New management firm looks to give Oshkosh Arena a fresh start

A new management company hopes to provide a fresh start for the embattled Oshkosh Arena, home to the Milwaukee Bucks’ G-League affiliate.

As part of a foreclosure case against the arena’s owner, Fox Valley Pro Basketball, a Winnebago County judge last month approved allowing the arena to enter into a management contract with VenuWorks. It’s an Iowa-based company with experience managing similar venues across the country.

VenuWorks will officially begin overseeing operations of the arena on Thursday, with the goal of serving the Wisconsin Herd basketball team and bringing more events to the arena. The company has already had meetings with various organizations in the community including the city of Oshkosh, the local chamber of commerce and the Wisconsin Herd.

“Mainly, we’ve done a lot of listening,” said H.R. Cook, regional vice president of VenuWorks. “(We’re) listening to those who have purchased tickets in the past, whether it be to the Herd or to a past concert, and listening to them about what they liked, what they didn’t like and what they would like to see at the arena.”

He also said VenuWorks has a five-year management contract with Fox Valley Pro Basketball, or FVPB, which can be transferred if the arena is sold to a new owner.

Cook said VenuWorks has had its eye on Oshkosh “for a couple of years” after it was approached by FVPB President Greg Pierce to look at ways to improve the arena’s operations. 

“We gave him a proposal at the time, but he went in his own direction,” Cook said. “I think there’s a great market there in Oshkosh, especially for that arena, and we’re very interested in the management of that building.”

The arena was listed for sale this spring, and Fox Valley Pro Basketball fell behind on its property taxes. In May, the Oshkosh Northwestern reported the Herd no longer wanted to do business with Fox Valley Pro Basketball. 

At that time, the Herd told WPR the team was committed to playing the 2024 season in Oshkosh. The team released its 2024-25 season schedule earlier this month. The Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce estimates that each of the Herd’s home games generates roughly $100,000 of economic impact in the area.

Bayland Buildings, the construction company that built the arena, initiated foreclosure proceedings against Fox Valley Pro Basketball and FVPB President Greg Pierce in June. 

A civil complaint filed by Bayland’s attorney in June said FVPB had been consistently late on payments agreed to in previous Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. The complaint also said FVPB hadn’t made a payment to Bayland since March.

The court appointed attorney Paul Swanson to serve as a receiver to manage the property, with court approval and proper notice to the arena’s creditors.

A city of Oshkosh spokesperson confirmed via email that the arena’s unpaid property taxes had been paid in full last month.

Swanson said his goal in overseeing the property through the receivership process is to help get the venue back on solid financial footing, so that creditors are made whole and the arena is an attractive investment for a potential buyer.

He said hiring VenuWorks to operate the arena was the best path forward to achieve those goals, saying it was “the most qualified” of several companies that were considered.

“I think they can turn it around. I mean, they’re really set up to do it,” Swanson said. “They’ve got the hospitality background, food and beverage. They also have their own booking department (and) marketing departments for all of their their many different venues.”

Swanson also said he’s had discussions with the Herd, who are “comfortable with the stability that VenuWorks will provide.”

Evan Schmit, an attorney representing Pierce and Fox Valley Pro Basketball in the foreclosure case, declined to comment, but referred to an Aug. 26 court filing. In the filing, Schmit wrote that the arena’s owners have cooperated with Swanson, and no one has “worked harder” than the ownership group to make the arena a reality.

“They have invested a substantial amount of their time and money to bring a premier entertainment venue to the community,” the filing reads. “That same group continues its efforts, including cooperating with the receiver, in hopes that the arena will reach financial stability and continue to bring entertainment to the city of Oshkosh.”

While it could take a while to find a new owner for the property, Cook with VenuWorks said they hope to increase the number of events held at the facility, but also make sure they’re booking events that make sense for the community. 

“If there’s a concert or demographic that doesn’t fit well in Oshkosh, we’re not going to book it,” he said. “VenuWorks doesn’t get paid unless we perform, and our performance is based upon maintaining the building and its assets in the best way possible and utilizing those assets to book as many shows as we can.”