Gov. Evers Funds Iron District Stadium, Bronzeville Arts Center

Iron District stadium rendering. Rendering by Kahler Slater.

Governor Tony Evers will use the state’s American Rescue Plan Act to bypass Republican opposition to funding five cultural and sports venues across the state.

In Milwaukee, the proposed Iron District soccer stadium will receive $9.3 million and the Bronzeville Center for the Arts (BCA) will receive $5 million under a unilateral proposal announced Thursday. Evers has full discretion on where to allocate the state’s portion of the federal grant.

The 8,000-seat soccer stadium is to be home to a new professional men’s soccer team owned by Jim Kacmarcik. Marquette University‘s men’s and women’s soccer and lacrosse teams would also play in the building. The new soccer team would play in the USL Championship League, a fully-professional league one level below Major League Soccer.

The development team, according to a February proposal, would provide $35.7 million to advance the stadium. It is part of a larger $220 million mixed-use complex. Urban Milwaukee, in June 2022, was the first to report that the stadium would need a public subsidy. The larger development project includes a hotel, two apartment buildings and other commercial development. The first apartment building is under construction.

The nonprofit Bronzeville Center for the Arts will also receive $5 million to support its $54.9 million Black arts center project. The 50,000-square-foot building, a “world-class art and cultural center,” would replace a shuttered Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources site at N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. and W. North Ave.

Both grants were rejected earlier this year by the Joint Finance Committee during deliberations on the state’s capital budget. Additional projects that were previously rejected and will now receive funding include development of the Janesville Sports and Convention Center ($15 million), an expansion of the Green Bay National Railroad Museum ($5 million) and upgrades to the Door County Pennisula Players Theatre ($330,000).

“These five projects will have a long-term impact on our state’s economy and on economic development in these communities from Green Bay to Janesville,” said Evers in a press release. “From creating a premier cultural tourism destination to welcome visitors from across our state and country to providing educational and entertainment opportunities for students and visitors folks of all ages, these projects were clearly missed opportunities during the Capital Budget process, and the economic impact of these investments will pay dividends for our future economic success.”

American Rescue Plan Act funds need to be “obligated” by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026.

“We want to thank Gov. Tony Evers and his administration for believing in our vision and this project,” said Kacmarcik, Chairman and CEO of Kacmarcik Enterprises, in a statement issued after Evers’ announcement. “Milwaukee and Wisconsin are hungry for professional soccer, which is evident by the more than 200,000 votes that were cast for our name the team competition.

“We are grateful to Governor Evers for his continued support of the Bronzeville Center for the Arts and our vision for a destination arts museum that increases our collective knowledge of and engagement with African American art, art history and artists. As we continue the design process and evaluate community feedback, this announcement is a major step toward making our vision a reality,” said BCA board chair Kristen D. Hardy.

About the Iron District Proposal

First announced in 2022, the outdoor soccer stadium would anchor a new mixed-use development at the southwest corner of Downtown. Originally assembled by Marquette, the site is located southwest of the intersection of W. Michigan St. and N. 6th St. and backs up to the Marquette Interchange.

Kahler Slater and JLG Architects are collaborating on the district design, with JLG leading the stadium component. The field would use artificial turf.

A naming contest for the team is currently underway, with 10 names being forwarded to agency Cramer-Krasselt for a final selection and brand development. Kacmarcik has maintained that he hopes for the team to begin playing in 2025.

“This grant not only serves as a substantial financial investment but also a resounding vote of confidence in the power of soccer to unite communities and invigorate local culture,” said Milwaukee Barons supporters group president Patrick Finn in a statement. The group has been working for more than a decade to bring professional outdoor soccer to Milwaukee.

A concert venue that was earlier part of the proposal was dropped in favor of a second apartment building and event venue. Four stories of apartments would be added to the top of the western side of the two-story office building at 803 W. Michigan St. The eastern side of the building would still be demolished, clearing part of the site to be used for a hotel, live entertainment venue and soccer stadium.

Construction is underway on the 99-unit Michigan Street Commons apartment building at the far western edge of the site. Apartments in the building will be set aside at below-market rates for qualifying residents. Bear Development secured low-income housing tax credits in 2021 to develop the building, with the city establishing a $1.8 million tax incremental financing district in 2022 to support the affordable housing development.

At the eastern edge of the site, a long-shuttered Ramada Hotel was razed. No plans have been publicly announced for what would replace it.

The development was initially described as a $160 million complex, but a press release Thursday increases that total to $220 million.

“The open dialogue that we’ve had with the Governor’s office, has been important for sharing our goals and vision for this project,” said Bear Development CEO S.R. Mills, whose firm serves as the master developer. “While we’re more than thankful for this grant, we’re also thankful for the opportunity to tell our story about the positive local and statewide impact this will have.”

About the Bronzeville Center for the Arts

The Bronzeville Arts Center was first proposed in 2022 as the second project of the new arts organization.

Construction is already underway on the organization’s first project, a gallery space, workshop and office space development at 507 W. North Ave. A one-story addition is being constructed on the west side of a two-story building. Quorum Architects is designing the building. Jordan’s Construction Services is serving as the general contractor.

Since Evers proposed the allocation in February, the center hired Robert Parker as its executive director. Previously, he served as the inaugural executive director at The Chickasaw Nation-Chickasaw Inkana Foundation in Tupelo, MS, leading the design and development of a $36 million heritage center.

The signature complex is being designed by Milwaukee-based M&E Architects+Engineers with support from HGA. Emem Group serves as the owner’s representative on both projects.

The nonprofit organization won a competitive state request for proposals to purchase the 3.4-acre property in 2022 for $1.6 million. It closed on the purchase the same year, with the DNR already having relocated to a new facility in the Menomonee Valley.

Conceptual Renderings MLK and North Site

507 W. North Ave.