Milwaukee Bucks reveal more renderings of new downtown arena project

The NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks have many mottos attached to them — like “Green and Growing,” “Bucks in Six,” and “Fear the Deer” — but the team pushes one above all else. 

Own the Future.

They certainly are trying to do that. Along with a young, exuberant group of players, the Bucks continue to move towards a new downtown Milwaukee arena that will keep them in the city.

This week, the Bucks released new renderings and project specifications for their arena and surrounding mixed-use entertainment district, a plan led by Populous along with Eppstein Uhen and HNTB. 

The 714,000-sf arena is intended primarily for basketball but can also host hockey, concerts, and other events. Upper and lower levels will load from the top down for a more efficient seating pattern, and fans will be able to watch the action from the concourses. 

The building will have a hand-crafted zinc and glass exterior. A massive glass curtain wall will bring light and views into the atrium. The arced long-span roof will be clad in pre-patina zinc shingles, with six vertical glass “ripples” that allow light in. 

Perhaps intentionally, the building’s shape seems to honor Milwaukee’s heritage.

The 30-acre mixed-use development will have restaurants, bars and other entertainment based uses, including a plaza with a translucent canopy above it. 

The NBA mandated that the Bucks needed a new arena secured or else they would be sold to the league and potentially relocated. The team’s current home, the BMO Bradley Center, was built in 1988. The new arena project was announced last April and the Wisconsin state assembly approved the plan last July.

The entire plan will cost about $1 billion, half for the arena and half for the development. The arena is expected to be ready for the 2018-19 season, and the district, which will also add hotels, offices, and condos, will be built over the next 10 years.

The Bucks are also building a new training facility.