MILWAUKEE — If Gov. Tony Evers’ budget is approved, the Milwaukee Brewers will continue to call Wisconsin home for years to come.
As part of his budget proposal, Gov. Evers said he plans to call for a one-time investment of $290 million for the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District. The funds would be used to help the ballpark district maintain and improve American Family Field as required by an agreement with the team.
This announcement came just days before the Brewers were set to start spring training in Arizona.
Dipping into the state’s surplus to keep a professional sports team in town has elicited mixed reactions.
Kelly’s Bleachers, a Milwaukee sports bar on Bluemound Rd., shuttles thousands of fans from the bar to American Family Field for game days throughout the season.
Anthony Luchini, a co-owner of Kelly’s Bleachers, said this proposal would keep his business, and other locales, secure long-term.
“This is about as close to a no-brainer as you can get. What will happen if they leave? Nothing good,” he said.
Luchini said he’s hopeful this plan will be approved, not only for his business, but for other business owners who rely on baseball season for bumps in revenue.
“That’s the dirty side of business. It’s, ‘What’s best for them?’ It’s the same scenario for us. I don’t see them going to a different market and having a better result,” Luchini said.
Currently, the Brewers and American Family Field have a lease agreement that expires after the 2030 season. Under the governor’s proposal, the Brewers would commit to a 20-year lease, and Major League Baseball would stay in Wisconsin through Dec. 2043.
The proposal would allocate about 4% of the state’s surplus for future ballpark updates.
The Brewers reciprocating investment efforts could be a sign of good faith for some fans, too.
“If they can attract more talent here and do better, then the community response is that it’s good for everything: Restaurants, people having jobs and all over just a great atmosphere,” Luchini said.
Brewers President of Business Operations Rick Schlesinger said that he’s glad people want the team to stay in Brew City. He was quick to point out the Brewers’ boost to the economy swings out far beyond baseball.
“We’re pleased that that everybody we talk to recognizes many things. They want the Brewers to stay here. We don’t want the five county sales tax to be reinstated, and we’ve got to figure out a solution that makes sense for everybody,” he said.
The ballpark district currently lacks the resources to meet their obligations partly because of the elimination of the five-county sales tax in March 2020, as well as expensive repairs due to the aging facility.
The current lease between the Milwaukee Brewers and American Family Field runs through the 2030 season, but Gov. Evers is worried that could change without an investment from the state.
“I think the Brewers are in alignment with all of those objectives — what we bring to the state and tax revenues and jobs, value to the state and entertainment, the brand, all of the attributes of the ballpark,” Schlesinger said. “All the attributes of our team, the entertainment value, all the revenue generated, I think that from my perspective it’s a good investment for the state to put in that money. The return they’re going to get will exceed it.”