx]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

Wow, I was in Chicago when the Phillies played there over Memorial Day weekend, and I don't remember that kind of development on three city blocks!

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Wow, I was in Chicago when the Phillies played there over Memorial Day weekend, and I don't remember that kind of development on three city blocks!

the new plaza and office building just west of the stadium and the new hotel across clark street would have been U/C last May.

the other large construction site south of the stadium across addison started up in august.

[10023]

Great idea for downtown stadiums. The Pittsburgh Penguins coming new stadium is another good example.

It's a shame so many teams (like the Giants/Jets) decided to build stadiums surrounded by massive parking lots in the middle of nowhere back in the 60s and 70s.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by 10023

The Pittsburgh Penguins coming new stadium is another good example.

huh?

the pens are getting a new arena?

consul energy/PPG paints arena is only 7 years old and is widely considered one of the best arenas in the NHL.

Are you maybe thinking of the new red wings arena currently under construction in detroit?

[10023]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

huh?

the pens are getting a new arena?

consul energy/PPG paints arena is only 7 years old and is widely considered one of the best arenas in the NHL.

Are you maybe thinking of the new red wings arena currently under construction in detroit?

Sorry - point of clarification, it's not the stadium that will be new but the land formerly occupied by the old Civic Arena across the street:

http://www.civicarenaredevelopment.com

[Steely Dan]

^ oh cool, i didn't know about that.

that looks really good and it will obliterate a shamefully giant swath of surface parking lots north of the stadium.

i can only hope and pray that land prices around the united center in chicago one day rise high enough to bulldoze all of its giant parking lots into the kind urban redevelopment pittsburgh is building around its arena.

[AFW523]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

^ oh cool, i didn't know about that.

that looks really good and it will obliterate a shamefully giant swath of surface parking lots north of the stadium.

i can only hope and pray that land prices around the united center in chicago one day rise high enough to bulldoze all of its giant parking lots into the kind urban redevelopment pittsburgh is building around its arena.

The actual vision has been announced and rendered and it would indeed be a game-changer...

...but there is heavy skepticism as to whether anything resembling that vision will ever come to fruition. Development has moved at a glacial pace in the years since the land has been under the team's control and the one project they did announce (which was widely mocked) fell flat when the main tenant (US Steel) announced massive losses. Currently there is just infrastructure construction happening and the team continues to pay postponement allowances while the city leans on them to start anything.

The one positive for the project, a federal TIGER grant to install a highway bridge cap, is slated to go out to bid this 3Q however, and should help fortify the area's desirability.

[skyfan]

Originally Posted by M II A II R II K

Should be interesting to see how big of an impact the District Detroit version of this has on it's downtown and surrounding areas.

If the last couple years are any indication it'll be big, they're some pretty significant developments u/c and in the the pipeline

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=225950

https://static1.squarespace.com/stat...uth_lowres.pdf


In addition to the actual district projects themselves

[lrt's friend]

I do hope that the primary access to the site is going to be by public transit especially on event days.

Our football stadium was redeveloped into a mixed use area (including a rebuilt stadium) and eliminating the acres of surface parking. Major events now have public transit fares included in the ticket price and special event service is provided. In other words, your event ticket gives you free access to the transit system 3 hours before and after the event. This has proven very successful and the redevelopment has for the most part been very well received despite many NIMBYs before the project began. It is now a very popular part of the city to enjoy an evening out.

The success of this project is driving an even bigger project to bring our NHL arena downtown and within easy walking distance of two LRT lines. While still in the planning stage, this will likely redefine the city's centre and the public eagerly waits for it to begin construction. It cannot start too soon.

[AaronPGH]

Originally Posted by 10023

Sorry - point of clarification, it's not the stadium that will be new but the land formerly occupied by the old Civic Arena across the street:

http://www.civicarenaredevelopment.com

Bjarke Ingels Group is actually behind it. Here's the newer plan... although we'll se if this ever happens. These sports teams seem to be inept at getting things done.

http://www.designboom.com/architectu...en-11-18-2015/

[ThePhun1]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

it still boggles my mind that, with the 100's of millions of dollars that were spent on building barclays center, it wasn't designed to truly accommodate an NHL rink.

They had a chance to get in on development but declined. Now they'll be paying the price in multiple ways.