(The Center Square) – A plan to renovate the Milwaukee Brewers’ American Family Field now could include $600 million of public funds, according to a report from CBS 58 Milwaukee.
The report says a new bill could be introduced early this week that would include $400 million in state funding along with $202.5 million in county and city funding for the $700 million project.
That included $5 million a year from Milwaukee County for 27 years along with $2.5 million annually from the city of Milwaukee over that same span.
“This is ridiculous and indefensible public policy,” said economist J.C. Bradbury of Georgia’s Kennesaw State University. “Any elected representative who supports this should be voted out of office, if not recalled. Remember George Petak.
“I am genuinely curious. What is the justification for spending $600 million of taxpayer money on renovating a 22-year-old stadium for a private business? What kind of person says, ‘Oh, that sounds reasonable?’ “
The plan comes a month after anonymous threats were published saying the National League Central-leading Brewers would pursue leaving Milwaukee for a different city if publicly funded renovations for the stadium were not approved.
A Milwaukee County supervisor recently discussed reviving a five-county sales tax to pay its portion of the deal.
The CBS Milwaukee report also said it was undetermined what developments would occur outside the stadium and any tax deals related to those developments.
“The Brewers are continuing to work with both sides of the aisle to find a creative solution to ensure that the Stadium District can meet its obligations,” Rick Schlesinger, the team’s president of business operations, said in a statement to CBS Milwaukee. “And sign a generational lease extension at American Family Field.”
