There's a push to develop AmFam Field parking lots, but are developers actually interested?

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Amid the ongoing negotiations over a bill providing $546 million in taxpayer money to renovate American Family Field is the question of to what extent a final deal should include the redevelopment of land currently used for parking lots outside the stadium.

The president of the state's leading commercial real estate group questioned whether developers would see a robust market for new apartments, retail space and offices in a new 'Beer District.'

While the Assembly passed the bill earlier this month, state Senators from both parties have expressed dissatisfaction with the bill in its current form. Democrats believe the Milwaukee Brewers should contribute more than the $100 million currently in the bill, which would keep the team in Wisconsin through 2050, while some Republicans want a ticket tax applied to both Brewers games and non-baseball events.

Both city and county leaders have pushed for the conversion of some current parking lot space into new developments, which could then provide new sales and property tax revenue streams.

While the funding bill itself may be far along, Tracy Johnson, president and CEO of the Commercial Association of REALTORS Wisconsin, suggested the conversation about adjacent land redevelopment might not even be in the first inning.

"I think people think that development is easy -- 'If you build it, they will come' -- and that's not always the case," Johnson said. "You've got a stadium that's located quite a distance from downtown."

Johnson said it wouldn't be wise to compare the potential for land around American Family Field to the Deer District around Fiserv Forum because the ballpark's location, about five miles from City Hall, is less accessible than the downtown arena.

"You're somewhat on an island over by American Family Field," Johnson said. "And to just say, 'We're gonna put this development and plop it right down there,' I think needs to be looked at very, very carefully."

The Brewers have been hesitant to embrace the idea of development in the lots, citing a desire to protect the team's "tailgating culture."

While much of the lots were unused, even during playoff games earlier this month, Brewers President of Business Operations Rick Schlesinger told a state Senate committee this week he worried new development in the lots would choke off traffic leaving events."

"They always say, 'oh, you can just build parking garages.' I get very nervous, to be honest with you, with parking garages," Schlesinger told lawmakers. "Parking garages will only exacerbate the egress problem, and obviously, you can't tailgate in a parking garage."

Schlesinger added such a project might not interest many developers, given the uncertainty around costs of relocating utilities and environmental studies that would still need to be done on the land under the lots.

"The property was built on a landfill. We have a methane issue," Schlesinger said. "So, that property is gonna be- there's environmental remediation. I do not know the extent of it or the cost of that."

One question is whether new development around American Family Field would include adjacent properties in what is currently an industrial area.

Johnson said another question is just how far development around the stadium would span. Beyond redeveloping parking lot space, it's unclear how much interest exists in creating a larger 'Beer District' footprint that includes land across the Stadium Freeway, including the Komatsu plant, since the mining company has moved its headquarters downtown.

Johnson noted there's already vacant office space downtown, and it's unclear how much demand there'd be in building apartments on the lot since other apartment projects are already in the works.

"If you oversupply the market, you're gonna just crush the existing supply," Johnson said. "And I think that really needs to be considered, whether it's office space, whether it's retail, or whether it's apartments."

The Brewers have said they hope to have the stadium funding plan finalized this fall. An Assembly amendment to the bill was the creation of a workgroup to explore the feasibility developing the surrounding land.