Fiserv Forum

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Fiserv Forum
The Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee (northeast side, July 2018)
The Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee (northeast side, July 2018)
Earlier names

Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center (construction phase)

Data
place 1111 Vel R. Phillips Avenue Milwaukee , Wisconsin 53203
United StatesUnited States
Coordinates 43 ° 2 '42.1 "  N , 87 ° 55' 2.3"  W Coordinates: 43 ° 2 '42.1 "  N , 87 ° 55' 2.3"  W.
owner Wisconsin Center District
operator Milwaukee Bucks
start of building June 18, 2016
opening August 26, 2018
First game NBA
October 3, 2018
Milwaukee Bucks - Chicago Bulls 116: 82 ( Preseason )
October 19, 2018
Milwaukee Bucks - Indiana Pacers 118: 101 ( Regular Season )
NCAA
October 30, 2018
Marquette Golden Eagles - Carroll University Pioneers 87:44 (Preseason)
November 6, 2018
Marquette Golden Eagles - UMBC Retrievers 67:42 (Regular Season)
surface Concrete
parquet
ice surface
soil
costs 524 million US dollars
architect Populous
HNTB Corporation
Eppstein Uhen Architects
capacity 17,500 seats (basketball)
18,000 seats (concert)
playing area NBA basketball
28.65 × 15.24 m (94 × 50 ft)
Societies)
Events

The Fiserv Forum ( proper spelling : fiserv. Forum) is a multi-purpose hall in the US city ​​of Milwaukee in the state of Wisconsin . It is the new home ground of the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the NCAA - college basketball team of the Marquette Golden Eagles of Marquette University ( Big East Conference ). It replaces the BMO Harris Bradley Center , which opened in 1988 and was demolished after opening in August 2018. The hall has 17,500 seats for basketball games and 18,000 for concerts. There are also 34 luxury suites with around 800 seats and three clubs (BMO Club, Mezzanine Club and the Panorama Club). The construction costs amounted to 524 million  US dollars .

history

The construction of a new multi-purpose hall was necessary because the BMO Harris Bradley Center is outdated in today's terms and offered too little space and comfort. In the NBA, only the Oracle Arena (1966) in Oakland and the Madison Square Garden (1968) in New York were older than the arena in Milwaukee. Both arenas have since been renovated and modernized. In addition, the days of the Oracle Arena as the venue for the Warriors are numbered. In autumn 2019, the franchise moved into the newly built Chase Center in San Francisco .

The $ 90 million Bradley Center was a gift from Jane Bradley Pettit in honor of her father, industrialist Harry Lynde Bradley (co-founder of Allen-Bradley ). However, there were no reserves for long-term capital requirements or annual operating costs, which put the hall and its users at a disadvantage compared to other arenas. In addition to the Bucks , the center should also be the venue for a professional ice hockey team . In the early 1990s, an attempt was made to bring an expansion team from the National Hockey League to the city, but this failed because of the high costs. As early as 2008, the hall was no longer up-to-date. The Bradley Center was approximately 550,000  sq ft (over 51,097  m² ) of space. Newer arenas offer more than 700,000 sq ft (approximately 65,032 m²). There was a valet parking service with 100 parking spaces on the southwest side. With more modern NBA halls there are up to 1000 seats. For a long time the Bradley family was against a name sponsor for the arena, so there was no additional income for the operation and modernization.

In March 2009, then Governor Jim Doyle promised $ 5 million from the Wisconsin state budget as a grant for the renovation. According to the operator, the cost of the modernization at the time was $ 23 million. The list included outdated technology such as B. the machine and heating , ventilation and air conditioning systems , the video cube , the lighting technology and sound system as well as the ice surface and the seating . Then there was the roof in need of repair and the facade.

For years, the Milwaukee Bucks and their owner and Senator Herb Kohl claimed that the hall was out of date. On September 18, 2013, later NBA commissioner Adam Silver visited the BMO Harris Bradley Center. He made it clear that the arena, according to the standards of the NBA, is too small, uncomfortable and unsuitable. He supports efforts to keep the franchise in Milwaukee. Owner Kohl described the problems with extending the Bradley Center lease.

About six months later, in April 2014, Herb Kohl announced that he was selling the franchise to the two New York hedge fund investors Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens for 550 million US dollars. Part of the agreement was a reserve from Kohl and the new owners of US $ 100 million each to build a new multi-purpose arena. Shortly thereafter, the NBA issued an ultimatum. Another hall or a new building that will have to be near completion for the 2017/18 season . Otherwise, the league would buy back the Lasry and Edens franchise and sell it on to one of two interest groups in Las Vegas or Seattle . This would have meant the loss of the Bucks for Milwaukee.

In summer 2015, securing the financing of the new building made great progress. The Wisconsin Senate approved $ 250 million in public subsidies for the multi-purpose arena on July 15, 2015, by a 21:10 vote . Two weeks later, on July 28, the Wisconsin State Assembly , the lower house of the state, also voted 52:34. The total cost was estimated to be US $ 500 million, half of which was to be shared with Kohl and the new owners in a public-private partnership . Any additional costs were borne by the Milwaukee Bucks. Governor Scott Walker signed the spending plan for the new hall on Aug. 12, 2015 at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis . The Milwaukee City Council also voted last on September 22nd, with a 12-3 vote.

The architecture offices Populous and HNTB Corporation from Kansas City , Missouri , and Eppstein Uhen Architects from Milwaukee were selected for the design of the new building . This was announced by the Milwaukee Bucks on February 25, 2015. On an area of ​​30  acres (121,406 m²), a new district will emerge over the years around the arena as the focal point with apartments, shops and entertainment industry . The Milwaukee Bucks signed a lease on April 13, 2016 for the use of the arena for 30 years. The NCAA men's college basketball team of the Marquette Golden Eagles also moved from the Bradley Center to the Fiserv Forum after 30 years.

On June 18, 2016, the ground-breaking ceremony for the arena under the project name Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center was set right next to the old venue , during the second annual Bucks Summer Block Party .

The city of Milwaukee issued the Certificate of Occupancy on May 31, 2018 , which allowed the Milwaukee Bucks to move into parts of the almost completed building. The arena's sustainability program includes dispensing with plastic drinking straws and using compostable food packaging .

The Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center received its future name in late July 2018. The Milwaukee-based company Fiserv , which specializes in payment services and software for banks as well as the financial and retail sectors , became the name sponsor of the new home venue for the Bucks . In future it will be called Fiserv Forum . The agreement between the franchise and Fiserv Inc. runs for 25 years. No information was given about the financial scope of the contract.

On August 26, 2018, the ceremonial opening ( open house ) took place with the symbolic cutting of the ribbon as part of the fourth Bucks Summer Block Party . In addition to around 50,000 visitors, there were current and former Bucks players (such as Captain Giannis Antetokounmpo , Khris Middleton , Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Vin Baker , Marques Johnson , Jon McGlocklin , Steve Novak and Michael Redd ), head coach Mike Budenholzer , the owners Wes Edens, Marc Lasry, Jamie Dinan and Mike Fascitelli, Herb Kohl, Governor Scott Walker, Mayor Tom Barrett and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in attendance at the ceremony. As part of the ceremony, the street in front of the forum was named Herb Kohl Way . After the official part, the visitors were able to take a first look at the new home of the Bucks . The Fiserv Forum covers an area of ​​730,000  sq ft (approximately 67,820 m²) and is 128  ft (approximately 39 meters) high. The construction work took place under the direction of the construction company Mortenson Construction . Over 8,000 tons of  structural steel were used. The more than 3800 craftsmen invested around two million man hours in the construction. 76 percent of the work was done by Milwaukee companies. The facade on the north side was sq ft with 80,440 (approximately 7474 m²) zinc - panels disguised. The hall is equipped with 16 " Wireless Access Zones ", 300 antennas for fast Internet access and more than 800  HD - flat screens equipped. The Daktronics video cube under the ceiling has an area of ​​over 3900 sq ft and is, according to the Milwaukee Bucks, the largest in the league. Overall, the arena is equipped with an area of ​​over 12,000 sq ft (approx. 1115 m²) of video screens . There are 31 kiosks for food and drink and five  large kitchens in the hall  . In addition, the Fiserv Forum has its own art exhibition , the Milwaukee Bucks Art Collection , with 79 works and 43 photographs by 32 artists and 120 students.

The arena also features an ice rink in the format of the NHL and NCAA ice hockey , which can be used for NHL and NCAA Frozen Four test games as well as for ice shows such as Disney on Ice .

The first event in the new arena was the 7th Wisconsin Sports Awards on August 22, 2018  . The first concert was given on September 4th, 2018 by the rock band The Killers from Las Vegas with the Milwaukee supporting act Violent Femmes in front of 12,000 visitors. The Bucks' first game in the preseason took place on October 3, 2018 against the Chicago Bulls (116: 82). The first game of the regular season against the Indiana Pacers (118: 101) was played on October 19. The Marquette Golden Eagles played their first game in the Fiserv Forum on October 30th in the preseason against the Carroll University Pioneers (87:44). A week later, on November 6th, the first regular season home game followed against the UMBC Retrievers (67:42).

gallery

  • The construction site in May 2017

  • The southwest side of the Fiserv Forum (July 2018)

  • Interior view of the Fiserv Forum at a Milwaukee Bucks home game

Web links

Commons : Fiserv Forum  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ NBA arena officially opened. In: stadionwelt.de. August 30, 2018, accessed September 15, 2018 .
  2. ↑ a b c Fiserv Forum Opens. In: nba.com. NBA , August 26, 2018, accessed September 15, 2018 .
  3. ↑ Jeramey Jannene: Bucks Open Fiserv Forum. In: urbanmilwaukee.com. August 26, 2018, accessed September 15, 2018 .
  4. ↑ Bradley Center a home-court disadvantage - Facility's outdated design, space limitations crimp Bucks' style ( Memento from January 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
  5. ↑ Doyle budget includes help for Bradley Center ( Memento from January 16, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
  6. ^ Rich Kirchen: Incoming NBA commissioner Silver says Bradley Center unfit for league. In: bizjournals.com. American City Business Journals, September 18, 2013, accessed September 15, 2018 .
  7. ↑ Kohl sells Bucks for $ 550 million; $ 200 million pledged for new arena ( Memento from November 29, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  8. ↑ Jason Stein, Patrick Marley: Senate approves financing deal for Bucks arena, 21-10. In: archive.jsonline.com. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , July 15, 2015, accessed September 15, 2018 .
  9. ↑ Michael Sisak: Wisconsin Assembly approves Milwaukee Bucks arena deal. In: eu.usatoday.com . Associated Press , July 29, 2015, accessed September 15, 2018 .
  10. ↑ Wisconsin's Walker signs NBA arena spending plan for Milwaukee. In: sports.yahoo.com. Yahoo , August 12, 2015, accessed September 15, 2018 .
  11. ↑ Tom Daykin: Milwaukee Common Council votes 12-3 to approve Bucks arena financing package. In: archive.jsonline.com. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , September 22, 2015, accessed September 15, 2018 .
  12. ↑ Rich Kirchen: Milwaukee Bucks name Eppstein Uhen, Populous, HNTB as arena design team. In: bizjournals.com. American City Business Journals, February 25, 2015, accessed September 15, 2018 .
  13. ^ The Vision. In: fiservforum.com. Retrieved September 15, 2018 .
  14. ↑ Bucks sign 30-year lease with new arena owner. In: espn.com . Associated Press , April 13, 2016, accessed September 15, 2018 .
  15. ↑ Groundbreaking Ceremony ( Memento from October 27, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  16. ^ Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center Receives Certificate of Occupancy. In: mortenson.com. MA Mortenson Company , May 31, 2018, accessed September 15, 2018 .
  17. ^ Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center To Launch Sustainability Program. In: nba.com. NBA , June 5, 2018, accessed September 15, 2018 .
  18. ↑ James B. Nelson: Milwaukee Bucks and Fiserv Inc. strike 25-year naming rights deal for new downtown arena. In: eu.jsonline.com. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , July 26, 2018, accessed September 15, 2018 .
  19. ↑ Fiserv Forum Open House August 26th. In: nba.com. NBA , accessed September 15, 2018 .
  20. ↑ Bucks introduce NBA's largest center-hung scoreboard for new arena. In: onmilwaukee.com. OnMilwaukee, February 21, 2017, accessed September 15, 2018 .
  21. ↑ NBA arena officially opened. In: stadionwelt.de. August 30, 2018, accessed September 15, 2018 .
  22. ↑ The Milwaukee Bucks Art Collection Inside Fiserv Forum. In: nba.com. NBA , August 24, 2018, accessed September 15, 2018 .
  23. ↑ Rich Kirchen: Milwaukee Bucks arena will include ice rink to host NHL, NCAA games. In: bizjournals.com. American City Business Journals, April 25, 2016, accessed September 15, 2018 .
  24. ↑ Eric Nehm: 7th Annual Wisconsin Sports Awards Recap. In: espn.com . ESPN Wisconsin, August 23, 2018, accessed September 15, 2018 .
  25. ^ The Killers, Violent Femmes rock Fiserv Forum in inaugural concert. In: tmj4.com. September 4, 2018, accessed September 15, 2018 .
  26. ↑ Game report Milwaukee Bucks versus Chicago Bulls. In: kicker.de. Kicker sports magazine , accessed on October 9, 2018 .
  27. ↑ Bucks open Fiserv Forum with 118-101 win over Pacers. In: foxsports.com . AP , October 20, 2018, accessed October 20, 2018 .
  28. ↑ Marquette tops Carroll, 87-44, debut in Fiserv. In: gomarquette.com. Marquette Golden Eagles, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  29. ↑ Brewtown Andy: 1-0: Marquette Men's Basketball Opens Up Fiserv Forum With A Win Over UMBC. In: anonymouseagle.com. November 6, 2018, accessed November 8, 2018 .